How to Get a Fretless Sound

Fretless bass can be achieved by plucking the strings by the bridge.

Getting a good fretless sound on a bass takes more than just neck without frets. The fretless sound, which was pioneered by Jaco Pastorius in the 1970s, requires technique changes as well as equalization changes to get the perfect "mwah." By making the appropriate changes to your technique and your equipment, you can get a good fretless sound that you can use live or when you are in the recording studio.

Things You'll Need

• Fretless bass neck
• Screwdriver

Instructions

1. Change the neck of the bass to get a good fretless bass sound. While it is possible to get a decent fretless sound on a fretted bass, replacing the neck with one without frets is the best way to get a good fretless sound. Unscrew the four screws from the back of the bass body and replace the old neck with a new fretless model. Fender necks will often fit into the neck pocket of other brands.

2. Change your technique to achieve your goals. Fretless bass players pluck the strings very close to the bridge to get a good fretless bass sound. This adds midrange to the sound and prevents the sloppy sound that results when strings vibrate too much. Playing near the bridge allows you to quickly pluck the strings and the added tension results in "mwah," which is the desired fretless bass sound.

3. Adjust your equalizer to get a nice fretless sound. Jaco Pastorius, Steve Bailey and Pino Paladino have strong midrange EQ curves. The fretless sound is based on strong mids around 400-700 hertz. Decrease the treble, increase the mids and keep the bass in the middle. This combined with a fretless neck will give you the ideal fretless sound.

4. Use the bridge pickup for a good fretless sound. Using both the neck and bridge pickups may give you too much of a full sound. Fretless bass is "twangy" with a lot of midrange. Turning your blend knob so that the bridge pickup is the only one on can help you achieve that type of sound. If you are using a Fender, lower the neck pickup volume to zero and raise the bridge volume to maximum for the same effect.

5. Roll the tone control down from its maximum setting or use the on-board EQ to obtain a good fretless sound. There may be instances where you use both fretted and fretless basses. If you alter the EQ on the amp, you may have issues with the fretted sound, so use the tone control on the bass or the active EQ knobs to make the proper changes. Boost the mid knob on an active bass or lower the tone of the bridge pickup by 50 percent to cut out some of the "clank" from the sound. You are looking for a nice, midrange-heavy, smooth tone.

References

• Tune My Bass: Fretless Bass