Phil Adams Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I love playing fretless. Whilst I'm sure my intonation isn't spot on for the most part, my band mates say they can't hear any difference between me playing with or without frets (just as bad both ways I suspect). Are there any BC members who only play fretless through choice? (Obviously DB players need not apply). ie, is there any reason I can't live out the rest of my days playing fretless, or will the fret police be waiting to ambush me? Apart from slap and pop styles which I don't subscribe to anyway, is there any other situation where I'm gonna regret not having frets? Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RhysP Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 If that's what you want to do then do it. Plenty of people on here play fretless pretty much exclusively in all sorts of different musical genres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) I have played fretless all the time in one of my bands for about six years now. I recently joined a blues band where I use a fretted P, but it's only a matter of time before I switch to the fretless for that band too. I much prefer fretless bass, and it sounds like you do too. If it makes you happy then go for it! Also, you can make a fretless sound fretted (sounds like you can do this already), but you can't make a fretted sound fretless, so it's fretless for the win! Edited January 18, 2015 by walbassist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Adams Posted January 18, 2015 Author Share Posted January 18, 2015 Thanks chaps. Sorry if I sound guilty. I just needed to "come out" and admit to preferring fretless. Of course, 60 years ago the boot would have been on the other foot, with electric bass players feeling guilty about their Precisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 In one band, I commonly play fretless. That band also has a guitarist who plays slide guitar and sometimes lapsteel - both of which are (in effect at least) fretless. Sometimes the intonation between us is spicy, but that's folk and blues for you. There's one song where I slide up an octave from Bb on the A string. When I did play a fretted bass with that band on that song I missed the octave by a whole semitone. With fretless I'm always much closer than that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 Never say "never"... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wv48aNUcFxI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 (edited) There are some songs in my band's set that do sound better with a fretted bass, but I have done entire gigs on fretless and prefer to really. Providing you don't slide into every note or overdo the vibrato I don't see any reason (other than slapping and popping) why one shouldn't solely play fretless if the bass that you are using tone is appropriate. EDIT: Fretless FTW! Edited January 18, 2015 by ezbass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zero9 Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I played fretless exclusively in a function band for a while. I find a fretless more expressive and it can also be used for slap and pop if you choose to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I play fretless a lot of the time, however some tunes do seem to need frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted January 18, 2015 Share Posted January 18, 2015 I play fretless exclusively and have done (mostly) since 1986. Jazz, Riock, Pop, Funk etc etc. It works as well as fretted in almost everything except slapping. I only have that one fretless bass and have not had a fretted for years now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I have just made the switch to fretless and have been playing it in a pop/rock/blues environment with no problem. I prefer it really. I decided to start after beginning the DB a year or so back and find it easier to play as I can judge by ear rather than sight where I am when singing. On the fretted bass I was often out by a fret but now can adjust as necessary on the fly. The band have not noticed the change as I play as I would fretted bass (with a pick and not much slide or vibrato) but I find it more comfortable to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad3353 Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 (edited) Out youngest, Tom, started off on his Cort 5-stringer, but as soon as I got my 6-string fretless, he 'snaffled' it. I don't get a look-in any more, and he plays exclusively with it. The poor ol' Cort has not been touched for a few years, now..! Our repertoire is pop/rock covers, such as Bowie, Radiohead, RHCP, SOAD, RATM, Chris Cornell... I'm sure that none (or nearly none...) of our audience know (nor care...) that it's a fretless. Edited January 19, 2015 by Dad3353 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 In a previous band I played the majority of the songs on fretless. Only a few which used two note chords were played on a fretted bass. When working on a new song I always started with the fretless and only switched to fretted once I knew that I couldn't make the bass sound right with the fretless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rumple Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Way back in time when I could only afford to have a single bass I played fretless exclusively, we did rock originals and I played it much like a fretted bass with very few slides or vibrato. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Fretless all the way for me both in Dylan covers band and soulful blues band. There are a couple of songs where I sometimes think fretted might be better but a) I'm sure nobody in our audiences would ever notice and it's probably just GAS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Sausage Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I go through phases. Last year was only fret less, but recently I've started back on fretted and my fretless's are gathering dust Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tauzero Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 I normally play fretless, though I can swap between the two and my backup bass is fretted - as, indeed, are most of my basses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dadofsix Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) While I love playing the fretless on stage, there are a few songs that I have to use a fretted on. One of these, Turn The Page, by Bob Seger, requires me to hold chords on the neck while plucking out a pattern, and it just doesn't sound right on the fretless. I have a "bionic shoulder" and just can't twist my wrist enough to get all three notes in the chord to be in pitch. Awww, who am I kidding, I'm just getting old! lol Edited January 21, 2015 by dadofsix Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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