As technology advances, there are constant updates to musical instruments around the world. And that goes the same for the acoustic bass guitar too. While we are very accustomed to playing music with the usual acoustic basses, someone actually decided to develop an acoustic bass guitar without the usage of frets to indicate the exact place at which the guitarist is supposed to depress to get the desired tone. Of course, before you go about deciding that it is virtually impossible to know the exact position of each tone, just ask a trombone player this and they will demonstrate to you that it is completely possible, of course, with adequate training.
Now, why is it that some guitarist will prefer the fretless acoustic bass guitars than the usual ones?
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Why Choose An Acoustic Fretless Bass Guitar
There are several reasons at which why some guitarist will choose the fretless acoustic bass guitar over the usual ones.
The first reason is that since the fretless acoustic bass comes without the usual frets, it will be easier for the guitarist to slide over the strings while playing. It does allow for a very smooth transition, which will add another dimension of music making to the guitarist. The slide, which is also called the glissando, is often utilized in many pop songs that you hear.
Also, do you realize that with a fretless base, the intonation during playing can be quickly adjusted by the player? This, we think, only applies to the experienced or professional guitarist. By haivng a fretless construction, it means that you can adjust the tonality midway during a song.
Top Fretless Acoustic Bass Guitars For Beginners
As you can see, the fretless acoustic bass guitar does help to give you an added dimension to your playing style, especially those that require a glissando. It does make the music sound smoother and sweeter at times, depending on the genre of the base music too. With that, let us take a look into a the top few fretless acoustic bass guitar that most people would love.
1. Godin A4 Ultra Fretless Bass
When it comes to the best fretless acoustic bass guitar, the Godin A4 Ultra Fretless Bass comes to mind instantly. Widely touted as one of the top fretless acoustic basses, the Godin A4 certainly lives up to its expectations. Note that the Godin ultra fretless bass comes in two variations, namely the 4 string version (A4) as well as the 5 string version (A5). If you are playing regular music that does not need an additional string, then the A4 will do you just fine.
The ebony fretboard as well as the rock maple neck helps to give the entire fretless bass a unique outlook with a distinctive sound as well as allowing for a more solid construction to suits your needs. The Godin A4 is indeed an acoustic-electric bass guitar, which adds to your cause as it can be switched between an acoustic guitar to an electric guitar which can be plugged into an amp for a bigger sound output. When coupled with a good amp, you can be assured that the sound that is produced by the Godin will be of the highest quality.
The fretless neck has approximately 20 frets worth of tones on it. Also, with a 16″ fingerboard radius to accompany the 34″ scale, you can be assured that no music will be too daunting for you while you play on this fretless acoustic bass. In addition to that, the low profile lace sensor pickup helps to produce a good overall tonality to the sound too.
Pros
- Easy to play
- Long 34″ scale
- Good materials
Best sound output
Cons
- Expensive
2. Dean EAB FL Acoustic-Electric Bass Fretless Guitar
We all know that Dean guitars are made of the best materials ever. Hence, it is of no surprise that the Dean EAB FL Acoustic-Electric Bass Fretless Guitar is one of the best acoustic bass guitars that are fretless.
Out of all the unique features that the fretless guitar has, what we love most about it is the deep rounded tone that is being produced when you strum on the guitar. The rich, warm tone will resonate greatly when you play in crowds. If your intention is to serenade people, then this fretless acoustic bass guitar shall be the choice for you.
Should you find that the volume is not adequate enough, you can always purchase an amp to compliment the sound.
Pros
- Warm, rounded tone
- Good quality materials
- Comfortable grip
Cons
- Need an amp for a larget audience
Conclusion
There you have for the top choices for fretless acoustic bass guitars that will suit your needs. As most of them can be pretty much similar, you should always purchase the one that fits your budget and catches your eye at the first instance.