Origin of the fretless bass

[hairyeggs]

Who invented the fretless electric bass, and when?

Credit is usually given to Jaco Pastorius, but Jack Bruce was playing fretless bass with Cream several years before Jaco released his debut album! It might be that Jaco was the first to rip his frets out of a fretted bass, but it seems unlikely that he was the true inventor of the fretless bass.

Any help / clues / rumours would be massively appreciated!

[chris-n-vick]

you will find the answer to your question and the reasons why here........

http://www.jazzitalia.net/lezioni/bassoelettrico/be_fret less_eng.asp

[hairyeggs]

Thanks. I've seen that one before, and it's actually one of the websites that first instilled this sense of doubt.

Jaco's debut album was released in 1976, while Jack Bruce was playing fretless bass with Cream, who ran from 1966 to 1968. I doubt Jaco invented the fretless bass before the age of 15, so...

Still confused!

[chris-n-vick]

found (and subsequently lost) a site that suggested "Steinberg" created the fretless bass to be played with "flatwound" strings.?

[Beno27]

Not sure exactly but I think Tony Franklin had something to do with it? There's some stuff about him and his fretless bass playing here http://subreel.com/best-fretless-bass-guitars/#Tony_Franklin_Fretless_Precision_Bass_Blackebony