Jonas Hellborg - Fretless solo

[mcrhythm2]

Funky shit!

[an50331]

drummer is amazing

show him some respect too!

[Ramshobraja]

You can tell they are truly passionate about the music.

[HFOnBass]

Nice!!

[fcukingalien]

ITS NOT FRETLESS OMG....

[squiresuzuki]

@fcukingalien Actually, it is fretless and it clearly sounds like a fretless. It just has lines painted on the fretboard to help intonation.

[Flatwound1000]

2:03 haha! He quotes Pastorius' River People.

[beowulf1963]

Jag är också från Lund.

[pvillaru]

Ta bueno... pero no me dice nada el solo... muchas notas en pentatónica, para ser jazz.

[ishyboy1993]

Who is the drummer??

[LunarLionheart]

"That fat guy" is Shawn Lane, have some respect please, nobody played guitar like that man did.

[hereidie]

That fat guy is Sean Lane.

[DVDKC]

I love the fatman, great ass.

[MakeTeaNotWar0]

i love these kinds of parodies of musicians! :D

[BaumTheFlashN00B]

He's really a great player but.... i just dont like his style playing the bass for me there is too less feelings in it... imao

[bassfreak74]

you know fretless basses do buzz when you pull really hard

[SuperEnigmation]

Jonas Hellborg mixed in a little of River People by Weather Report starting at about 2:02

[mrjones918]

I don't like this. 

[WoWintosh]

I don't hear any fretless effect whatsoever. Plus, I hear fret buzz from time to time, and individual notes within a slide, unlike what you would hear on a real fretless.

[jkillerton]

@WoWintosh ever heard of Jaco Pastorius, he had a similar sound that was referred to as the "growl" where he used mid range to get the punch of a fretted basso a fretless bass.

[WoWintosh]

@jkillerton

You don't get fret buzz from amp settings. Plus, I can hear individual notes within slides. Another thing, of course I have heard of Jaco. He was a great bass player and achieved the ultimate bass sound IMO.

[SuperEnigmation]

@WoWintosh he probably has a bass with recessed frets.

[WoWintosh]

@SuperEnigmation

What kind of shit is that? I hear frets, if they were recessed, I wouldn't hear them.

[SuperEnigmation]

@WoWintosh well, the tone of the bass doesn't sound like anything I've heard on a fretted bass, except for the lower notes. The strings on a fretless bass can make those sorts of noises too. Meh, I don't really care though; Jonas was playing the heck out of the bass.

[middlebit]

@WoWintosh Jonas is playing his fretted Status. Google "hellborg status bass" for details or search youtube for "hellborg hell is other people" to see the same bass in action.

[azfryguy]

His name is JONAS!!!!!!!

[jaranarm]

The only musician worthy of the name "Jonas".

[rahagbab]

@jaranarm Don't you mean the only Jonas worthy of being called a musician?

[neurolepsybass]

This is Superman!

[phishintube]

amazing. simply amazing. a fretless bass with frets.

[bobrobertsz]

@phishintube Idiot

[MATTTHEMOP]

@phishintube

The 'frets' are just lines. they arent frets. and you can hear it's fretless.

[spynae]

@MATTTHEMOP You haven't listened to much of his stuff to realize that's just his tone, have you? 0:11 is a half-step up and down. There's nothing between the two distinct notes, as there would be on a fretless.

[scrotzki789]

@phishintube it's not that uncommon to have a fretless instrument with frets leveled to the surface to act as markers... also, check out the recessed frets of the Fretgroove bass (google it).

[WiktorR0]

Jaco's River People @ 2:03 :D

[dirtydirtyal]

@WiktorR0 i heard the same..jonas has a more up beat tempo but its totally a Jaco riff.

[Dashizz327]

The entire left side of the screen at 0:06 is occupied by a guitarist.

[analogic10]

@Dashizz327 "a" guitarist? You probably meant THE guitarist. Show some respect for the best and dead.

[Dashizz327]

@analogic10 congestive heart failure no doubt

[WoWintosh]

I swear I can hear frets

[Eldalie]

@WoWintosh very good of you to be able to hear something that's not there! :)

[numetla]

@WoWintosh that little sliding part at 1:07 is proof that this bass is fretless

[Marlowann]

@numetla The fact that this is the Warsaw Summer Jazz Days performance proves that it's not fretless. For fuck's sake we've all been over this many times before. Look up Warsaw Summer Jazz Days and look at the in-color videos of this group playing, you'll see and hear frets on this same bass.

[yogsothoth2099]

over what is he improving , is he using only one scale?

[juicyjay43]

i think he's got better groove than wooten for sure. Not as sloppy.

[ChrisGuerre]

@juicyjay43 Words of a Troll no doubt.

[juicyjay43]

@ChrisGuerre  Words of somone stating their opinion. GTFO of here with your counter-troll trolliness.

