From frets to fretless; rock and metal HELP!

ZebZeppelin · Post by **ZebZeppelin** » Wed Nov 09, 2011 7:08 pm

So, I recently bought my first fretless bass, making me a total newbie both here and on a fretless. I have a few problems, not regarding intonation since it has lines in the fretboard (with some more practice in the dark, I won't need them no more

).

Thing is, I play a lot of metal, and need a few suggestions in how to use it well. I LOVE the sound, but I haven't got a clue on equalizer settings etc. I try to get a similar sound to that of Obscura's Cosmogenesis album and Augury's Fragmentary Evidence. Here's a sample of the sound I am pursuing; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DPW9ED1WBs All help and info will be greatly appreciated.

Also, I want any advice you can give me, going from fretted to fretless. My bass is a Woodo b6 6-string, (Specs: walnut body, 35" maple neck, ebony fretboard, neck-through, string through body, d'Addario strings, kent armstrong active/passive-switchable pups) too tired to post image at the moment, but will link to their website if desired

Thanks in advance, Cheers!

RichmanRush · Post by **RichmanRush** » Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:36 pm

Welcome!!!!
Can't believe another Obscura & Augury fan! Jeroen is one of my favorite players (and an unbelievably nice guy). Forrest is just a beast on bass!

Anywho, uhm, as for tone, I can't say 100% how to get their tone. I don't personally like Forrests tone, and Jeroens also seems a bit dry on the Obscura recordings. I would guess not much in the way of EQ going on there. Seems flat to me. Also seems a lot of metal producers/engineers just don't know how to EQ/mix fretless bass players.

Me personally, I like a bit of Jaco mixed with Jeroens tone on the Ensemble Salazhar demos. Lots of mid-low growl in those demos and you really seem to hear the wood come out. But then again, Jeroen plays $5000 basses LOL.

It's all about experimentation though. I know the fretless 'growl' or "mwahh" tone, is found in the mid-range area. Fretboard wood and type of strings will change it as well. Pickups... how and where you pluck... most of this you already know I'm sure.

Me personally:
*roundwound strings (something nickel or nickel plated)
*finger plucking (no nail); try to use moisterizer to keep finger tips soft
*pluck between pickups but closer to the bridge pickup for punchy growl; pluck close or over neck & neck pickup for that smooth growly "mwahh"

*EQ for the most part flat on the bass; I do my EQing on the amp. Boosting lows a little and boosting mids A LOT once I dial in the growl

*I had asked Sean Malone years ago for tips, and he recommended playing with a 'light touch'. I try my best to do that both in fretting and plucking hand.

*blend pot is all bridge pickup
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Don't know if I helped at all, but I'm a newb to bass in general. Been playing since 2004; no instruction, so take what you will with a grain of salt.

Best advice I can give though was something told to me years ago. Find YOUR tone, and go with it. Use other players tones as a basis.

ZebZeppelin · Post by **ZebZeppelin** » Mon Dec 19, 2011 4:43 am

I have found Forests sound have too snappy mids. What I really admire is his phrasing, keeping the melody while straying away from the guitars to the extreme. He also plays in Beyond Creation, a SICK band. He blew my mind away with the song Omnipresent Perception. I don't think there's any riff in the song that he just plays the root note or following the guitars. Not really surprising though, it's not his style at all. But the bass solo is really sweet. You should check it out!

Yes, of course I strive for my own sound, I have been experimenting alot with the EQ, and as you said, a bit bass and turning the mids almost all the way up does the trick. I also add a tiny bit of treble, twirling it up a little. I have a frequency shifter so I can change the tone a bit more.

The pre-amp on my Woodo B6 is AWESOME, I use it a bit to punch up the B to a clear and loud "bouw" sound. It also has a strange compressor/mid or high cutter/whatever, I don't really know what it is and I rarely use it but it's quite handy for removing snaps. As I said, I rarely use it, don't really need it.

RichmanRush · Post by **RichmanRush** » Sun Dec 25, 2011 11:16 pm

Yea, I'm trying to find out where I can order Beyond Creation's album. Everywhere I've seen it is like $30-40 for North America.

His video on youtube... mind blowing. I think that's the first time I've seen 'sweep picking' on a bass... fretless bass even! I dig his tone in that video more than I did on the Augury album. But either way, dude is an awesome player.

ZebZeppelin · Post by **ZebZeppelin** » Wed Dec 28, 2011 9:24 pm

INDEED. That needed capital letters. Can't help you about the album issue, it's damn near impossible to find here in Sweden

I've been watching my eyes sore and got my ears bleeding trying to tab the video out. It's a real busy song. Got almost the whole bass solo done! I'll link a video to youtube here when I put the solo part up. Shouldn't take THAT long.