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Post by zontar on Oct 30, 2021 7:59:59 GMT
I did start a thread back when I joined about fretless bass in general.
So some of the things on this list may overlap--btu not all of it.
And again--some of my worst things may seem not picky--because --well it's hard for me to think of 5 worst things for most guitars & basses.
so here it goes:
5 best things about fretless bass:
1-no frets, so you can get cool sliding sounds from note to note.
2-If you're not quite tuned properly you can adjust on the fly with finger placement & be in tune (Same for intonation)
3-They're fun to play--because on your own you can overdo the fretless stuff and go crazy that way--and get it out of your system.
4-Well, they're basses and fun to play
5-no need to do fretwork
5 worst things:
1-no frets--so there's a learning curve
2-You could damage the fingerboard & it needs work
3-If you're playing with others & you can't hear yourself, you can't tell if you're playing the notes properly just from a visual (At least not as easily)
4-The snobs who sneer at your "Fret"lines (But then I just ignore them)
5-While you can cheat a bit on tuning & intonation at times, they are probably more important on a fretless than a fretted bass.
So there you go.
Since I got my fretless I have played way more bass than ever before.
And I have played my fretted bass at times but I prefer the fretless.
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Post by johnreardon on Oct 30, 2021 14:18:25 GMT
I made a bass from a kit in the late 60s, when I was playing bass in a band for a while. The neck came slotted for frets, but they weren’t fitted. I played a couple of gigs without the frets in and didn’t really like it. Ok it wasn’t really fretless in that there were little slots, but it gave me an idea.
I put the frets in as soon as I could
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Post by Die Bullen on Oct 30, 2021 16:54:34 GMT
I had a Fender fretless and I liked it a lot. Stupidly sold it when I was a student and wasn't using it as d I've regretted it ever since. Great mellow sound!
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Post by zontar on Oct 30, 2021 22:48:19 GMT
I made a bass from a kit in the late 60s, when I was playing bass in a band for a while. The neck came slotted for frets, but they weren’t fitted. I played a couple of gigs without the frets in and didn’t really like it. Ok it wasn’t really fretless in that there were little slots, but it gave me an idea. I put the frets in as soon as I could They're not for everybody. And I'm good with that--variety is a good thing in music. But your experience is not quite the same thing as a fretless To play in tune you'd likely have needed put your fingers on the slots--and so sliding in or out of that note wouldn't work the same as on a smooth board. certainly different from a fretted bass, but not the same as a fretless one. In a sense it was a reverse fretted bass. wonder if those would catch on. |
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Post by zontar on Oct 30, 2021 22:48:57 GMT
I had a Fender fretless and I liked it a lot. Stupidly sold it when I was a student and wasn't using it as d I've regretted it ever since. Great mellow sound! I hope you learned your lesson. never sell your fretless bass. |
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Post by zontar on Oct 30, 2021 23:01:21 GMT
And here's my fretless bass (My longest instrument) next to my Mandobird--the shortest one  |
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Post by laristotle on Oct 30, 2021 23:43:32 GMT
never sell your fretless bass. I traded mine towards a Gibson bass. No regrets here.  |
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Post by Die Bullen on Oct 30, 2021 23:55:05 GMT
I had a Fender fretless and I liked it a lot. Stupidly sold it when I was a student and wasn't using it as d I've regretted it ever since. Great mellow sound! I hope you learned your lesson. never sell your fretless bass. Well I learned my lesson and I didn't. Truth is I haven't picked up my other bass in years so if I had the Fender it would probably sit in its case anyway. I think a few more pieces of gear are going to go out the door soon too. I need to get rid of stuff I don't play with and I am saving up for something big... |
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Post by zontar on Oct 31, 2021 6:35:40 GMT
I hope you learned your lesson. never sell your fretless bass. Well I learned my lesson and I didn't. Truth is I haven't picked up my other bass in years so if I had the Fender it would probably sit in its case anyway. I think a few more pieces of gear are going to go out the door soon too. I need to get rid of stuff I don't play with and I am saving up for something big... You should play it more often. I have gone through periods in which I barely touched my bass (When I had the fitted one only)--but I am glad I hung not it--I always wind up coming back to it. (But it's never been years.) Oh well, not for everybody. |
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Post by zontar on Oct 31, 2021 6:36:16 GMT
never sell your fretless bass. I traded mine towards a Gibson bass. No regrets here. Was the fretless a short scale? |
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Post by laristotle on Oct 31, 2021 8:42:10 GMT
I traded mine towards a Gibson bass. No regrets here. Was the fretless a short scale? mid-scale. 32" |
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Post by Die Bullen on Oct 31, 2021 12:32:00 GMT
Well I learned my lesson and I didn't. Truth is I haven't picked up my other bass in years so if I had the Fender it would probably sit in its case anyway. I think a few more pieces of gear are going to go out the door soon too. I need to get rid of stuff I don't play with and I am saving up for something big... You should play it more often. I have gone through periods in which I barely touched my bass (When I had the fitted one only)--but I am glad I hung not it--I always wind up coming back to it. (But it's never been years.) Oh well, not for everybody. My problem is one of time. My playing nowadays is limited to either rehearsing or gigging, so I really don't do much that isn't one or the other. It is why I sold my banjos too. |
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Post by zontar on Nov 1, 2021 6:30:29 GMT
You should play it more often. I have gone through periods in which I barely touched my bass (When I had the fitted one only)--but I am glad I hung not it--I always wind up coming back to it. (But it's never been years.) Oh well, not for everybody. My problem is one of time. My playing nowadays is limited to either rehearsing or gigging, so I really don't do much that isn't one or the other. It is why I sold my banjos too. Well I'm not against selling banjos...   |
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Post by zontar on Nov 1, 2021 7:07:56 GMT
Or you could use this...  |
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Post by markr on Nov 4, 2021 1:26:40 GMT
never sell your fretless bass. I traded mine towards a Gibson bass. No regrets here. Those are beautiful instruments! |
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Post by markr on Nov 4, 2021 11:25:56 GMT
I have never played anything fret less, I have been learning to play better by ear lately. I have been playing along with YouTube videos.
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Post by zontar on Nov 6, 2021 19:57:32 GMT
I have never played anything fret less, I have been learning to play better by ear lately. I have been playing along with YouTube videos. Listening is one of the, if not the most, important things in playing a fretless instrument of any kind. the idea used to frighten me in a way. Now I love it--at least for bass. |
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