[spoombung]

Great drums.

[HiImJerry8]

one of the best bass solos ive ever heard! amazing!

[jallis12]

well look at that. there ARE more bassists in the world besides jaco n wooten! WHO KNEW???

[munkierunner]

@jallis12 ME.................jaco is a legend, was around a bit earlier, but honestly, jonas hellborg is much better then wooten. Just his work with Shawn Lane alone (not even mentioning the mahavishnu orchestra, or solo with john McClaughlin, or his Art Metal band, work with buckethead and countless other projects with the best musicians in the world) is enough to stand far higher then wooten on the bass guitar skill level podium. He is a bass god and plays MANY MANY different styles/genre

[BatteryHat]

@munkierunner Wooten isn't known for technique as much as he is tone, and honestly, despite hellborg's skill, I was told that he's a total asshole from more than a few of Shawn's old band members. Also, are you calling Buckethead one of the best musicians in the world?

[munkierunner]

@BatteryHat wooten is still known for technique, he definitely has good technique, tone as well. Unfortunately a lot of top musicians/sports players/political figures, etc are known for being dicks. It happens. As I don't personally know hellborg or any of their old bandmates I would say i'm far enough away that even if he is an asshole its not effecting me. I like his music. Buckethead is an amazing guitarist who played with hellborg, claypool, etc. So ya he is top drawer.

[MrSttelnoj]

all a bit ott for me. colin hodgkinson and pastorius all the way.

[MegaYoshitsune]

Shawn Lane FTW.

[gasparovsky1]

i agree with sabueso. i don know if those people,who criticise this, are stupid or what, but one thing is for sure: they know nothing about music, nothing at all. this guy is fucking genius and if you cant see it, i feel sorry for you.

[funkster22657]

this just dont sound good at all. it sounds like a kid that just bought his first bass.

[funkeety]

@funkster22657 lol, are you crazy??? he plays all the scale incredibly precise on a fretless bass!.. how can a kid bought his first bass play a bass like him?

[justusleejolliffe]

@funkster22657! Where's your video showing us how a bass should be played asshole!?!

[Poopaskull]

"...And on bass, we have Jonas Hellborg. Mr. Jonas, show 'em what you got!!"

Jonas' Bass: "Fart! Plink-Plonk! Fart! Twink! Fart!"

Jonas' Mind: "Fuuuuuck, I'm failing!"

[DIMEABBOttRiP]

Is that bubba from forest gump on drums :D

[TallHungarian]

My nephew Robert Anderson introduced me to this artist.

[Murreh]

My mum grew up with Jonas and studied in the same music class as him :).

[TooMuchTreble]

Jonas' time is fine in this clip. I don't know what you guys are going on about.

[Raffo65]

HELLL!!!

[rogueship]

Bass doodling .. like so many others .. Incredible technique ... but .. ( drumming fantastic by the way ! ) .. improv ???? ... Check out the real beauty of fretless electric bass on Joni Mitchell's ' Hejira' - Mingus' - the late great Jaco Pastorius. Wonderfully lyrical, tasteful, and all in the context of subtle song compositions. Also his work with Weather Report around the same period is worth checking out. Bass playing began and ended with Jaco !

[cachubiza]

@rogueship If you like Jaco, you'll like Gay Willis. He's taken Jaco's stuff and added quite some more to form his style (a gret style). Look him out.

[Hammetification]

he's a great musician, no doubt about it , but fuck yeah, JONAS HELLBORG, that's a name!!

[sabueso32]

amazing the critics I read here. This guy is playing the hell out of that bass. Superb technic, and you guys just complaining about his playing. Dont wanna be rude or irespectful but... are you as good as this guy? Dont reply. Just a rhetorical question.

Have fun.

[anahowana]

@sabueso32 no worries!! frustrated players( players? ) and guys behind their computers are always acting so hard core ))))

[Bassplaya919]

@sabueso32 You mean the random notes he's playing? Why do you have a problem with people who have different opinions and tastes in music. Maybe music that has a "feel" or a "groove" to it instead of just how many notes you can play. I think thats what we're talking about.

[keo774]

@sabueso32 ahah

too great

[jdthebassmanissick]

this is not hard to do if you shed

[mrnikko419]

@jdthebassmanissick If you shed? Like a dog?

[jdthebassmanissick]

@mrnikko419 it is not hard for me you just have to work at it.

[bozz21000]

he plays without any sense of melody or harmony........

[BatteryHat]

The drumming is out of this fucking world.

[levinaslevinas]

@BatteryHat no wonder.... it's superman drumming afterall .... ;)

[dlechler1]

@BatteryHat shut your ass

[WoWintosh]

@BatteryHat

Would you expect any less from Superman?

[antihero9911]

@BatteryHat therefore he wears a superman shirt

[addictedtobass42]

uninspirational ! his playing is not complimenting that amazing tight drum track!!

