As a lefty who's had 2 shoulder surgeries, it took me awhile to locate a lefty, short scale, fretless. I love my Sire U5 fretless and I'm not sure if I'll play my fretted bass again. Playing jazz, bossa nova and gypsy jazz, the fretless seemed a natural fit. And I was right, fretless basses are amazing.
I'm considering getting a fretless or making an existing Bass fretless as I happen to have a couple of short scales but people tell me that the short scale (especially for an FL beginner) is too difficult what are your thoughts on this? Would you have picked the long scale if it wasn't for Your condition, may I ask, please? Thanks for your time!
Awesome video !…Thank you…I, at 75, after playing from the age of 16, am thinking of going fretless…and I play through Aguilars and Bergantino !….very inspiring.😊
Took the frets off of my cheap jazz bass and filled them in with wood filler, I love the sound of it and I want to start playing more “fretless” stuff like funk and jazz
i’ve been playing bass for about 10 years now. for the past year i’ve been playing almost exclusively fretless. i was at a local music store one day and in the back found a thunderbird body with a matching neck that was converted to fretless. i bought those and built my first fretless. i’m getting a replacement unlined fretless neck for my old squire PJ jaguar and i’m upgrading the electronics. can’t wait to move on to an unlined fretless.
When I started on fretless over 15 years ago I just went full on fretless and just used the sides dots to guide me. It just takes lots of practice and checking and rechecking your intonation against the open strings. and developing muscle memory.
I love fretless I have 7 fretless 4/5/6 basses and 2 fretted 5 and 7 string all ibanez 1 carvin 6 string thos was my 1st vid of yours I've watched and enjoyed it very knowledgeable...thank you
I've played fretless bass since 1978. To get a more upright sound, remove the bridge and stick on 1/16" flat rubber under the bridge. You'll have to readjust the saddles down of course, but the sound will have less sustain and and natural thump is created. Carve a hole in the bottom of the rubber for the grounding wire.
@michaelfuria4257 It works. I played a few songs with it this weekend at a gig. We did three songs that sounded better with an upright so I used it. I have had people remark that it sounds like I am playing an upright several times.
Great soothing tones. The harmonics stay well sustained too. I have several comments: First, I always thought the fretless electric bass would be easy to learn and play. It is definitely a great approach for ear training. If we go back and listen to the greats of the 1920's and 30's swing and jazz bands we see the fretless upright with a very wide neck that gets wider as you work your way toward the body. It is also beyond two octaves. The neck curvature is greater too as it was universal. There was no option for a 16 inch radius. Those players had to put a great deal of emphasis on finger position to have each string hit the correct note that got farther away from them as they worked their way toward the body. This was labor. Some of those guys were incredibly fluent and all over the fret board but it must have been exhausting. The electric bass wasn't even thought of then. So, if they could master the upright why do we go in saying that the electric 4 or 5 string fretless 90 years later is an aggressive move or too much of a step to take? The only barrier that I see is if you were also a vocalist while playing a fretless bass you're head would be facing down at the neck / fretboard. Other than that it shouldn't be intimidating. My questions are: do you find less string buzzing because of the absence of frets even when playing with low action? Also, is it easier to set up a four string fretless compared to all the steps required to set up a four string fretted bass? I think that most of the concerns following a set up stem from frets. Thumbs up and subscribed.
@@GuyVogel thanks so much!! Setting up a fretless is the same as a fretted, but the measurements are slightly different because of no frets. I still check neck relief at the 5th and 8th pitch marker (where a fret would be). As long as relief is good, buzz should be minimal.
