Anyone can play a fretless

[johnallg]

Gareth, why did they leave the straplocks on??!! Looks like an earlier 90s 4003. Part gathering should be fun. Enjoy.

[teb]

That's gotta be one of the funniest bass videos I've ever seen! That guy seems to subscribe to the theory that if you can't do it right....at least do a lot of it! It's so bad it's almost good.

I converted to fretless when I was 19 after trying a Guild fretless in a store one day for about 20 minutes. I didn't have much time to practice though. I had the fingerboard removed and an ebony fretless board installed on my old Gibson the next week. I picked it up from my luthier on the way to the afternoon sound-check for a concert in a 2000-seat auditorium, and among the folks in those seats were Gary Usher and some Elektra people, to see if they wanted to sign us. I guess it's a good thing that it came pretty naturally or I could have screwed the whole band, because it was just a piano, three Martins and me. Any errors would have really stood out clearly. I like to think that I plan things a bit more carefully these days.

I find that I have to concentrate a lot more when I play my fretted basses, in order to avoid fret buss. With the fretless ones, I just think and play and even though they have different scale lengths, things go fine. With the fretted ones, I also have to think about finger position and maintaining proper finger pressure if I want to do a slide. After 37 years, my old Gibson is pretty beat up, but still shows no fret wear . Hell, the strings on it are 34 years old and still doing fine. I've just always loved the smoothness you get without those pesky frets. This is the old Gibson, followed by my Pedulla Buzz.

http://webpages.charter.net/tbradshaw/M ... ss%20e.mp3

[rictified]

I don't know why more bassists don't try a fretless.

I'm happy more of them don't

Haha! Look at that guitar player's face at a little over a minute, you guys do realize this is ALL jaco's fault right? But seriously, too many guys way overplay with fretlesses, play with no bottom and think they're lead bass players. I started playing fretless bass (P bass) over thirty years ago after having played fretted bass for ten years, I'm not the best in the world but I know how to play them so that people don't know I'm playing one unless I either tell them or I make it obvious (this guy makes it a little too obvious I think). I do think it takes a certain amount of experience to play them well also. I also sometimes find going from a fretless to a fretted bass takes a little adjustment. I usually stick with one or the other at a gig. IMHO RW strings sound terrible on a fretless, thin and buzzy in a uneven way. If you want that growl flatwounds are just about a necessity.

[ilan]

That's Steve Wishnevsky himself, designer/maker of the infamous Wishbass, torturing a "Stude" model.

[kiramdear]

That's Steve Wishnevsky himself, designer/maker of the infamous Wishbass, torturing a "Stude" model.

That was enough torture to go 'round for everyone, not just the poor bass. Priceless!

[teb]

Wishbass?....as in "he wishes he could play it?" Must be an off-shoot of the "Think System" from "The Music Man". If you wish the MInuet in G, you can play the Minuet in G.

[dog]

That clip can go under any subject of "I wonder what they are smoking". It's always good to have a laugh first thing in the morning.

BTW Gareth. I really envy your project. I can hardly wait to see how it turns out.

[robbo63]

I love the sound of fretless bass, and Mick Karn is one of my fave bassists. I once was given a fretless Steinberger copy and thought I'd try my hand at playing bass. Fretless doesn't present a huge problem for me as a former violist, but bass playing just meant time taken away from 6-string playing, and I need all the practice I can get on regular guitar!

[woodyng]

i have a aria sinsunido fl bass i muck about with,but can't really seem to get a handle on it. when i play one,it sounds the same as a fretted,mostly because i haven't figured out glissandos 'n' sh*t, and what i really want to hear is uprite acoustic bass anyway,something i have never touched.....gareth, got a color picked out yet?

[gareth]

i have a aria sinsunido fl bass i muck about with,but can't really seem to get a handle on it. when i play one,it sounds the same as a fretted,mostly because i haven't figured out glissandos 'n' sh*t, and what i really want to hear is uprite acoustic bass anyway,something i have never touched.....gareth, got a color picked out yet?

Well, I'm so broke now it really isn't funny, so the bass is going to be wall art for a while until I have the cash to fix it. Like all things though, I have a few ideas, and as this one will be somewhat of a mutt, I may just let my imagination run wild on it with a custom paint job.

It's a 1995 4003 from what I can work out. It needs new truss rods and the fretboard repaired, but other than that, it's fine. I actually sold a 1997 4003MG to get my LK as I never really liked the thicker neck on it. This one has a neck as slim as my '75 4001 though.

[jps]

...you guys do realize this is ALL jaco's fault right?

In my case I have to say it is this chap's fault:

[woodyng]

have mercy it's percy! yes,and john giblin,as well....

[gearhed289]

...you guys do realize this is ALL jaco's fault right?

In my case I have to say it is this chap's fault:

Yes! My favorite. Jaco was unreal, but I never cared much for his music. Percy on the other hand.... Nice guy too.

I just tracked a song on my fretless last night. I was having trouble getting the feel I wanted on a new song, so I grabbed the old alumi- Kramer and pretty much found happiness (still workin on it...). A lot of times I'll use the fretless to come up with ideas because it makes me play so lyrically, and then transfer over to fretted.

[wayang]

That clip can go under any subject of "I wonder what they are smoking"...

A brimming bowl of Celestial Seasoning's Sleepytime, if you ask me...or maybe pencil-sharpener shavings...

For those making adjustments to their 'reception', it should sound something more like this:



...and for the young folks, who like a bit more of the 'pyrotechnics':

[cassius987]

Fretless is so fun. The notes are so pure and alive. My 4003FL has some of the best fretless tone I've ever encountered, too. I have actually converted a lot of people in my city to Ricky fandom with that bass! Most of them didn't even know that Rickenbacker existed prior to seeing it. (The most common question I get is, "Are they a boutique builder?") It has some issues with sustain that need to be worked on but when you're playing uptempo jazz no one notices anyways... it's the ballads that get ya' with dead spots.

Yeah yeah, some guy with a bad ear ruined it for you! Well it still rules! Nyah!