I think it's time for me to move on...

[mikes123]

I've been thinking for the last couple of weeks whether or not to trade in my 4001FL for a fretted 4000, 4001, or a 4003. The fretless was a good idea for a while when I was playing in a jazz band and playing more mellow stuff. But now I'm in a 3 piece and a 5 piece metal band. When I was in the jazz band and in the 5 piece band you couldn't really tell if I was slightly out of tune but when It's just me and a guitar playing it is A LOT more noticeable. And another thing the fretless sounds and plays really great but it lacks the sleazy, snarly tone that fretted ricks are know for. So I'm going to need your guys musical opinion on this one.

Mike

[blueflamerick]

If you're going to play metal, I think you're much better off using a fretted bass.

I do remember Hoya from the band Madball playing a lined fretless Ibanez bass at one point.

[ajish4]

Hey Mike,

What year and color is your FL?



Funny, I'm playing my fretless more than my fretted RIC's now.

Perhaps..........

[johnallg]

Mike, it is perfectly legal to own more than one Rick bass, especially at the same time.

[qwezirider]

No, it's not leagal. Any extra Ricks must be forwarded to desert storage here in Las Vegas so as to not become corroded by non-use.

[phlemmy]

Steve Digiorgio plays metal on a fretless.

[wints]

From Jazz to metal...

Just how does one do that?

[phlemmy]

it's a natural progression really.

[johnallg]

it's a natural progression really.

[having read the other thread]

[rickenbrother]

From Jazz to metal...

Just how does one do that?

Andy, I don't know how much metal you've listened to, but I have to agree with Sean.

I would agree that a fretless bass has been the choice for very few metal songs. There are some moody, not so hard edged songs where it fits in great. There's no rule that says you shouldn't use a fretless bass for metal and there's always a time for the first guy to do something different.

[shamustwin]

From Jazz to metal...

Just how does one do that?

Same as one goes from classical to rap.

[teb]

If I ever played anything that resembled metal, it's long since rusted away, and there is nothing at all wrong with having both fretless and fretted basses in the arsenel, but one thing you might try if you haven't already is adding some flatpicking to your available techniques. The common belief that fretless basses have a "jazz tone"is pretty bogus if you ask me. They certainly can, if desired, but it's not the only sound you can make with one. I originally switched to fretless back in the dark ages and not for the tone, but for the fact that my slides were now clean and smooth, without that click, click, click of fret noise in them. Tone is much more in the fingers than whether or not the bass has frets.

Intonation may well be one of those things that you either have from birth or don't have and if you don't it may not be worth fighting about because I suspect it's pretty hard to learn it. You'll have to figure that one out on your own. Also, everyone seems to have their own idea of what constitutes the proper amount of bite or growl. The stuff I play usually demands a pretty clean sound, but one that still generally has a pretty crisp bite to it and I do most of it on fretless basses using a combination of fingers and a flatpick, depending on what sound I'm after.

Here is a short medly of three fretless clips from songs. They aren't metal, but they also aren't jazz in any way, shape or form. The first chunk is from a pretty simple, quiet song, but listen to how much bite and clear sustain I got and how clean the slides are. The second chunk is plain old rock and roll. I'm using my Pedulla Buzz, which is about as jazzy/fretless sounding as you can get in a bass, but it doesn't sound like one in the clip. The third chunk is from an old live concert and is another rock and roll-ish song. Quality isn't great because it was recorded with a hidden cassete deck in the balcony of a big hall, but you can still hear the bass reasonably well and it doesn't sound much like the typical fretless application.

You may or may not turn out to be a fretless kind of guy and the obvious choice is the one that you're most comfortable with and can make the best music with. On the other hand, assuming that just because a bass is fretless that it can't make the sounds you want may be a mistake. I tend to be one of those "break-the mold-and-do -your-own-thing" types of people, but going fretless back in 1971 was probably the best thing I ever did for my bass playing.

The clip:
http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/f ... amples.mp3

[phlemmy]

it's a natural progression really.

[having read the other thread]

which thread? i'm lost.

[phlemmy]

oh...naturals.

[jwr2]

I am not a fretless player ... to me they are a curiousity but I love frets ... especially on a Ric.