Hey! First off, awesome video all around. Your playing is beautiful and very inspiring to me as an amateur bassist. I've been playing bass for about 6ish months now. The only experience I had with playing a musical instrument before was my ukulele that I played on and off for 5ish years. I first picked up the bass at my friends house because everyone wanted to jam a little and I requested to play the MB4 Squier bass my buddy had rotting away in his closet. Ever since then I've been in love with the instrument. We all play together in a band now and have since (which is great because my bandmates are accomplished musicians so I learn a ton very fast). At some point in my first month or so I wanted to find the Hendrix of the bass as Jimi is one of my biggest musical heroes. Naturally, as all aspiring bassists do, I came across Jaco and ever since I've been enamored by his playing and by extension the fretless bass. It's somewhat of an end goal of mine to be skilled enough to truly own the fretless as an instrument, but I digress. I've been in the market for a fretless pretty much ever since but due to the financial limitations of being a university student I've had to be very budget friendly in my selection. I bought my first fretless bass from Harley Benton about 5 hours ago and I can't wait to pick it up and try it out. The model I purchased was the Beatbass FL VS from Harley Benton because I love the Violin bass style and the sound it provides (our band typically plays jazz fusion, blues, classic rock and psychedelic jazz/rock). So! My big question! As a beginner bassist and having never actually played a fretless, how much will the unlined fingerboard of the Beatbass FL VS be a hurdle to my playing? Obviously that's a hard question to answer having never heard my playing, but I'd appreciate any tips, tricks or words of warning you could provide. Thanks a ton for such an informative video as well as such angelic playing!
I have a gwb205e, was wondering what your thoughts were about ebony fretboards and round wounds, I know that’s how Gary prefers it, but is refinishing ebony a thing? If so how do you do it?
If you’re doing vibrato correctly you shouldn’t have a big issue. The small marks on the finger board are very inconsequential. If you have deep scratches on the finger board you could maybe take it to a string luthier and see about getting it planed. They have special tools for doing that.
@@dr_bassius hey thanks for the reply, I’m running flats on it right now, I do vibrato the same way you do, but am toying with putting rounds in it again, love the bark on the GWB’s. Hey, watched some of your other videos, you from Utah? If so can you recommend any good jazz guitar teachers? I’m down in Utah valley. Looking to get more instruction on that.
hello, always great videos 👌 You said that you use roundwound strings on your GWB-1, but the string always leaves light print marks in the ebony? I mean no deep damage, which indeed occurs with incorrect technique. thanks in advance for your response greetings from the Netherlands
I just put an unmarked neck on a pbass and the dots on the side are the same as a fretted bass. I am struggling right now. Any tips? Maybe measure the frets on the old neck with a micrometer and tape the lines on for now? What are your thoughts?
@@kandem01 I bought a fretless acoustic bass that was like this. The manufacturer was lazy and just slapped an unfretted fingerboard on it. The dots were where the have been if there were frets. lol it was bad. I had to return it. But yeah. Measure out where the frets should be and use some tape to line it up. Use a tuner to check the pitches on the E and G strings and make the lines parallel with the nut.
I took the first bass I bought(18 years ago) , and took the p bass pickups and the rest of the electronics (the electronics went bad over 10 years ago). Put some 500k pots on it and a single humbucker. Took the neck and pulled all the frets off, filled each space with wood filler and put a couple coats of poly on it. And so far it's been very fun to play. Edit: definitely wanna try out movable harmonics, sounds cool as hell.
For unlined fretless, should we refer to the dots when we practice? Or train ourselves all muscle memory such that we never need to look at the neck at all? I understand that should all use our ears but it is already after the fact that we played a detuned note and then adjust it afterwards and that's different from spot on notes. I have only a lined version and I found myself relying on the lines so much. It is just a habit I can't get away with, and thinking of getting an unlined one.
Set up a drone pitch. I use cello drones here on TH-cam. Search. Then play scales etc with your eyes shut. Listen and feel the scales. Patterns etc. visualize your hands in your mind.
The reason a P Bass is called a PRECISION Bass is because the FRETS define the notes PRECISELY. The first LIVE fretless player I saw was Alphonso Johnson with Weather Report in the early 70's. I went home and pulled the frets out of my Jazz Bass. Truth.
If you already have side dots to show you where the 3rd, 5th and 7th positions etc are, why cover them up and stick tape in exactly the same place? It doesn't seem to give you anything extra.
