Stupit fretless questions...

[Psycho Ward]

OK, a beautiful fretless Sterling found a new home here at the "Psycho Home of the Wayward Lefty Bass Ranch" and since I've never ever even touched a fretless I have a few questions.

The bass in question has flatwound strings and a low action. The first thing I want to do is hear the famous "muwahhhh" effect, I can't do it... what am I doing wrong?

I do have a set a roundwounds on the way, will that help?


Thanks guys.

 

[smallequestrian]

OK, a beautiful fretless Sterling found a new home here at the "Psycho Home of the Wayward Lefty Bass Ranch" and since I've never ever even touched a fretless I have a few questions.

The bass in question has flatwound strings and a low action. The first thing I want to do is hear the famous "muwahhhh" effect, I can't do it... what am I doing wrong?

I do have a set a roundwounds on the way, will that help?


Thanks guys.

Yes.




Also, depending on how low the action is, you can sometimes choke the mwah out. The way I have my Bongo setup, i don't get all that much mwah out of it, but it still sings like a bird. You will just have to experiment with action and relief when you get it. I think Gary Willis has a setup guide for fretless on the internet somewhere.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Thanks Paul, and I took your advice on the strings too.

I'll do some experiments, plus just play the thing.... alot!

 

[higher1]

Also try rolling the finger to and fro about a 1/4 step at different speeds and see what kinda neat affect that has on the note

fretless is a blast!

 

[Brim]

TI Jazz rounds are light tension, round wound, and muwaa for days. They cut through the mix very nicely.

 

[Father Gino]

A fretless Sterling is my #1 bass. I love it. Sterlings will not muwahhhhh quite so much as say a passive J bass, but they will certainly do it.

How dead are the flats? Probably a hard question for you to answer if you just got it.

Rounds will help, but flats should muwahhhh some unless they're totally dead.

Low action should be good. Little to no relief on the neck is good too. As flat as you can get it without buzzing. The nut should be cut very low also, though it probably is if this bass was factory fretless.

Don't over boost the bass frequencies on your EQ. Start with the Sterling and amp set flat. Turn up the amp if you want more volume. You can also boost around 700 hz if you can. Boosting the mid control on the Sterling will help, but I don't think it's really centered @ 700.

Pluck softly, turn the amp up. Instead of fretting with your finger tips, use the flats of your fingers. Pluck the strings up near or over the neck. Experiment with your plucking attack.

Have fun. Sterlings are great fretli. Pluck softly, turn the amp up. Did I already say that?

 

[Father Gino]

TI Jazz rounds are light tension, round wound, and muwaa for days. They cut through the mix very nicely.

You're not supposed to say that here, but I agree

But he wants it to muwahhhhh as opposed to muwaa, so maybe we're not on the same page.

 

[higher1]

as far as strings go...

U gotta try EB flats! I did a whole record with those back in 97 and they are great sounding well balanced MWAAAAAAAAWAAAAAWAAAA fer days strings.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Hey, thanks a bunch guys!

I think the strings are very dead and will be changed in a day or two. The nut is cut low for sure and I'll check the neck tomorrow, it came from the cold midwest to Carolina. I usually don't adjust anything for a day or two, till it has a chance to adapt to it's new home.

Great suggestions,
Thanks!

 

[Father Gino]

MWAAAAAAAAWAAAAAWAAAA? Is that a good thing?

Actually, maybe it's good if you can't make it mwahhhhh right now. Once you figure out how to get mwahhhhh, don't forget how to get rid of it when you want to.

 

[Lazybite]

mmmm love the fretless mwa.....I have actually near-replicated on a normal bass when playing with a guitarist... its all about note timing... someone actually asked me if I was playing a fretless

 

[nspark]

mmmm love the fretless mwa.....I have actually near-replicated on a normal bass when playing with a guitarist... its all about note timing... someone actually asked me if I was playing a fretless

Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do with the "swell" of the fretless notes that you especially get when plucking near or over the end of the fingerboard - which you can probably simulate well by varying your timing. As for my fretless playing, near the bridge I get a tight, precise sound that's not particularly mwah-y, but still sounds like a good fretless. Near the end of the fingerboard, my fretless just opens up with this insane mwah-swell. Gosh, I love fretless basses. Sadly, mine isn't an EBMM, though I hope to get one eventually.

Go for rounds, though. I think I'm a little "backwards" - I have rounds on my fretless and flats on my fretted basses (including my SR5). Sure sounds good to me, though!

-Nick Park

 

[tkarter]

On a lefty wouldn't muwahhhh be translated to hhhhawum?


tk

 

[Figjam]

On my fretless bass i set it up with very little relief and action low enough that its close to the board, but not so low that the upper notes get choked.

I seem to get a very good amount of mwah.

 

[syciprider]

I use flats on my fretless and get some mwah. I just vary my fingering technique. I like the smooth surface of Chromes.

Anyway, congrats on the toothleff baff.

 

[Psycho Ward]

Ok, I’ve been trying what you guys are saying, (Father Gino, I don’t know what you do for a living, but you sir, are a teacher!)

I’m convinced my strings are dead, even playing the strings open the go “thunk”. There are many dead spots, comically too many dead spots. The neck is almost flat, but this is new to me, how do you check it on a fretless? I’ve held a string down at the first fret and down at 15th, or so, and you could place a business card, maybe, between the string and board.

I’ve got a set of “Type II” EBMM flats right here in my hand, but I wanted to try them on my SR4.

Anyway, I’m already having fun and this is a gorgeous bass, once I get my head wrapped playing on the fret lines (if I were famous I’d get one just like this, except with the side dots marking the fret line and not between them.)

Thanks for the advice boys and girls, I’m going to have another beer…. And think about put’n them type II’s on…

 

[todd4ta]

Assuming the nut is cut correctly (so the string is right at the edge of the fingerboard, not up like on a fretted) the relief should be almost flat and the action low. Once you get it dialed in, and get the fretless mwah you want, if you increase the relief on the neck the mwah will go away. I'm thinking a lot of it has to do with the vibration formed between the string and the fingerboard. Close proximity equals more vibration.

I prefer rounds over flats for my fretless. Nickel rounds.

Another cool fretless effect is to hit a harmonic (say at the 5th position on the D or G string) and then 'fret' the string and run your finger up toward the 1st position. You can 'pull' the harmonic up the string. I taught my daughter and that's her favorite thing to do on bass right now.

 

[scottbass71]

Maybe use an effect pedal like chorus or Octaver
I like the chorus it brings out the Mwah!!!

 

[todd4ta]

The neck is almost flat, but this is new to me, how do you check it on a fretless? I’ve held a string down at the first fret and down at 15th, or so, and you could place a business card, maybe, between the string and board.

I’ve got a set of “Type II” EBMM flats right here in my hand, but I wanted to try them on my SR4.

The relief sounds about right, can't get a whole lot closer than a business card. You can check it on different spots of the neck by fretting about 10-12 positions apart.

What strings are on your SR4 now? Can you put them on your fretless and put the flats on your SR4? Or you could 'borrow' the E-G strings off any of your other basses for a quick tryout. The string lengths should be the same without having to recut them or suffer any trauma.

 

[Father Gino]

As for my fretless playing, near the bridge I get a tight, precise sound that's not particularly mwah-y, but still sounds like a good fretless.

+10000

Fretless basses are NOT all about the Mwahhhhhhhh. Sterling without frets sounds great plucked down there. Big & beefy, but very articulate. Pluck a little harder down there and it'll growl nicely too! You can turn some bass EQ up and play full blown rock & roll. Who needs frets?