Fretted vs Fretless Bass

[Conservative_Heretic]

Pro's and Con's for both. I am getting closer to buying my new bass and have wondered to myself if I should go for it and go with a fretless but do not understand what benefits or holdbacks one would give me.



Also in full disclosure, I am just a casual tinkerer. Will be partnering with a teacher later this Summer to begin lessons, something I have never done before. So this instrument will mainly be for my playing ear and those unfortunate enough to listen to me

[Anjel]

It's all about tone. The fretless tone is much different, since it's your fingers that are holding the note, not the fret so you wont get such a "metal" tone more like a woody tone.



Fretless pros:

Sick slides.

Different tones.

Sliding harmonics.



Fretless cons:

Harder to play. You can't get the same speed on the fretting hand, if you do, it won't be as accurate, you need maaaany years of experience to get that tightness and precision on a fretless.

The fretboard gets ruined when you hit the string onto the fretboard and with roundwounds the fretboard can get ruined even faster.



If you want a fretless but don't want to put a lot of money into it, defret an old bass (that's what I did) then put flatwounds on it (or buy a new cheaper bass and defret it, actually I think you can even buy cheap fretless basses).

[Conservative_Heretic]

Hey Anjel Would it be accurate to say then for basic bass lines and putting down rythm the fretless would be good to learn with but if I begin wanting to really get into more intricate styles of play, in additon to the time it will take to master, and fretted would be better suited?



For personally playing style sound I like to jam to Orion, The Call of Kutulu, Anesthesia, etc. But if I am playing with someone and we do covers, it is usually older Slayer, Pantera (yeah I know), some Motorhead which does not require as much attention to detail. I hope I am saying that right.



Fretless is definitely geared more for the harmonies and intricacies of jamming whereas the fretted would be a better pick for speed and a more "metal" sound?

[Anjel]

Well. The majority of players do play fretted and neither do they play technical stuff.



I would say fretted is better suited for the stuff you play.

If you want to try fretless, just get a cheap one, no idea on spending a lot of money on something you haven't tried.



I have this one (although fretted):

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[Conservative_Heretic]

That is real nice



This is what I am leaning very strongly towards. It is a used one. Asking $350.

Ibanez SRX 700 - Fretted

Sounds really great and I have always wanted a neck-through body.

[Uros]

Fretless tends to sound out of tune-ish. That could be very much desirable when playing some melodic lines, when bass doesn't follow the guitar, but when you are following guitar lines in order to sound fuller, or some fast shit, fretted is much better. In fact, I would suggest to pick up fretted, and only latter, when you develop your skill and want more flavour in your playing so to speak, only then get some fretless model.



Shit, 350$ for that used Ibanez is a steal! Get it if it is in good condition.

[Anjel]

Can't say I'm a big fan of the colour. Otherwise seems like a good deal.

How long have you been playing, Conservative_Heretic?

[Conservative_Heretic]

I played for a couple of years when I was younger. Mainly just piddling and had a couple of friends to jam with occasionally. There was not much of a metal scene back then, and I tended to be a loner. My setup got stolen one day though and I had not the money to buy new equipment. Shortly thereafter my girlfriend and I drove to Alaska and I did not pick a bass up again until 2007, coincidentally during our divorce and when I first found the MABB.

Only had the bass a few months and then went into drought again.

About a year ago bought a nice Fender setup, only to find out it was stolen merchandise a couple of weeks later so I had to turn it over to the po-po

It has been a love affair of the mind more than the flesh, but the Spirit has never wavered, and now I find myself in a position to play again. It should be fun. I just want to do it right this time, and have some fun.

Seeing all the new tools available and way you all share music is very cool and inspiring. I want some of that

[Tyreese BIGGUMS]

listen to anything steve digiorgio has recorded since individual thought patterns



he used a fretless on:



death "individual thought patterns"

sadus "elements of anger"

testament "the gathering"

testament "first strike still deadly"

parts of iced earth "horror show"

scariot "momentum shift"

quo vadis "defiant imagination"



etcetcetc



fretless gives you a better tone imo than a fretted. but I'm not a huge fan of that string-on-fret clanking anyway. you can somewhat replicate that by having lower action and letting the strings (fresh roundwounds) hit the fingerboard. if your fingerboard is ebony or is epoxied, the damage from roundwounds will be very minimal. flatwounds do, in fact, damage your fingerboard as well - just not as fast as rounds would. it's pretty irrelevant if you have ebony/get it epoxied.



I would never get a fretless as your first or second bass, unless you're pretty experienced or it has a lined fingerboard. I personally have a lined fingerboard on mine.



I definitely think fretless basses are fucking awesome. jpt from pestilence/obscura also plays one, so does dominc lapointe from augury/session quo vadis/beyond creation, as does tyr from emperor/borknagar. cant think of any others off the top of my head.

[vO)))id]

my cousin has an acoustic fretless bassguitar, it's sounds awesome!!!

[FUKKET]

after i get my new 5 string, my next purchase will be a fretless

[baron von blondle]

just buy a Rickenbacker, there is no other bass.

[Hugo.]

Augury

[M.Bison]

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That rolling/sliding expression

[FUKKET]

[quote name="M.Bison"]

GaRY WILLIS

:[/quote]