StuartB Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Hi all, Exactly four mins in on this vid: [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFlMB9Mxt8M"]https://www.youtube....h?v=pFlMB9Mxt8M[/url] the bass starts. I've actually only ever listed to this on a CD until today and was shocked to see the guy is actually playing a fretted bass - I was totally convinced it was fretless as it has great swell, no fret noise etc. Is he using a d-esser or something? Flatwound stings? Magic Fingers? A graphic with the treble rolled right off? Any ideas as I love the sound and would quite like to emulate it. Mine don't sound like that... Ta Stuart Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Chorus, by the sound of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) I do Bridge pickup favoured, roll back the tone, compress, poss chorus, try to play smoothly use similar phrasing to a fretless player and try to think ''fretlessy'. I've an example from about 15+ years ago I recorded that i quite liked, but I don't think it's online anywhere. Ill see if I can find it. Edited December 23, 2012 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartB Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 I do that, kill treble, use chorus, and it just sounds like a fretted with chorus and no treble. The youtube clip sounds different, much more swell and soft tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Foxen Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Real smooth playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JTUK Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 We can't see what effects he might be running... but they aren't out front. I'd expect to get close, with the bridge pickup and presense rolled off and chrous.... and then your left hand will need to do a bit of work in the lines that you try and play...but I would say his sound is processed more than that. The chorus makes quite a difference tho. OT.. I think Joe B gets quite a lot of flack..?? don't know why.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 (edited) Found it. It's the song 'so long so wrong' I recorded this around 1999 using my blue fretted jazz bass plugged into a zoom 506 and set as above. It's not perfect, I was just going for a 'fretless feel'. http://www.reverbnation.com/myriadsonix Tbh I didn't even know there was a reverb nation with that stuff on!! Gonna have a listen through now, I remember really liking the sounds I used on those songs. The best songs for bass sounds are the ones that start with an 'R' ...odd!! I was channelling Billy Gould in 'Redemption' Glimmer and sit and stare are ok too. What a nice find lol. And the singer is the guy that recently shot burglars with his shotgun and was let off thank goodness ( he's a better shot than singer tho;) Edited December 23, 2012 by gafbass02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 Bill Bailey on drums??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartB Posted December 23, 2012 Author Share Posted December 23, 2012 Yes Bill on drums- LOL exactly what I thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpaceChick Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 My effects pedal has a fretless setting.... Never used it, I just play my fretless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jezzaboy Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 This is a handy topic as I am learning Mama I`m coming home by Ozzy for a possible project and the verse sounds as if it`s played on a fretless. Not having a frettless, this topic hits the spot!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JapanAxe Posted December 23, 2012 Share Posted December 23, 2012 [quote name='SpaceChick' timestamp='1356292308' post='1908919'] My effects pedal has a fretless setting.... Never used it, I just play my fretless [/quote] Yes I've seen 'de-fretter' options on bass multi-fx units. I tried one once and was thoroughly unconvinced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartB Posted December 24, 2012 Author Share Posted December 24, 2012 [quote name='jezzaboy' timestamp='1356299162' post='1909028'] This is a handy topic as I am learning Mama I`m coming home by Ozzy for a possible project and the verse sounds as if it`s played on a fretless. Not having a frettless, this topic hits the spot!! [/quote] Let's hope we get some answers then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urb Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 Dominique DiPiazza developed a special bridge system that can make a fretted bass sound fretless by using wooden saddles on the bridge: http://youtu.be/bYPHZlwLP3s More info here http://www.neuserbasses.com/nfs.html Cool thing is there are no electrics involved... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
machinehead Posted December 24, 2012 Share Posted December 24, 2012 I've had band members think I was playing fretless when I was actually just playing smoothly on a fretted. Back in the 80s I used to use a Boss chorus for maybe one bar in a song to give a fretless effect. I think chorus is the secret. Frank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcnach Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 [quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1356289723' post='1908873'] Found it. It's the song 'so long so wrong' I recorded this around 1999 using my blue fretted jazz bass plugged into a zoom 506 and set as above. It's not perfect, I was just going for a 'fretless feel'. [url="http://www.reverbnation.com/myriadsonix"]http://www.reverbnat...com/myriadsonix[/url] Tbh I didn't even know there was a reverb nation with that stuff on!! Gonna have a listen through now, I remember really liking the sounds I used on those songs. The best songs for bass sounds are the ones that start with an 'R' ...odd!! I was channelling Billy Gould in 'Redemption' Glimmer and sit and stare are ok too. What a nice find lol. And the singer is the guy that recently shot burglars with his shotgun and was let off thank goodness ( he's a better shot than singer tho;) [/quote] I would have really thought you played a fretless there if I hadn't read this, very smooth! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombe7 Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 [quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1356301565' post='1909066'] Yes I've seen 'de-fretter' options on bass multi-fx units. I tried one once and was thoroughly unconvinced. [/quote] Yep not impressed by the one on Roland GT-6B. Doesn't quite pull it off IMO. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 Solution.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gafbass02 Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 [quote name='mcnach' timestamp='1356693535' post='1912418'] I would have really thought you played a fretless there if I hadn't read this, very smooth! [/quote] Cheers for that, :-) that's nice to hear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geek99 Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 My zoom b2 unit has a passable fretless-mimic setting Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 29, 2012 Share Posted December 29, 2012 Just sounds like a normal bass with a bit too much chorus on it to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 If you can find an optical compressor with an attack control that has a real late bloom to the sound, you can mimic some of the dynamics of the fretless 'sound'. By softening the attack so much that the bite disappears, you get a slight double bass effect. I'd mix that with favouring the bridge pickup for the nasal mids whilst boosting low mids on my EQ. Finally, think about how a fretless bass sounds and try to mimic that. for example, with plenty of slow half bends up to notes as the compressor releases. Go for the 'Pino' effect with a boss chorus and Octave, you'll be well on the way to disguising your bass tone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve-bbb Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 there is a very subtle technique that is a combination of both left hand fretting and slight vibrato and a subtle slight of hand with the right hand (never got it to work with a pick only fingers) that will give a very slight (ish) sort of fretlessy sound i think it depends a lot on the guitar too as i used to be able to do it quite well on certain basses but not on others not that that helps much but i could always demo it at the next bass bash Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted December 30, 2012 Share Posted December 30, 2012 [quote name='StuartB' timestamp='1356284147' post='1908788'] ....shocked to see the guy is actually playing a fretted bass - I was totally convinced it was fretless as it has great swell, no fret noise etc.... Mine don't sound like that... [/quote] He's a player know for his "fat" sound, playing an Xotic XB bass through various effects through a GK backline and post processing his sound in the studio prior to the DVD being released. After that lot he's going to sound "different" to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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