Anyone Playing Fretless?

[DHavron]

After 30-odd years of playing a short-scale Gibson EB-3 I've just bought a 4-string Fender Jazz MIM fretless. Great bottom and nice to slide into notes when done tastefully. Feels more like playing string bass in our small ensemble (piano, hand drums, guitar). Any advice from anyone else playing fretless?

faithbass

[malthumb]

Talk about timing!  I just packed up my Roscoe LG-3005 fretless to get ready to head out for service and thought I'd check LGM.

I've been playing this bass in services at two churches since about 2007 (I think that's when I got it).

I got it to get that string bass type of sound.  It also sounds great when you palm mute, especially on reggae type songs.  This morning we're gonna do Donnie McClurkin's "Caribbean Medley" which has a nice reggae bounce to it and a deep hollow bass tone.  I love playing that song on my fretless.

I also like playing slow, expressive songs on it.  Next week at my other church we'll be doing "Center Of My Joy" and "I Call You Faithful"  I'll definitely use the fretless for the first one, maybe both.  I like doing vibrato type stuff on the longer duration notes on "Center Of My Joy"



My fretless has an unlined ebony board.  I specced it unlined just because I like the look of the un-interrupted ebony.  I was scared to death that I wouldn't be able to play it in tune without the fretlines. but I had owned two other fretless basses over the years and I do still have markers on the side of the fingerboard that help me keep my place.  Still gotta rely on the ears, though.

Peace,

James

[dhagler]

I also play a Fender MIM fretless. Not so much at church because the keys are more suited to my 5-string basses, but I play with my College's Jazz Ensemble and she gets plenty of work.

A couple of suggestions: put a piece of foam under the strings near the bridge. This will give you more of an upright sound with less string vibration. Also, consider some sort of flatwound strings.

[DHavron]

Dig it, I already did exactly that: foam under the strings near the bridge. Already came with flatwounds. I'm swimming against the tide but I want a "thunky" string bass sound and am even considering black nylon tapewound strings. I remember trying those once years ago however and the darn tape started coming unwound after a few months....

[DHavron]

Malthumb,

That is one mighty fine axe. You've got guts to go without fretlines, at this point I have to depend on mine. One nice use of the fretless is to get a "sighing" sound e.g. if root is Dm go to E, slide up to F and back down to E in a lazy sort of way. Works well on a version of Kyrie Eleison we play.

[dhagler]

Dig it, I already did exactly that: foam under the strings near the bridge. Already came with flatwounds. I'm swimming against the tide but I want a "thunky" string bass sound and am even considering black nylon tapewound strings. I remember trying those once years ago however and the darn tape started coming unwound after a few months....

I have the black nylon tapewound strings on my fretless right now.

[T-Block]

I have a 5-string Ibanez fretless bass and I love it. I love how I can slide into notes if/when my fingers are tired. However, I like the sound of a bass with frets the best cuz the popping sounds come out better.

[Andrzej]

I used to play a lot of fretless.  I once owned a fretless '78 Fender P and it sounded awesome.  However, I struggled to find an application both in church and the band I was playing for and it was mostly used for studio work.  I sold it some years ago, but I am in the market for buying a fretless 5.  I haven't come across one that I like yet, so I might have one made for me.

They are a lot of fun to play, but they do require a slightly different playing technique.  You feel the notes rather than see them and changes to your finger pressure on the fingerboard can be very effective.  It takes a while to get used to as fretless is a very different animal, but a great creative tool.