I’m getting a fretless - Look out world!

**Woody Sound** · 11-26-2021, 01:59 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

maybe an e-bow would be cool

Great idea!

**skykomishone** · 11-26-2021, 11:49 PM

Congratulations on the new guitar. I heard John Stowell play one recently. It sounded awesome. Unbounded by frets and seemed to open the space to some interesting lines.

**RJVB** · 11-27-2021, 07:10 AM

I think Justin Johnson must have a number of videos playing fretless guitar on his YouTube channel. He's a bit of a wizard on anything with strings so his fretless videos will probably be a good reference too for what can be done.

What's the fingerboard wood on your guitar? Bowed instruments basically always use very dense ebony. There are probably sonic arguments for that, but it's also hard wearing. Even so, they need a "shave" every few years to bring back a proper relief, or to polish out string wear (which doesn't happen that fast but ultimately requires replacing the fingerboard alltogether). Heavy, steel guitar strings may eat into softer wood much more quickly.

Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note

a violin can out volume an entire orchestra in a symphonic hall.

Erm, do you fish?

If the orchestra collaborates. A violin isn't a piccolo and don't forget the orchestra typically has a bunch of violins in it too...

**Jimmy blue note** · 11-29-2021, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by Mark Kleinhaut

maybe an e-bow would be cool

It is definitely one way to go, but it's hard to get a fast attack with an EBow. So on sustained notes it's good but for intricate linear work, in my experience, it's not so good. That's just me but I'd love to see you find the sound I was not so successful in finding.
My whole time with the fretless has been finding the sound that many had given up on. It takes work, because things that come naturally on fretted are suddenly just not there... chordal shapes (one note with just the TINIEST intonation off and it sounds awful!) or fast runs or hammer-on articulations don't have the same ease (all attacks on a fretless are inherently muted to some degree by nature).
On the other hand, I found that I had to shift a LOT more, and that benefitted my fretted playing. It was this aspect that made my lyrical playing stronger and it was this shift in kinesthetics that intrigued Bill to the point where he wanted one in his hands.
Different beast. Different rules. Largely, you have no idea until you've lived with it a while and found what works, and polish that into a bond with the instrument.
Mine are extremely sensitive to changes in the neck relief and the action. So do experiment a lot.

**zdub** · 11-30-2021, 02:18 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy blue note

I should make some. Thanks for prodding me. I did make a series of 4 fretless guitars that are now in the hands of Max Light, Kenji Herbert, Ben Monder and Bill Frisell, so the gospel is spreading (I'm a luthier too, which is handy given the paucity of fretless stock guitars). One of us will get something out there. Fingers crossed.
It's truly a game changer. Bill said "I'm going to have to relearn the instrument". So embrace the new frontier!

Would love to see pics also!

**jim777** · 11-30-2021, 05:17 PM

Fretless bass I can handle, but I think this would be (fun and) beyond me

I hope it gives you years of smiles!

**PS_Jazz** · 12-01-2021, 10:56 AM

I follow Lionel Loueke on Instagram and he posts cool little solo jams almost daily, recently he started fretless, and it sounds so good... i suggest everyone check him out

**Mark Kleinhaut** · 12-02-2021, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by PS_Jazz

I follow Lionel Loueke on Instagram and he posts cool little solo jams almost daily, recently he started fretless, and it sounds so good... i suggest everyone check him out

yes- he’s amazing!