Fretless vs Fretted Bass - How To Decide Which One Is For You
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2020
- This video shows you the key differences between fretless vs fretted bass
I've also got videos on Jazz Bass Vs Precision Bass • Jazz Bass vs. Precisio... which you should also check out.
My linktree: bit.ly/basslinks
Other bass comparison videos
5 String Vs 4 String Bass - 3 KEY Differences Explained! • 5 String vs 4 String B...
Active Vs Passive Bass - What's The Difference And Why It Matters • Active vs Passive Bass...
Other Gear In This Video
Camera: shrsl.com/2btsl
Lights: shrsl.com/2btsx
Lav Mic: shrsl.com/2btt2
Shotgun Mic: shrsl.com/2btt6
All shareasale, Amazon and other product links are affiliate links meaning if you purchase through one I'll receive a small commission on the sale. This won't affect you in any way and your support is greatly appreciated.
#fretlessbass #frettedbass #bassguitar
My Blog: onlinebassguitar.com/
Like Me On Facebook: / onlinebassguitar
Follow Me On Instagram: / online_bass_guitar 
Видеоклипы
RUclips has demonetized this channel. If you enjoy my content, please consider donating here to support me!
linktr.ee/online_bass_guitar
Why the hell would they demonetize you?? I really don't understand RUclips's policies sometimes....
Bass Guitars were invented in the 1930s because their smaller size made them easier to carry than an Upright Bass. The Bass Guitar that Tutmarc built actually started in 1935 as the very 1st Fretless Bass cause it was basically a Scaled down Electrified Upright Bass held & played like a Guitar so that's quite a cool invention. From digging deep into the internet, I've read an article that Fretless Basses are actually much older than Fretted Basses which came around 1940 because the Frets made it easier for Bassists to play in tune in really loud settings, that is 5 years later frets were added & the Fretless Bass was gone, until companies of Hohnor & Ampeg as well as Musicians Jaco & Bill Wayman bought the Fretless Bass back home.
Somebody give this guy an oscar
@@currentwork4353 Oh yeah a big amount of bonus points
I just got my self a fretless 4 string bass awesome
When he said “ you will develop a very different set of skills”
I felt like I was Liam neeson in taken.
I only own one fretted bass and it's a multiscale which I hardly ever play, I just had to try a fan-fretted bass out. Been playing fretless since the mid 80's, long before lined fretless. Fretless is much easier to play physically though you have to pay more attention to what you are doing.
My son plays bass in his school jazz band and owns 3 fretted basses (including a Marcus Miller Sire). He just recently bought an Ibanez fretless semi hollow bass because he’s trying to get the upright bass sound as close as possible without actually getting an upright and learning to play. It’s pretty damn close but not perfect.
Glad I found your video because wasn’t sure if him learning to play the fretless will hurt his regular playing but sounds like it will only help him. And since he already owns multiple basses (and guitars), he won’t miss out on gigs if he ever decides to do this outside of school!
Thanks for this video. Much appreciated.
I've always have loved the sound of fretless on some of my favorite 80's music
I love the Fretless sound so much, my fretted Bass goes through a Chorus pedal, constantly. It's part of my sound, it's never off.
The good thing with the MXR Deluxe pedal, is that it has a switch where the chorus will only be effective in the higher register and not affect the low register at all. You can switch it off then get the chorus to affect both high and low registers 👌🏿
Greetings from Uganda 🇺🇬👊🏿🖤
Awesome, I've been playing a fretted Bass for years, looking at getting a fretless and this answered any questions I had. Thank you!
