Question Does anyone really need a Fretted bass?

[Manfloozy]

I am really torn right now. In a moment of questionable clarity I forswore Fretted instruments... and with the impending pre-order of the 25th, I now must ask the question...

Does anyone really need a Fretted bass?

I know that this depends on styles, etc.... and it really is a matter of preference.... but I want your take on this. For those who play and love their fretless MM's... what do you whip out the Frets for, could you live without a fretted bass? If you were me, would you go Fretless on the 25th and keep a good thing rolling, or give in to the evil little bars? Part of my thinking is too that if I want an instrument on hand for slapping, etc the HSS won't be the ideal candidate anyways.... and I can only imagine the "Buttah" of her tone against Pao Ferro.

 

[rhythmCity944]

No need for a fretted bass...

I could live without a fretted bass. I play my fretless way more anyways...love the epoxied fingerboard on mine as well. don't know if it changes the sound any but it don't sound bad and it makes the wood look 3-D almost plus my fingerboard feels glass smooth

 

[silverburst]

Does anyone really need a Fretted bass?

I do.

 

[maddog]

I miss frets at times but making progress on the fretless. Slow but still progress.

 

[bovinehost]

I do.

I'm going to stand over here by Rex.

 

[MingusBASS]

I love my fretless but when I play it, I'm in a different mindset. Some tunes it works beautifully, some tunes it just sounds better with a fretted bass. IMO, they are two similar but different tools that can do many of the same things. Could I use a ball-ping hammer to knock down a wall or a sledgehammer to puts some nails in a board? Sure, but why stick with one when I own both and know how to use them correctly?

 

[sloshep]

Even with line markers I still need frets. So I am going to stand with Rex and Jack.

 

[gafman]

Like MingusBASS, I seriously love my fretless ray. I play fretted basses for variety and sometimes fretless just doesn't fit.
If I had to choose fretted or fretless (desert island scenario) I'd be stuck. I couldn't choose.
Matt, you have 2 x fretless basses, maybe the 25th should have those little 'evil' bars you speak of. Then again, I saw pics of the fretless 25th. Now that was simply beautiful.

 

[adouglas]

I'm with Mingus.

A musical instrument is a tool that is used to express oneself. It's not about the tool...it's about the expression.

Most of the time, I express myself better with a fretted bass. When it's time for fretless, though, it's REALLY time for fretless.

If I were good enough to play fretless as freely as I do my fretted bass, would that change? Actually, I think not. The fretless has a very particular kind of vibe that isn't always appropriate.

Also, the subtleties of the fretless are often lost when playing many kinds of music. So in effect, playing fretless on those songs winds up being little more than giving yourself a more difficult tool to work with.

So for me, the question really is "Why doesn't everyone have both a fretted and a fretless?"

 

[Jim_F]

Does anyone really need a Fretted bass?

Me!

 

[RockinRayDuke]

The other question is does anyone really need a fretless bass? And why? You don't see them used in that many working rock bands except for maybe a song or two to provide a little variety.

There's few things worse than hearing bad intonation on a fretless. Of course I suppose we've all heard people that couldn't make a fretted bass sound good either.

 

[Jimmyb]

I really, really need frets!

There's few things worse than hearing bad intonation on a fretless. Of course I suppose we've all heard people that couldn't make a fretted bass sound good either.

Yes, I'm one of those people!

 

[five7]

Both! Certain songs a fretted is a must or I would only use a fretless.

 

[patobrujo]

i really thinks it depends on the style, in rock bands the fretless bass are used (if used at all) only for the ballads or a few songs, in other styles i guess the fretless are a must (jazz for example). I've never owned a fretless bass but i'm thinking in turn my old iba*ez into fretless just to give it a chance to leave the bag now i have my bongo

 

[TheAntMan]

I'm with Mingus.

A musical instrument is a tool that is used to express oneself. It's not about the tool...it's about the expression.

....

So for me, the question really is "Why doesn't everyone have both a fretted and a fretless?"

+1

Can't fix everything with one tool.

-- Ant

 

[Manfloozy]

Thank you all for your input.

I LOVE the look, feel, and sound of a fretless, but I blame my start on the double for that. I am very much a Jazz/Blues/Reggae person, so the fretless usually just feels right for me and can get the job done.

With all of that said, I have two amazing Fretless wonders, and I am leaning more towards keeping an open mind and giving the little stinkers a try again. You all made some great points, and in all honesty I probably don't "need" another fretless. I really will have to see if I can tolerate the feel of them again though. They used to just piss me off, but I'm weird like that.

Gafman, can you point me in the general direction of that photo? I'm sure if I saw a blank plank 25th, I'd probably flop back the other direction (atleast for awhile)... must be jaw-dropping.

 

[ggunn]

Does anyone really need a fretted bass?

After about three beers, I definitely do. I didn't think so at the time, but then I listened to the recordings. Why didn't somebody take that thing away from me?

 

[T-bone]

So for me, the question really is "Why doesn't everyone have both a fretted and a fretless?"

After playing Nefertiti (maddog's fretless bongo), I'll stand over here with adouglas. There are songs we do where a fretless (dare I say it - Bongo) would be perfect.

tbone

 

[rhythmCity944]

Blue Murder

 

[iamcatwarrior]

After about three beers, I definitely do. I didn't think so at the time, but then I listened to the recordings. Why didn't somebody take that thing away from me?

This is why I stopped drinking before and during shows (and almost altogether, come to think of it).

I have a fretted and fretless Sterling 4 H and the former helps me to play the latter better. I don't use it for every single song -- actually, I'm pretty selective about it -- but for the music I play, yes, I need a fretted bass for about 90% of the material. Most of the stuff played on my fretless has been acoustic-guitar-driven songs and some really-out-there jazzy sounding stuff.
(Interestingly enough, I sometimes say, "This song would sound really good with a fretless," but then I go to play it and then it sounds awkward.)