It helps beginners to play parallel across the strings. Especially if there are more than four. As your gaze moves up and down the finger board, your perception of “parallel” (as in imaginary frets) can change, thus resulting in poor intonation. Hope that helps! 😊
As a lefty who's had 2 shoulder surgeries, it took me awhile to locate a lefty, short scale, fretless. I love my Sire U5 fretless and I'm not sure if I'll play my fretted bass again.
Playing jazz, bossa nova and gypsy jazz, the fretless seemed a natural fit. And I was right, fretless basses are amazing.
I'm considering getting a fretless or making an existing Bass fretless as I happen to have a couple of short scales but people tell me that the short scale (especially for an FL beginner) is too difficult what are your thoughts on this?
Would you have picked the long scale if it wasn't for Your condition, may I ask, please?
Thanks for your time!
Awesome video !…Thank you…I, at 75, after playing from the age of 16, am thinking of going fretless…and I play through Aguilars and Bergantino !….very inspiring.😊
Awesome! It’s never too late!
Took the frets off of my cheap jazz bass and filled them in with wood filler, I love the sound of it and I want to start playing more “fretless” stuff like funk and jazz
Very cool!
I did that same thing 50 years ago. LOL!! You go!
i’ve been playing bass for about 10 years now. for the past year i’ve been playing almost exclusively fretless. i was at a local music store one day and in the back found a thunderbird body with a matching neck that was converted to fretless. i bought those and built my first fretless. i’m getting a replacement unlined fretless neck for my old squire PJ jaguar and i’m upgrading the electronics. can’t wait to move on to an unlined fretless.
When I started on fretless over 15 years ago I just went full on fretless and just used the sides dots to guide me. It just takes lots of practice and checking and rechecking your intonation against the open strings. and developing muscle memory.
I love fretless. I have a couple that I enjoy. The sound is amazingly fluid... and Pino! Whew, sounds amazing.
I have an American Deluxe 5 Fender Jazz bass I am going to get converted to fretless that I am pretty excited about.
Awesome!
I love fretless I have 7 fretless 4/5/6 basses and 2 fretted 5 and 7 string all ibanez 1 carvin 6 string thos was my 1st vid of yours I've watched and enjoyed it very knowledgeable...thank you
@@Necro-slaughter thanks for watching! If you have any questions about anything lmk!
I've played fretless bass since 1978. To get a more upright sound, remove the bridge and stick on 1/16" flat rubber under the bridge. You'll have to readjust the saddles down of course, but the sound will have less sustain and and natural thump is created. Carve a hole in the bottom of the rubber for the grounding wire.
I wouldn't try this at home..
@michaelfuria4257 It works. I played a few songs with it this weekend at a gig. We did three songs that sounded better with an upright so I used it. I have had people remark that it sounds like I am playing an upright several times.
Beautiful intonation and touch...What a pleasure to listen to you!
Thank you!! ☺️
Thank you for your useful tips.
You’re very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Great soothing tones. The harmonics stay well sustained too. I have several comments: First, I always thought the fretless electric bass would be easy to learn and play. It is definitely a great approach for ear training. If we go back and listen to the greats of the 1920's and 30's swing and jazz bands we see the fretless upright with a very wide neck that gets wider as you work your way toward the body. It is also beyond two octaves. The neck curvature is greater too as it was universal. There was no option for a 16 inch radius. Those players had to put a great deal of emphasis on finger position to have each string hit the correct note that got farther away from them as they worked their way toward the body. This was labor. Some of those guys were incredibly fluent and all over the fret board but it must have been exhausting. The electric bass wasn't even thought of then. So, if they could master the upright why do we go in saying that the electric 4 or 5 string fretless 90 years later is an aggressive move or too much of a step to take? The only barrier that I see is if you were also a vocalist while playing a fretless bass you're head would be facing down at the neck / fretboard. Other than that it shouldn't be intimidating. My questions are: do you find less string buzzing because of the absence of frets even when playing with low action? Also, is it easier to set up a four string fretless compared to all the steps required to set up a four string fretted bass? I think that most of the concerns following a set up stem from frets.
Thumbs up and subscribed.