I play both. I really like the tone of a fretted bass with roundwound strings, they can be so heavy and punchy! Just play one note from them and oh baby, my ears are in love. However, I really love the versatility of a fretless. You can slide the harmonics getting everything from ghostly to heavenly sounds. Percussion sounds less like clickety-clack and more like boots and cats. Combined with the fat rounded tone of flatwound strings, you can get the smoothest bass tone ever, or the most bizarre twangy tones imaginable, and everything in between. I can lay down loops with my fretless that sound like drums (slap), bells (harmonics), and keys (tap), then I can give it a bassline and solo on top of it. It's not that you can't do that with a fretted, but it will sound more like you're playing one instrument. Fretted basses have a better tone for most slap, fretless basses have a better tone for most tap, but both can sound good on either. Like playing advanced stuff? It will be significantly more challenging on the fretless. Prefer popping off into crazy solos and keeping with heavy riffs? The fretted of his ideal for that. Want to create the most surreal soundscapes and melt into the sound as if you had dosed? The fretless is ideal for that. Want to transcend the boundaries of your instrument? Get a 6 string fretless bass, but be in for a challenge!
I inherited one of each, looking forward to learning both. Thank you for the information !
i have only played a frettless musicman bass and i love it!
Yeah the 1st Electric Bass was a Fretless Bass going back to 1935 basically a Scaled Down Electrified Upright Bass morphed into the shape of a Guitar.
Many thanks for the heads up on guitars. We novices are always so entertained by you musically gifted people. Especially, since I came from a musical family...I didn't receive the music skill gene.Music is such magical language....thanks for the education.
Don’t Fret, you can play anything on a fretless. Want that clank for punk/metal. Lover the action and add an eq or boost. Only difference is you need to practice precision.
Especially with some roundwounds and a Darkglass or Tech 21 for some drive too 🤘🏼
Thanks so much for this vid it helped me a lot.
Hey Hugh, just found out this is your channel !
Really cool stuff you review here, keep it coming! (Charles from ICMP)
I learned the double bass at the conservatory and now I play the fretless bass. I have no idea how to play the fretted one but I don't care : all you can do on the fretted bass is doable on the fretless one, except to fret a note !
Thank you for this explanation. 👊👊👊
I made my Squier Bronco Bass fretless earlier this year. I was overall worth it after I was able to get some of those fretless growling tones out of it. It plays well for melodic pop music, including ballad songs from the 80s and 90s.
As you say it really depends on context - I play in a rock band with two guitarists and need to cut through, so play fretted. I saw a loud band where the bassist was playing fretless and he wasn’t cutting through - fretless basses lack attack. I’ve played fretless in the past and love them, however outside of quieter musical situations the beautiful subtleties of a fretless are lost.
I do feel playing fretless improved my technique however, and for mellow songs i turn my chorus pedal on and do slides on my fretted bass to emulate a fretless. It’s close enough for me.
Maybe they just need to turn up the volume on the bass? Sting often played a fretless bass with the Police , especially in the Rockpalast concerts, and it sounded great!
The Police were a three piece, with relatively sparse guitar parts so he had space to cut through. I love fretless, I’ve just found when you’re in a loud band with multiple guitarists it can be harder to cut through without the grind/clank of a fretted instrument. All the best.
@@andylambeth5643 I hate to say it but I cant really thing of any significant Police instruments on their music, other than stings bass on on Every Breath, no Andy guitar, but know Stewart is a awesome drummer but all their earlier songs sound the same, swarm beat etc..
A lot of technical/progressive death metal players use fretless bass. Cynic, Steve digiorgio era death to name a few.
My main instrument is violin and while i really like my electric guitar, i kind of miss the fretless feel. I played once my friend's bass (sire v3) and the feel of it is just so fullfeeling! I've never felt vibrations going trough my body like that and I always thought to myself that one, I will play that instrument too (espacially since cello and upbright basses just have that weird but lovely effect on me). Here I am, looking for basses, but i don't know if frettless or fretted is the way to go for me. I won't get to slap so much with the fretless on but it seems very tempting. I intend to buy a sire v5, and sadly the shops in my country don't have them in store, so I have to buy online, but I'll still try similar models if I can to know which one i'm gonna go towards.
