# Slapping bad for fretless basses?



## 5656130 (Jun 16, 2011)

Alright so as i was prowling the internet for fretless six strings (which isnt that many) i came across some forums and other places saying slapping was bad for a fretless. Now i know you can install a slap plate for the fretless bass but what damage could it cause without the slap plate it just dosent make much since to me.


----------



## TemjinStrife (Jun 16, 2011)

I imagine it could wear the fretboard. But so does playing on raw wood with rounds. The slap plate is more for the metallic "ping" sound people want when they slap than to protect the wood though.


----------



## johnythehero (Jun 16, 2011)

Tell Les Claypool he can't slap on a fretless and see what happens haha (He plays either a 5 or 6 string fretless with trem that he slaps correct me if I am wrong though)


----------



## SirMyghin (Jun 16, 2011)

You will put a hell of a lot of wear on the end of the fretboard, equating it ot playing with rounds isn't near severe enough. The plate would be a good idea imo if you plan to go that route, but I agree with the above it was likely for the clack. The slap sound is pretty fret oriented, in how you expect it to sound anyway. 

The damage it could cause might be anything from splintering the end of the board a bit to mild cracking, it isn't exactly a style with weak attack and you are literally hammering the string into, or pulling it up to snap it INTO the fret board. It can contribute a bit of fretwear too, if you have softer frets.


----------



## TemjinStrife (Jun 16, 2011)

SirMyghin said:


> You will put a hell of a lot of wear on the end of the fretboard, equating it ot playing with rounds isn't near severe enough. The plate would be a good idea imo if you plan to go that route, but I agree with the above it was likely for the clack. The slap sound is pretty fret oriented, in how you expect it to sound anyway.
> 
> The damage it could cause might be anything from splintering the end of the board a bit to mild cracking, it isn't exactly a style with weak attack and you are literally hammering the string into, or pulling it up to snap it INTO the fret board. It can contribute a bit of fretwear too, if you have softer frets.



Maybe I don't slap enough, but I can't see how with good technique you would destroy a fingerboard faster than rounds eat an unlacquered rosewood fingerboard.


----------



## 5656130 (Jun 16, 2011)

johnythehero said:


> Tell Les Claypool he can't slap on a fretless and see what happens haha (He plays either a 5 or 6 string fretless with trem that he slaps correct me if I am wrong though)


 
Yeah he has a CT fretless 6 that he slaps the hell out of i dont think hes ever had any problems with it and i know he dosent have a slap plate on it.


----------



## 5656130 (Jun 16, 2011)

I could obviously understand maybe denting the end of the fretboard but i honestly dont believe that slapping a fretless could do that much damage.


----------



## SirMyghin (Jun 16, 2011)

TemjinStrife said:


> Maybe I don't slap enough, but I can't see how with good technique you would destroy a fingerboard faster than rounds eat an unlacquered rosewood fingerboard.



You don't slam the strings down nearly as hard fretting (or boarding in this case) as you would when you slap them. I am slightly more concerned about the pop than the slap however. I don't play much thumb style nowadays, due to some past injuries and having to take a break from it, but it has always been on a fretted instrument. I also have an old RW board, I played on for years on a 75 japanese made J bass, the frets are virtually non existance, like <1mm tall, and I didn't wear the fretboard at all with rounds. I gave that bass a good 8 years oh hell too.


----------



## 5656130 (Jun 17, 2011)

Yeah but obviously its bad to put rounds on a fretless bass as soon that will destroy the board. I couldnt imagine if you had a rounds on a fretless and you were slapping and popping the damage that would do.


----------



## Explorer (Jun 17, 2011)

@ the OP: Normally the discussion of fretless bass playing on bass-oriented forums like TalkBass include comments on how such play wears on fretboards, along with discussion about epoxying the fretboards and such, issues with using round-wound strings versus flat/tape-wound, and so on. 

If you feel that the forums with a huge amount of collective experience aren't talking sensibly about these issues, or that you know better, why not point that out to them? Your disbelief in what they are asserting surely must have some evidence beyond your just not knowing, right? I'm sure they'd be open to learning something new... and, if they have experience and facts on their side, I'm hopeful you'd be open to learning as well. 

Then again, the way you're disagreeing with the information given you here and on those forums... well, horse, water....


----------



## 5656130 (Jun 17, 2011)

Explorer said:


> @ the OP: Normally the discussion of fretless bass playing on bass-oriented forums like TalkBass include comments on how such play wears on fretboards, along with discussion about epoxying the fretboards and such, issues with using round-wound strings versus flat/tape-wound, and so on.
> 
> If you feel that the forums with a huge amount of collective experience aren't talking sensibly about these issues, or that you know better, why not point that out to them? Your disbelief in what they are asserting surely must have some evidence beyond your just not knowing, right? I'm sure they'd be open to learning something new... and, if they have experience and facts on their side, I'm hopeful you'd be open to learning as well.
> 
> Then again, the way you're disagreeing with the information given you here and on those forums... well, horse, water....


 
I actually posted on talkbass about this problem after i remembering i had a account there and i got many responses saying that it actually does not harm your fretboard.


----------



## angus (Jun 23, 2011)

5656130 said:


> Yeah but obviously its bad to put rounds on a fretless bass as soon that will destroy the board. I couldnt imagine if you had a rounds on a fretless and you were slapping and popping the damage that would do.



More bassists play with rounds on fretless than flats. I had rounds on my fretless for 10 years and only had the fingerboard dressed once. I play with a light touch, so if you have a heavier touch with your left hand it'll wear faster. 

Slapping on fretless is just fine and doesn't cause any crazy wear over what you get from playing normally.


----------



## Varcolac (Jun 23, 2011)

Slapping on my fretless basses doesn't quite give the distinctive slap sound, in my opinion. Nowhere near enough attack to it; somehow missing the percussive steel-on-steel snap of a fretted slap. I'd never heard of this "slap plate" thing, but it seems like a worthwhile solution...


----------



## deevit (Jun 23, 2011)

It has been done, a slap plate or one fret at the end of the fretboard (I know Ibanez did this on some of the old Musician basses). 
I personally don't like the sound I get when slapping on fretless, but I do like the way Claypool uses it. With an ebony board you should be fine, even when slapping. I use rounds on my bass with ebony board, I've owned it for several years and the wear is minimal. Rosewood is a bit softer though, you might want to coat that (sounds better too, IMO).

Check out this Alembic, for instance;


----------

