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Fretless bass.... what's the benefit?


ricksterphil

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I've always found playing fretless changes my playing style somewhat, I'm a very aggressive player on a fretted bass, striking the strings very hard to get attack and plenty of clang. Playing fretless makes me back that off a bit and get more laid back and (possibly) more melodic... 

 

I played unlined to begin with, had a lovey Wal Pro 1 at one point in the 80's, but now have a defretted SR5 and I found the lines do help with my less than perfect intonation. I've gotten used to having them now and the rather beautiful fretless that Alan at ACG is building for me has lines.

 

Of late I've been working with much more distortion in my fretless sound, which I'm really getting behind. It's a different way of playing for me, I like it a lot for some tracks, not so much for others.

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8 hours ago, Downunderwonder said:

If you play fretless it's a rare munter that will approach you for a loan. Bump it up to 5er and the potential drops to near zero.

Unlined's even better - great watching their little faces drop: "Sure, here..."

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6 hours ago, Boodang said:

... or an EUB with no markings! 

Actually I find EUB ( with side dots ) slightly magnetic. At least they are usually competent guitarists and it can be sort of fun to give it to them for half a tune. Usually it will cut them down a peg or three as they realise it isn't just a big guitar that you flail around on to make big booms.

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On 31/01/2022 at 22:59, Boodang said:

Yep, Percy Jones was a huge influence, especially the Brand X days back when Phil Collins was playing proper drums!

 

Likewise.  I even had tickets to see him but covid facked all that up.  Got refunded.  I currently have an Ibanez SRHF  4 banger, and love it.  Previously to that,  i had an upright  NS design NXT4 and an ESP LTD spalt maple.

 

I wacked out this track with the  ESP with a pal on guitar/keys.  He did guitar  keys and programming, i did bass and drums.  It was just a bit of fun, nothing more

 

 

 

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Our Youngest snitched my sixer fretless just about from Day One, and has played it ever since, almost exclusively (I hardly get any opportunity to play it...). A useful part of getting used to getting, and staying, in tune is to generate and listen to harmonics whilst playing. These will always be in tune (for that string...), and keep the ear locked into the pitch. Whatever the song, there's always a way of sneaking a harmonic in there discretely, and it becomes a reflex, and part of one's 'sound' after a while. Just sayin'. B|

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