Need help: fretless bass? *Updated*
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Topic: Need help: fretless bass? *Updated*
Posted By: NecronCommander
Subject: Need help: fretless bass? *Updated*
Date Posted: February 27 2010 at 09:43
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UPDATE. SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM. |
Replies:
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 00:43
Welcome to the world of fretless! The one I am playing in my icon is a handmade fretless by Hugh Manson of the UK (Steve Howe's luthier), you'll have a blast! Your choice of Ibanez is a good one, I've read where the stock fretless model has an "ebanol" fretboard (it is virtually identical to ebony, but made of plastic....I have a Kramer fretted bass with ebanol fretboard). Percy Jones for one plays an Ibanez fretless, so the brand has proponents! The tone will be somewhat different from your fretted basses, but go for it! Choice of string is critical, I use Rotosound round-wound strings for fretless, they are very bright. I also find that sustain is plenty adequate, and fretless bass style induces you to move around more than fretted (I've found). Let us know how you do! Cheers, Chuck Stack in Chicago
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NecronCommander wrote:
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 00:47
Quite a lot of Primus material is on a fretless. It's a fun thing to get into, and the one you're looking at there is definitely good as a first fretless. The addition of the fretlines will help you get used to playing it, help you maintain intonation, etc. Be prepared for a bit of a different playing experience, though. I think it's more fun, but I enjoy having my fretted 4 around too when I'm home. 
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 08:00
| Aren't you supposed to use flatwound strings on a fretless? I've heard that roundwounds can make grooves or notches in the fretboard during sliding or slapping. |
Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 09:18
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hello, you waiting man feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret you can wait and feel no fret 
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 11:42
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Posted By: Slartibartfast
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 15:18
Have you considered the Jaco route? Get a fretted one and yank them out.  ------------- Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened... 
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Posted By: WalterDigsTunes
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 15:25
I read this just as I started "Waiting Man." Weird........ |
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 21:46
I might do that when I eventually get a six-string. |
Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 21:51
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I've had roundwounds on my fretless (and so did the person who owned it before me) and it's not done much more than "snail trails" on the neck. They don't affect playability. The strings I have on mine are supposedly some rough strings too (Rotosound Swing '66) and they don't do much at all. They sound great, though.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 22:36
Err no, you can just use round wound bass strings if one wanted to. A friend of mine just knows not to use the slapping technique when he plays fretless. It's perfectly fine to do slides on a fretless with round or flat rounds |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: February 28 2010 at 23:58
It's a matter of tone! Flatwounds are horribly dead-sounding, and the windings on the Rotosound don't leave much of a mark on my Manson (ebony fretboard, very dense). Also, it is partially a technique thing, the lateral vibrato employed with fretted bass turns the roundwound string into a lovely file, wearing down the frets (ask my Rick!). However, the bends on a fretless are slides, so there isn't so much abrasion. And, this fellow is looking at an Ebanol fretboard bass, so he's in good shape. I've tried "ground-wound" strings in the past but don't find them worth the hassle, it is easier to find good roundwound strings on sale.
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Posted By: Petrovsk Mizinski
Date Posted: March 01 2010 at 03:59
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It's true that frets add sustain, but if you bought a fretless with poor sustain it's just an indication it's a poor quality bass, as I've played many fretless basses that sustain well
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: March 01 2010 at 06:46
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Yeah, I guess the ebonol fretboard helps with preventing grooves. Thanks for the help everyone. Hopefully this will be my birthday gift in two months! |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: March 02 2010 at 20:51
BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK! You are heading off on a wonderful journey, learning the fretless beast! I wish you well, and happy birthday!!
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: May 17 2010 at 22:20
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UPDATE: Just got my new fretless about two weeks ago. I found a great deal on a used Ibanez EDA-905f on Craigslist, so I went with that. Boy, my bass is a beaut: Here's the fretted version (I don't have a standalone pic:)  And here's me with my fretless version (my face cut out for safety reasons, obviously:)  |
Posted By: purple_hazer
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 15:40
| damn how does it sound?? |
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 19:07
| Sexy. |
Posted By: warrplayer
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 19:55
| does this model have the piezo pickups in the bridge? |
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 20:06
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It has the combination Ibanez magnetic soap bar/Fishman piezo pickups in the bridge. You get a ton of tonal options for this bass.
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Posted By: warrplayer
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 20:18
| How are the piezos if you solo them (turn down the magnetic pickups all the way)? Brittle or pretty decent? |
Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: June 24 2010 at 20:50
| To be honest, the piezos are pretty strong, and turning them up too high (let alone soloing them) makes the bass sound a little too tinny. |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 15 2010 at 11:16
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Good choice, Percy Jones played one last time I saw him (2001). I spoke with him about it, he liked the tone of the synthetic body and piezo. A non-traditional choice (vs. fretless Fender Precision etc.), good luck with developing your own style! The more you play it, the easier the transition to fretless becomes. Now, SLIDE!! *bwooooooo!* See if you can find some videos of Percy Jones up close, he does some bizarre things with his left (fretboard) hand that I've never seen anyone do!
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: July 15 2010 at 19:12
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Thanks for the heads up. I'll try and find some Percy Jones stuff. I got a chance to perform with it a few weeks ago for the first time. I played Jaco Pastorius's "Continuum" solo for a talent show, and it held up very nicely, even through my crappy travel amp. My hands are getting used to playing fretless by now, and with some more practice I'll bet I could be able to do well without the fret lines. As soon as that happens, I'm getting a Wishbass
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Posted By: The Neck Romancer
Date Posted: August 04 2010 at 18:41
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A Wishbass? Man, if you're gettting a Wishbass, you need to give it a really nice setup; most of the people I know that owns one told me these basses come with sharp/rough edges and poor setups. I suggest you to get a Squier VM Fretless (I know it's a Squier, but don't let the name fool you, they're excellent basses) and upgrade it with a nice preamp (say, Audere JZ3) and your choice of pickups. ------------- 
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Posted By: SaltyJon
Date Posted: August 04 2010 at 20:40
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The Squier VM Fretless is a beast, I've been playing it for a bit over a year.
------------- http://www.last.fm/user/Salty_Jon" rel="nofollow">
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Posted By: NecronCommander
Date Posted: August 04 2010 at 22:26
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Well, my next bass is gonna need to be a fretted anyways, since I can't take my brother's bass to college, which is what I normally play for fretted. I'm planning on getting an extended range bass next. -------------  
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