Posts Tagged ‘Frettless bass Guitar’
August 28th, 2009 | 
Author: Depending on the performance both the fretted and fretless bass guitar is used. It is becoming more popular to use the fretless bass since they increase the movements and speed of the bassist. The fretless bass guitar does not have the metal spacers that often slow the playing performance. The fretless bass have the note markers inlaid in the fingerboard replacing the need for the metal spacers.
Some of most popular bassists feel the fretless bass give them more freedom of musical expression. Bassists such as Eric Clapton David Gilmour Pino Palladino Steve DiGiorgio and Colin Edwin use the fretless guitars. Fretless basses are often associated with jazz while other types of music have fallen in love the ease and comfort of the fretless bass.
In 1961 Billy Wyman created the first fretless bass guitar by converting a Japanese fretted bass when he removed the frets. The first manufactured fretless bass was the Ampeg followed by AUB-1 and Fender. In the early 1970s jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius created his personal fretless bass guitar by removing the frets filling in the holes with a putty then coating the fretboard with an epoxy resin.
This technique was then used in later manufactured models for fret lines markers to be inlaid in the fingerboards to guide the bassists for the proper fingerings. Even with years of experience the markers help to verify the right placement of the fingers as well as adding to the appearance of the fretboards.
The standard strings on the fretless basses are either 4-string or 5-string. There are 6-string basses but they are more a custom-made instrument used for richer sounds and tones. The 4 and 5 string basses are just as fresh sounding and much easier to play. One fact to know it is the experience of the bassist that makes the real rich and soothing sounds of the bass guitar.
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Posted in fretless basses | 
Tags: Acoustic Bass Guitar, fretless bass, fretless basses, Frettless bass Guitar | 
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Fretless bass Guitar
A fretless bass guitar is the same as a regular bass guitar but does not have the frets on the fingerboard. On a fretless bass the vibrating string length goes from the bridge all way to the point where the fingers are pressed against the strings on the guitar body.
Fretless bass guitars are not commonly used in county music and are generally limited to electric based guitars to increase the volume and acoustics. The fretless bass guitar is gaining in popularity with many makes and models. The fretless bass guitars are especially popular with Jazz R&B and Funk since the feel and sound is said to be similar to the acoustic double bass.
Fretless bass guitars are not restricted to the musical tuning temperaments or tuning systems as the fretted guitars tend to be. Fretless guitars have the ability to play higher ranges of tones than the 12-tone scales allowing for increased ranges and moods for the various music.
The fretless guitars are different from the fretted guitars since they provide a different sound due to the fingers being able to slide smoothly up and down the neck. This increased motion allows the fretless to absorb the energy from the vibrating string faster and more effectively. The absorption of the sound produces a different sound and feeling to the music.
Playing a fretless bass guitar requires more training than the fretted guitar. The process of learning how to play the fretless bass requires learning the proper finger placement ear training to hear the right tones and shifts. The process of learning is made easier with the markers on the fretboard yet it will still take time to learn due to the lack of metal spacers many players depend on for proper finger placements. Just be patient and keep practicing to adjust to the higher quality bass.