@@GuyVogel thanks so much!! Setting up a fretless is the same as a fretted, but the measurements are slightly different because of no frets. I still check neck relief at the 5th and 8th pitch marker (where a fret would be). As long as relief is good, buzz should be minimal.
Impressive playing! Thanks for sharing
Hi, what reverb pedal do you use in this video ?....thank you
It’s a module on the quad cortex effects unit. You’re welcome! ☺️
you inspired me to take my fretless Ibanez off the wall and play it! look forward to more content.
Great thanks
Nice tone n technique too
Thanks! And thanks for watching!
Hey! First off, awesome video all around.
Your playing is beautiful and very inspiring to me as an amateur bassist.
I've been playing bass for about 6ish months now. The only experience I had with playing a musical instrument before was my ukulele that I played on and off for 5ish years. I first picked up the bass at my friends house because everyone wanted to jam a little and I requested to play the MB4 Squier bass my buddy had rotting away in his closet. Ever since then I've been in love with the instrument. We all play together in a band now and have since (which is great because my bandmates are accomplished musicians so I learn a ton very fast).
At some point in my first month or so I wanted to find the Hendrix of the bass as Jimi is one of my biggest musical heroes. Naturally, as all aspiring bassists do, I came across Jaco and ever since I've been enamored by his playing and by extension the fretless bass. It's somewhat of an end goal of mine to be skilled enough to truly own the fretless as an instrument, but I digress.
I've been in the market for a fretless pretty much ever since but due to the financial limitations of being a university student I've had to be very budget friendly in my selection.
I bought my first fretless bass from Harley Benton about 5 hours ago and I can't wait to pick it up and try it out. The model I purchased was the Beatbass FL VS from Harley Benton because I love the Violin bass style and the sound it provides (our band typically plays jazz fusion, blues, classic rock and psychedelic jazz/rock).
So! My big question! As a beginner bassist and having never actually played a fretless, how much will the unlined fingerboard of the Beatbass FL VS be a hurdle to my playing? Obviously that's a hard question to answer having never heard my playing, but I'd appreciate any tips, tricks or words of warning you could provide.
Thanks a ton for such an informative video as well as such angelic playing!
@@alrightokay1771 thanks for watching! The tape lines to start them playing with your eyes shut will help you on an unlined fretless. Cheers!!
@@dr_bassius Thanks for the tip! Should I be using the tape lines as a tactile guide as well as a visual one?
@@alrightokay1771 idk that you’d really feel the lines per se. Just as a visual at first
I have a gwb205e, was wondering what your thoughts were about ebony fretboards and round wounds, I know that’s how Gary prefers it, but is refinishing ebony a thing? If so how do you do it?
If you’re doing vibrato correctly you shouldn’t have a big issue. The small marks on the finger board are very inconsequential. If you have deep scratches on the finger board you could maybe take it to a string luthier and see about getting it planed. They have special tools for doing that.
@@dr_bassius hey thanks for the reply, I’m running flats on it right now, I do vibrato the same way you do, but am toying with putting rounds in it again, love the bark on the GWB’s. Hey, watched some of your other videos, you from Utah? If so can you recommend any good jazz guitar teachers? I’m down in Utah valley. Looking to get more instruction on that.
Utah valley: the guy down there is rich dixon. You can probably find his stuff through UVU.
@@dr_bassius dude, I don’t think you understand what this means to me, I will look him up!! Thanks for your time!!!
hello,
always great videos 👌
You said that you use roundwound strings on your GWB-1, but the string always leaves light print marks in the ebony? I mean no deep damage, which indeed occurs with incorrect technique.
thanks in advance for your response
greetings from the Netherlands
That is correct just minor marks in the ebony. It has minimal if any effect on the tone. bedankt voor het kijken!!!!
Mark Egan was pretty good on the Methany album(s)!!
Too bad Carvin's no longer around :( Can you recommend a nice preamp for a passive fretless, something not too pricy?
Check this out. I install a new Bartolini Pre-amp into my Star wars Bass
th-cam.com/video/jJV3Zc8eOq8/w-d-xo.html
I agree. I started using Carvin bass amps in 1992, up until they stopped making them. Very sad. I LOVED their amps and cabs .
