TGEvans Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 help please.started playing with a new band,hardcore/alt/punk stuff.want to know what would the drawbacks be using a fretless? is there anything that would not work sonically in relation to tunings or anything like that? any input would be great,tim. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
velvetkevorkian Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 As long as you're in tune you should be fine. I've played fretless in a metal band before- I didn't notice much sonic difference unless I did something obviously "fretlessy". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylon Pilson Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 In my opinion, the biggest drawback would be that it can be hard to hear yourself clearly at high volumes, so it will be much harder to know if you are in tune or not. I'm also not sure whether there would be any benefits, as it's not a genre that gives a fretless bass much opportunity to show its talents. If you end up spending the whole time watching your left hand to make sure that you're in tune, and the end result sounds exactly the same as it would if you were playing a fretted bass, then I'm not sure that you've gained anything. S.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stewart Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 I'd say you could possibly play more pizzicato/percussively than with a fretted - you can stop the notes dead a lot more effectively. But hearing every note clearly is an absolute necessity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major-Minor Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 [quote name='Stylon Pilson' post='537751' date='Jul 11 2009, 10:22 AM']In my opinion, the biggest drawback would be that it can be hard to hear yourself clearly at high volumes, so it will be much harder to know if you are in tune or not. I'm also not sure whether there would be any benefits, as it's not a genre that gives a fretless bass much opportunity to show its talents. If you end up spending the whole time watching your left hand to make sure that you're in tune, and the end result sounds exactly the same as it would if you were playing a fretted bass, then I'm not sure that you've gained anything. S.P.[/quote] I agree with SP's comments here. But, as a side issue, I'm concerned about the "high volumes" reference. If you really have to play at high volumes (and that's what so many seem to do these days), please make sure you use ear defenders. I have some quite expensive moulded ear pieces with filters that stop the damaging noise getting to your ear drum but still allow the full frequency range to get thru'. This also helps when playing fretless or DB as you can truly hear your intonation. The high volume "pain" you get without ear protection usually masks your perception of tuning. So please please get ear defenders - especially if you want to be able to hear when you are older. Pardon ! What was that ....... sorry you'll have to speak up ...... The Major Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TGEvans Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 thanks for the feedback guys.do you know of any players that use fretless basses for heavier styles?i can only think of les claypool and steve di gorgio from the metal band death.might be worth me checking out some people for guidance,t Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Woodcock Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 (edited) [quote name='TGEvans' post='537889' date='Jul 11 2009, 02:28 PM']do you know of any players that use fretless basses for heavier styles?i can only think of les claypool and steve di gorgio from the metal band death.[/quote] There's a few guys out there such as [url="http://www.jeroenthesseling.com/"]Jeroen Paul Thesseling[/url] on the new Obscura record, but the one to check out is definitely [url="http://www.seanmalone.net/"]Sean Malone[/url] - and in particular anything from Focus by Cynic. I myself played fretless in a tech metal/fusion band called [url="http://www.myspace.com/linearsphere"]Linear Sphere[/url]. Sonically, given the softer attack of a fretless you'll need a clear sound with prominent mids in order to 'cut through' heavy distorted guitars. Edited July 11, 2009 by Stickman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mybass Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 [quote name='TGEvans' post='537323' date='Jul 10 2009, 04:57 PM']help please.started playing with a new band,hardcore/alt/punk stuff.want to know what would the drawbacks be using a fretless? is there anything that would not work sonically in relation to tunings or anything like that? any input would be great,tim.[/quote] FRETLESS FOREVER........... I've played fretless for ever now, through all sorts of bands and music such as twin guitars playing Whitesnake to blues, r&b, rock, sessions etc. You will need really good pickups with across the board clarity and lower mid attack/punch, a really good wood for fingerboard (try macassar ebony if you don't want the treble"brittleness" of black ebony), really good amp and speakers (I use Mark Bass). Your intonation has to be pretty good too! With no frets the attack of notes will have to be pretty precise. I've played many a gig where players never realised I was playing fretless all night. This may then all depend on how your bass sound will fit with the band itself, it may just not be the right thing for the type of sound the band has or wants. There are different possibilities on fretless to a fretted bass too in playing styles/sounds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 [quote name='TGEvans' post='537889' date='Jul 11 2009, 02:28 PM']thanks for the feedback guys.do you know of any players that use fretless basses for heavier styles?i can only think of les claypool and steve di gorgio from the metal band death.might be worth me checking out some people for guidance,t[/quote] Colin Edwin from Porcupine Tree - not the heaviest band out there but they have plenty of loud & heavy moments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spartacus Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 [quote name='TGEvans' post='537889' date='Jul 11 2009, 02:28 PM']thanks for the feedback guys.do you know of any players that use fretless basses for heavier styles?i can only think of les claypool and steve di gorgio from the metal band death.might be worth me checking out some people for guidance,t[/quote] Not metal but heavy, Youth in the original Killing Joke lineup played fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 I played in a very heavy band called Fister with a fretless Jap Jazz. Don't recall ever having any problems as long as the monitoring is good, with more midrange and a bit of top end in the wedges. Never owned a bass amp in my life, I either went direct or used someone else's backline. I started off defretting above the 12th, but love the sound of it with that band so much I took them all out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jase Posted July 30, 2009 Share Posted July 30, 2009 [quote name='TGEvans' post='537323' date='Jul 10 2009, 04:57 PM']help please.started playing with a new band,hardcore/alt/punk stuff.want to know what would the drawbacks be using a fretless? is there anything that would not work sonically in relation to tunings or anything like that? any input would be great,tim.[/quote] Sounds like a cool idea to me, alt/punk fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Tony Franklin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kingofthestuntmen Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 Been listening to the ARK albums recently - [url="http://www.arksite.com/index_old.html"]http://www.arksite.com/index_old.html[/url] - and Randy Coven plays a whole lot of fretless on there... And while writing this, I went in search of stuff on his gear; found this - [url="http://www.pavelmi.com/basses_tzack.php"]http://www.pavelmi.com/basses_tzack.php[/url] And when I'm done here I'm gonna go dig out the first Blue Murder album, check out some Tony Franklin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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