FinnDave Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Took my 'new' fretless (Xilddx's second hand Mighty Mite neck & my Squier Precision VM body) to the blues jam in Witney this afternoon. Rest of the band insisted I play it (had about 30 mins on it so far) even though I had a good fretted Fender J with me...we played four numbers, most of them fairly up-tempo and funky stuff and played the fretless on all of them. Can go back to fretted now I've crossed the great divide??? Picked up one of my Jazz basses and it feel so dead and clanky compared to the organic feel of the fretless neck. Fretless just feels and sounds so wickedly sexy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 I believe it's possible to get used to both. It's not a problem I'm likely to encounter, as my fretless playing sounds like the noise a lone goose makes when it's lost in thick fog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaypup Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 Fretted for the slap nonsense, fretless for everything else. I try to take my fretted basses to gigs but somehow always take the fretless as well and end up playing that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monckyman Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1424636299' post='2698639'] I believe it's possible to get used to both. It's not a problem I'm likely to encounter, as my fretless playing sounds like the noise a lone goose makes when it's lost in thick fog. [/quote] Just like your fretted bass then ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 [quote name='Monckyman' timestamp='1424642008' post='2698730'] Just like your fretted bass then ? [/quote] Thhhppp!! No... that sounds like a wombat farting into a saucepan - up a tree! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moos3h Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 If I get a few hours to myself I am going to attack my jazz copy and De-fret it. This post makes me think I'll enjoy the results if I don't make a hash of it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 [quote name='Moos3h' timestamp='1424642688' post='2698748'] This post makes me think I'll enjoy the results if I don't make a hash of it! [/quote] If you do, just enjoy the hash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Be careful, it's addictive, I'm already eyeing up the Fender J I bought last week and wondering how it'd feel with a plain fingerboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discreet Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 [quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1424643111' post='2698756'] Be careful, it's addictive, I'm already eyeing up the Fender J I bought last week and wondering how it'd feel with a plain fingerboard. [/quote] NOOOOOO!!! Actually... it would look pretty cool... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 You're really not helping, are you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the boy Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 It's impossible to resist sliding into every change at first. It sounds so sexy, but once you get over that particular distraction it's witout doubt a much better format than fretted. Having said that I don't currently own a fretless. I have two fretless necks and countless bodies to match so I guess in theory I own several. Lol......trotting off to the workshop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Adams Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I'm currently playing both. I play fretless for the most, but sometime you just need the frets to get a more percussive beat I find. TBH, I still feel a sense of guilt about fretless, like I'm cheating, but my band love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ellie Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I like both, in different ways. No right or wrong here lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I reckon I'd play a lot more fretless if it weren't for the fact that my main band's sound is built around a slide guitarist ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FinnDave Posted February 23, 2015 Author Share Posted February 23, 2015 It's not the sliding I find so seductive, it's the overall sound and feel, plus the wonderful vibrato. Think I'll pop downstairs and have another go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
randythoades Posted February 23, 2015 Share Posted February 23, 2015 I am a recent convert to fretless. I love it and rarely play fretted now. I particularly like the way I can hear when I am not quite on and make small adjustments on the fly (especially when singing and can't look at what I am playing). With a fretted bass, if you play the wrong note, you are playing the wrong note. With fretless, if you play the wrong note, you can just slide up or down until you are spot on. I like the freedom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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