Fretless easier than fretted?

[Beedster]

I've played mostly fretless for about 10 years. However, although competent, I've always considered myself a better player when using a fretted. I was pretty shocked on Friday to find that I was really struggling to play parts on a fretted that I can play without any issue at all on fretless. In fact, on a couple of tracks I was kicking myself that I hadn't taken a fretless to the session. And before you ask it wasn't the action, or the width/depth of neck (I'm lucky enough to have a matched pair of Warmoth fretted/fretless Precision necks), it was the frets.

Anyone else had this?

[itu]

I find fretless and fretted two very different instruments. And I do love both. I play fretless less, like using fewer notes. It sings in a different way.

[Bilbo]

It is not fair to compare a fretless you play regularly with a fretted you don't. They both have challenges and both have strengths. The more time you spend with each instrument the better. 

[Beedster]

12 hours ago, Bilbo said:

It is not fair to compare a fretless you play regularly with a fretted you don't. They both have challenges and both have strengths. The more time you spend with each instrument the better. 

That's a decent point Bilbo, I guess I had always seen fretless as so much harder irrespective of other factors, and it was really odd to find that frets, fat from being the solution to my technique as they had often in the past, were actually getting in the way!

[mybass]

Sometimes it’s the sound of fretted bass that isn’t ‘right’ on the night. Im told by my bass friends and punters alike that my fretless basses have the  ability to be heard with note attack and clarity, no matter what flavour song the band is playing. I used to struggle with this level of clarity with fretted basses, that was my ‘thing’ about fretless over fretted. I can use fretted on some songs but on other songs the fretted bass sound seems to disappear on stage.

[munkyowen]

I had the same thing not too long ago - started on fretted basses, played two fretted yamaha's for years then got a fretless on a whim. It soon took over as my main bass. One day I was playing them all and suddenly I no longer liked the sound I was getting from the fretted basses and lines seemed harder to play on them compared to the fretless. Wound up selling the fretted basses and now saving up for a back-up fretless 😁

[lownote]

25 minutes ago, munkyowen said:

I had the same thing not too long ago - started on fretted basses, played two fretted yamaha's for years then got a fretless on a whim. It soon took over as my main bass. One day I was playing them all and suddenly I no longer liked the sound I was getting from the fretted basses and lines seemed harder to play on them compared to the fretless. Wound up selling the fretted basses and now saving up for a back-up fretless 😁

This +1

[Marc S]

On 15/12/2019 at 22:27, Bilbo said:

It is not fair to compare a fretless you play regularly with a fretted you don't. They both have challenges and both have strengths. The more time you spend with each instrument the better. 

Indeed. Bilbo is spot on here. I don't play my fretless nearly enough (I bought it to noodle on) but when I do play it,
I find my whole approach to playing has to be a bit different.

As @itu says - it "sings" in a different way

Edited January 2, 2020 by Marc S

[Bilbo]

On 16/12/2019 at 10:32, Beedster said:

That's a decent point Bilbo, I guess I had always seen fretless as so much harder irrespective of other factors, and it was really odd to find that frets, fat from being the solution to my technique as they had often in the past, were actually getting in the way!

I have found this a problem for decades. I have used fretted basses intermittently but find them to be a bit like jogging with a stone inside your trainer! 

[Kirky]

Was playing my fretless exclusively since I got it.  Then I got a nice fretted Jazz from @stewblack earlier last year.  Now I generally take both along to gigs and do one set on each.  As we change the sets around a bit it means that everything gets played on both basses after 3 or 4 gigs.  I think it's helping my playing, making me think about how to get the best out of the bass for the song.  

[MacDaddy]

I'd never got on with fretless, until I played @Frank Blank's Rob Allen Mouse. I've tried other short scale fretless, and no, can't get on with them. But mine 💖

[lownote]

20 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

I'd never got on with fretless, until I played @Frank Blank's Rob Allen Mouse. I've tried other short scale fretless, and no, can't get on with them. But mine 💖

Liking fretless isn't a given, they vary so much.  I've had several now and made two. I like a fretless to sound like any other bass. Don't like too much mwah, a little goes a long way. Nut slot height is critical for that, for me: too little, you get mwah, too much and the handling's awkward.  I have a Vintage 940FL with a petite lightweight body which I quite like the sound of.  My cheap Revelation P bass has a great big ugly body, yet it just jumps up into my arms and snuggles up, plays effortlessly.   

Edited January 3, 2020 by lownote12