With a small amount of practice, I don't find the fretless to be a problem as to buzzes and whatnot. Pressure is about the same as with fretted bass guitars. One might also use string gauges for a certain amount of fingering advantage if necessary, too.

What I don't like about the acoustic bass guitars is that they often don't sound anything like a string bass fiddle, an anomaly that is exacerbated when they are plugged in and amplified. I think a large part of that may have to do with the rather inexpensive pickup methods used, undersaddle piezo pickups in the bridge are the rule.

I have worked with some few bass players that can make a standard Fenderbass of either variety, solid body, sound a LOT like an acoustic bass. Fretted or fretless. I think their talent lies in the same place as guitarists who can get an "archtop" sound out of solid body guitars, like Pat Martino can. He used to make a Les Paul sound very much like an L5CES or perhaps an ES 175 with 'buckers. Articulation details and timing is my guess.


--Mac

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