I bought my first music instrument one month ago which is a fretless IBANEZ SRF 705 , Im 29 and I never had passion to learn a music instrument before I obsessed with the sound of fretless. Though I also enjoy a lot fretted and I believe at certain point I will definitely try a fretted, but I decided to choose fretless first. As an absolutely newbie to music , I believe the delicate aspects of fretless will do me good in the long run. But the thing is there are way less material or players or teachers playing fretless, so it's kinda chanllenging,I really need to be very active to get any information possible for myself, and that's probably why I watched this video. Thanks for your mentioning of fretless, hope there could be more haha... but anyway I know im gonna keep going with the my journey. Thanks a lot!
@Alvin Dewhite GO FOR IT！You actually dont realize the pain compare with those who plays fretted first. Go straight to the sound you like, period.
Hi Izzy, congratulations on pursuing music. As far as educational materials go, you should have no problems using those for fretted bass. One of your goals should be to mimic the sound of a fretted bass. I've heard countless stories from guys who sneakily use their fretless on gigs or even tours without their bandmates noticing! The SRF705 is a great choice! I have one myself, strung with TI jazz flats, although in some ways I prefer the stock D'addario chromes. It is a good alternative to a lined fretless for beginners because of the lines marking each fret on the board! Good luck. I think fretless bass is probably a difficult instrument to start with, though I'm sure not beyond a dedicated learner, perhaps look for a teacher!
I was given a fretless bass so that's what I'm going to be learning on as I really can't afford to buy a different one but thank you I think this is going to be interesting and fun challenge and I'm going to do it and then when I can afford it I can always buy one with frets
I have both. If I go for a singing quality with a bit of mwah, I will use fretless. I play mostly fretted bass, cause vast majority of songs is written for it.
As an almost 40 year bass player I love to put my 2014 Warwick Corvette fretless (with no neck markers, thank you) into use when my band plays its "acoustic " set. I also I use my fretted 2016 US Fender Precision and for our last set I use my favorite bass, a 1993 US Fender Jazz Bass. I play thru a Sans Bass rack mount pre amp into a 1972 Traynor YBA-3 tube head into twin E-V 15 and horns cabs. Love my tube tone. I only have preference for my fretless bass when we play a cool acoustic set. I have the Jack Bruce Corvette, . My other comment is ALL my basses are strung with flat wound Thomastik-Infelds.
Good vid.
Why would the gig REQUIRE a fretted bass?
I've never known this to be an issue - I have friends that prefer fretless and it hasn't given them any trouble playing gigs.
As is the case with all instruments, there is a dominant performance paradigm that you must submit to 'if' you want to work. If you play for fun, it doesn't matter. Pursuing the exception to prove the rule is a fools errand. That performance...'ethic' is not so much defined and declared in jazz and pop as it is in classical, but make no mistake it is just as present...indelible and unassailable.
The ear, like the palette, develops...'tastes' that everyone is long habituated to. A producer that wants to do something different, or is willing to entertain new streams of consideration is as rare in music as it is in film and television. Find out what people will pay for, and keep giving it to them. If it ain't broke (if there is still more blood in that rock) keep doing it!
If you can manage to hind behind a veil of false artistic 'integrity' while you continue to produce nothing but analogs of everything that came before, then there is definitely a job for you not only in music, but anywhere in the arts, where eccentricity masquerades as creativity all the time, and the insecure egos of those who aspire to celebrity attempt to put themselves 'ahead' the art they produce, when they should subordinate themselves to it.
The Fretless Bass doesn't sound anything like an Upright Bass, it sounds different because of its size.
I have an electric upright, and the 41 inch string length makes a difference in the sound.
@@JesusChrist5000 Usually the UB804 w/ its 34 in Scale Length might be easier to bag around since it's smaller.
@@JesusChrist5000 The Bartless Fretless Bass (1st Fretless Bass) is actually a Scaled Down Electrified Upright Bass that plugs into an amp & is shaped like a Guitar.
I wouldn't say it doesn't sound anything like the upright. There are certain characteristics that all intonation instruments have that are similar. Intonation instrument meaning a flat fingerboard rather than a fretboard.
I couldnt decide so I bought two u basses to try em out. Will probably keep both untilni can save up amd get a dope 6 string bass
Im in my 60s and have one 4 string fretless bass. I dont look at it as part of my arsenal. I look at it as an extension of my own personal self expression.
