Need help: fretless bass? *Updated* - Progressive Rock Music Forum

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NecronCommander View Drop Down

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Topic: Need help: fretless bass? *Updated*
Posted: February 27 2010 at 09:43

UPDATE. SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM.

Edited by NecronCommander - May 17 2010 at 22:21

cstack3

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 00:43

NecronCommander wrote:

Hey all,

I've been teaching myself guitar/bass guitar for the past two years. I need a new bass when I head to college in five or six months, and I'm really interested in getting a fretless bass. I think I have good enough intonation and determination to get good at playing one.

The only thing is, I've heard they don't have a terrible amount of sustain. I'm interested in the fretless bass sound for a more experimental type of music as opposed to primarily jazz or funk (e.g. bands like Primus and Intronaut who use fretless bass for jazzy or funky undertones and breakdowns in typically metal-dominated music). Can fretless basses still make the punchy, hard tone of normal electric basses if set right or played right?

Also, here's the bass I'm interested in:

It's an Ibanez SR-300 fretless series.

Any help would be appreciated.

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

SaltyJon

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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. Smile

NecronCommander View Drop Down

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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.

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 09:18

hello, you waiting man
feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret
you can wait and feel no fret Tongue

Edited by Slartibartfast - February 28 2010 at 15:18

NecronCommander View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 11:42

Slartibartfast wrote:

hello, you waiting man
feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret
you can wait and feel no fret Tongue

Slartibartfast View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 15:18

NecronCommander wrote:

Slartibartfast wrote:

hello, you waiting man
feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret
you can wait and feel no fret Tongue

Have you considered the Jaco route? Get a fretted one and yank them out. Big smile

Released date are often when it it impacted you but recorded dates are when it really happened...

WalterDigsTunes View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 15:25

NecronCommander wrote:

Slartibartfast wrote:

hello, you waiting man
feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret
you can wait and feel no fret Tongue

I read this just as I started "Waiting Man." Weird........

NecronCommander View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 21:46

Slartibartfast wrote:

NecronCommander wrote:

Slartibartfast wrote:

hello, you waiting man
feel no fret feel no fret feel no fret
you can wait and feel no fret Tongue

Have you considered the Jaco route? Get a fretted one and yank them out. Big smile

I might do that when I eventually get a six-string.

SaltyJon

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 21:51

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.

Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 22:36

NecronCommander wrote:

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.

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

cstack3

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Posted: February 28 2010 at 23:58

NecronCommander wrote:

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.

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.

Petrovsk Mizinski View Drop Down

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Posted: March 01 2010 at 03:59

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

NecronCommander View Drop Down

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Posted: March 01 2010 at 06:46

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!

cstack3

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Posted: March 02 2010 at 20:51

NecronCommander wrote:

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!

BEST WISHES AND GOOD LUCK! You are heading off on a wonderful journey, learning the fretless beast!

I wish you well, and happy birthday!! Thumbs Up

NecronCommander View Drop Down

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Posted: May 17 2010 at 22:20

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:)