I just put an unmarked neck on a pbass and the dots on the side are the same as a fretted bass. I am struggling right now. Any tips? Maybe measure the frets on the old neck with a micrometer and tape the lines on for now? What are your thoughts?
I meant to say measure the frets with a caliper....micrometers measure depth lol. My bad
Set it up for low action that will help a lot. Make sure the neck is properly adjusted.
@@kandem01 I bought a fretless acoustic bass that was like this. The manufacturer was lazy and just slapped an unfretted fingerboard on it. The dots were where the have been if there were frets. lol it was bad. I had to return it.
But yeah. Measure out where the frets should be and use some tape to line it up. Use a tuner to check the pitches on the E and G strings and make the lines parallel with the nut.
@@dr_bassius thanks!
Which Gary Willis bass is that....thanks....what strings do you have on it....thanks
That one is the gwb1. And the strings are Fodera dr
Pardon my ignorance but can you tell me what make/model the blue bass is please? Thanks
I built the bass myself from a kit made by Carvin
It's a great looking instrument and very much one I'm looking to purchase. I live in the UK shame they're not available to buy here !
I took the first bass I bought(18 years ago) , and took the p bass pickups and the rest of the electronics (the electronics went bad over 10 years ago). Put some 500k pots on it and a single humbucker. Took the neck and pulled all the frets off, filled each space with wood filler and put a couple coats of poly on it. And so far it's been very fun to play.
Edit: definitely wanna try out movable harmonics, sounds cool as hell.
Fantastic!!! Play right on them linesssss!!
@@dr_bassius will do sir
@@dr_bassius I can't get movable harmonics to work, is it something that'll only apply to a true frettless or is my technique off?
@@SneedBass it’s best on a fretless. Touch lightly first then press down and move
@@dr_bassius thanks man, so it was my technique. I think I now have a better feel of it, but I'll practice it more. Thanks for the tip.
What type of strings are best for fretless bass, flat, or round, or...?
For unlined fretless, should we refer to the dots when we practice? Or train ourselves all muscle memory such that we never need to look at the neck at all?
I understand that should all use our ears but it is already after the fact that we played a detuned note and then adjust it afterwards and that's different from spot on notes.
I have only a lined version and I found myself relying on the lines so much. It is just a habit I can't get away with, and thinking of getting an unlined one.
Set up a drone pitch. I use cello drones here on TH-cam. Search. Then play scales etc with your eyes shut. Listen and feel the scales. Patterns etc. visualize your hands in your mind.
Slightly off sounds better in some circumstances. Like your own Chorus effect. It's a technique.
Absolutely awesome!!
thanks!!!!
what in your option is the best amp to play a fretless through
I’m partial to Aguilar but if you can get a good sound out of your amp with a fretted bass, a fretless will sound as good. 🤷🏻♂️
i like that there is a bass clef on there so that even bassists can tell it's a bass clef
What can I say? I’m here to help. lol 😝
I just found out today that fretless basses ... have no friggin' frets! The humanity!
Ain’t that somethin’?!?!?
Endorse the drafting tape hack, y'all. Big help to my intonation!
TIL: portamento as distinct from glissando
It’s basically the same but different yah know?
Super cool too that fretless + pick + Locrian = Oud! :)
The reason a P Bass is called a PRECISION Bass is because the FRETS define the notes PRECISELY. The first LIVE fretless player I saw was Alphonso Johnson with Weather Report in the early 70's. I went home and pulled the frets out of my Jazz Bass. Truth.
If you already have side dots to show you where the 3rd, 5th and 7th positions etc are, why cover them up and stick tape in exactly the same place? It doesn't seem to give you anything extra.
It helps beginners to play parallel across the strings. Especially if there are more than four. As your gaze moves up and down the finger board, your perception of “parallel” (as in imaginary frets) can change, thus resulting in poor intonation. Hope that helps! 😊
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@@dr_bassius !
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Best. ManCave. E V E R!!
@@BeesWaxMinder hah!! Thanks. I love my bassment 😜