I looked up this because of the song "Election Day" by Arcadia. I had remembered from the liner-notes that it featured a fretless bass and it had the most distinct sound I ever heard on a recording.
To this day I don't know that any other song that had such a unique bassline as it had. I would be curious to know if that sound could be produced on a fretted bass or not.
I feel a new fretless player would benefit maybe from a five string model or it would be easier playing up and down the “frets” instead of up and down the neck, if I was going from 7th fret quickly to 1 or second fret that would take some good practice for accuracy for me on a fretless four string
I'm an absolute beginner, and I'm looking to buy my first bass. I'm really interested in Japan/Mick Karn's fretless bass style, but I'm worried I might struggle with playing it correctly as I have no experience. I've been searching the internet for quite some time trying to decide whether or not I should get a fretted or fretless, and keep finding pros and cons for both sides. I will eventually get a fretless even if I start with a fretted, and fretless has those wonderful melodic sound qualities I want to achieve, but I'm just unsure if its too ambitious of me to try that as a newbie. Any advice?
With fretless you play on the marker, with fretted you play just behind the fret, I think that’s right? A lot of bassists recommend you have a lined fretless bass although of course they don’t look as good.
Trombone player for 37 yrs here. Trombones don't have frets so I probably would go for fretless first and then add frets later.
😂
This video made me more respect to jaco pastorius
Transition song is LaubPack - 4 Dilla if anyone’s wondering
If you wanted to play music where an upright bass is usually expected (think old laid back jazz, swing, tango...) but didn't want to buy an upright (for reasons of price and practicality), would you recommend a fretless or a semi-hollowbody? No money for a fretless semi-hollowbody.
Something that nobody talk about on the fretless bass, is that the more you play high on your neck, the more you will get growl.... untill you don't get any on growl the open strings. The open strings of the fretless bass almost sound like fretted bass. This can be big issue for metal or rock ( bass isn't for jazz/funk only )
Do you have flat wounds on the fretless?
OnlineBass Guitar oh nice
I personally prefer fretless because of the sound and feel you can get out of it. But I’ll get a fretted bass because I want to get better at slap playing
What if I tune up the fretless bass a few cents could I still use the same finger placement 🤔
@@OnlineBassGuitar1 I'm sorry I didn't explain I was speaking in regards to finger placement since I'm use to playing In front of the fret vs trying to learn to play on the fret ....could I just tune it a little High an use my same finger placement?
Currently guitar center has a fretless electric for under $200. If your goal is just to develop the skills why not dig through your couch cushions and buy the rogue fretless and spend the serious coin on the fretted bass of your dreams.
Sad no mention of the amazing Mick Karn from the band Japan, surely the best fretless master, and John Taylor of Duran Duran knows he was influenced by him, he wrote an obituary for him. But I can see the comparisons between fretless smoothness, and fretted I don't know what, more power sounds? What about the funky sounds John Taylor likes, and that Chic guy who passed he was also influenced by? Pretty soon there wont even be any great players.
I'm gonna bring on the hate, but I think if you need fret markers in order to be able to navigate the fretless bass at all, then you're better off sticking with frets. If you already have good ear training and experience on upright or other fretless instruments from the violin family, then it's hard to contemplate any disadvantages with fretless.
One is for serious bassists
Yep the fretted
Why not both?
Randy knows what's up
Why choose? I have both, with fretless your are the intonater, you can put more of yourself
Fretted or fretless......yes
Playing fretless reqired higher skills still i like the sound from my point of view its come with more feel thechnic from the other side .well you cant slap .🙂
if i played a fretless with markers i would not be playing a fretless
I think I am satisfied with a fretted bass until I hear or play a fretless bass, then I get B. A. S.!!
The black one is not a fretless bass. Beyond creation death metal has a fretless bassist.
2:31 geez clean your fretboard please
I seriously wish reviewers would just shut up and play the instrument. It would be nice to hear the difference.
Noted. Cheers for the feedback!
no frets no markers period