[Ccbroo]

@addictedtobass42

Bass solo s aren't exactly my thing either, I think they sound like crap, but you ll have to admit, this was VERY HARD TO PLAY!! :D

[addictedtobass42]

@Ccbroo ..would have been a lot harder to play something to make the drummer feel his hard work was worth it!

[addictedtobass42]

there are some amazing bass solos on youtube!..this is just a collection of lines played out of context with the groove..

[addictedtobass42]

check out brian derek for some heartfelt phrasing!!!!

[jdthebassmanissick]

@addictedtobass42 i do not agree, it is nice sometimes to to play in and out of time as long as you come back to the original groove.

[addictedtobass42]

@jdthebassmanissick ...there is no bass groove to come back too!!!! only the drummer is grooving. less is more!

[quehannaband]

@addictedtobass42 Amen, brother. I'm pretty sure that's intentional, though - Hellborg is a supreme wanker and could care less what's going on behind him. Unfortunately, technique overrides groove here. Man, that drummer kills.

[fenderjbr]

river people! 2:02

[unclejunglebass]

he has great technique... but does anyone else find his lines uninteresting?

[Bygde]

I do. I don't like his tone either. But I agree, his technique is great.

[PiorovPL]

I do!

[TheWonderer7]

That's a TINY bass guitar!!

[Nacho66]

I like that fuckin' drummer!

Wow! Talk about smack!

[orlyguevarra]

Definitely the sound is a fretless bass. There was no buzzing sound that you get with a fretted one. Most fretless basses today were made with the fret marks on to maintain the fretted look. Although I could be wrong and todays electronics can mimic the sound of a fretless bass. Fretted or fretless I like his sound. I like his work with Tony Williams. AWESOME!

[Sim2322]

Fret lines are simply there to make it easier to play, and unlined fretboards usually have the side dots placed where the fret should be, instead of in between.

Asa for electronics that mimic fretless bass, I only saw the Line 6 Variax bass that COULD came a bit close to the tone, but the feel is very different, and a fretless player could easily make the difference. The tone is so "woody" and warm on a fretless, it's more like an upright bass than an actual electric fretless.

[mookie2637]

I'm pretty sure this is a fretted bass. First, you can see the reflection on the frets in some places. Second, if it was a fretless his vibrato would be different. Third, if you play with the bridge pickup and the right phrasing it's not too hard to do that 'Jaco sound' that we all associate with fretless. Fourth and finally, his left hand is between the lines - not on them as a regular marked fretless would have it.

[todds7]

2:02 et seq. River People! ...by which The Composer meant the north fork of the New River in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., if I'm not weeping piteously or otherwise mistaken.

Cool. Or as my buddy from San Diego says

COAL!

[cachubiza]

that's a heavy guitarist

[eaterofcandy]

please, people LISTEN. many fretless basses have fret markers. even if i ever get to the level where i can play like that with no markers whatsoever, i would still get fret markers because i like the look of it.

[Vanderkleyamp]

It is a fretted bass with the Neuser Fretless System bridge on it

[walbassist]

It's his signature model that used to be made by Status Graphite. It's also fretless.

[4josiah4]

nickwellings

any EXPERIENCED bassist knows that companies make the same bass guitars with frets, fretless AND fretless with fret markers. unless you were personally holding that VERY bass in your hands you would never be able to say if its actually fretted or not. look at how many FENDERS have the SAME EXACT models with fretted, fretless and fretless with fret markers...

[hungryalbatros]

some fretless basses have fret lines painted on. just cause you see frets doesn't make it not a fretless

[PilferMusic]

my fretless has an ebony fingerboard with strips of maple for the freltlines

[pabloarruda]

people here are idiot !!!

IT IS A FRETLESS BASS! just close your eyes and listen the SOUND!

[Theseventhknight]

it's just a very jaco-sounding fretted.

[adlersidol]

i can see the frets on his bass.....

[Grifff0]

They are fret lines.

[adlersidol]

my mistake

[RelentlessEwok]

Who's the drummer?

[steveystevesteve]

i think thts a FRETLESS tbh you can tell from the tone

[nickwellings]

It is not fretless. Check the footage from this same concert on youtube:

Warsaw Summer Jazz Days with Hellborg, Lecco and Lane.

[Grifff0]

You're right.

[schwarg]

definitely fretted, just has a weird bridge pickup tone

[JRKDeSimone]

This sounds like a fretted bass to me.

Furthermore, the lines on the fingerboard don't look like fretlines to me, they are too broad and noticeable. Fretlines would be smaller and subtler. They are probably actually frets, not fretlines.

[sytraxiplague]

Definitely fretted. Pay attention to the slides.

[CooNProductioNs]

yeah seriously why the heck does it say fretless?

[scarred2112]

*I* think they should have kept an eye on the BOD myself. ;-) As for that I'm talking about the tone that easily 75% or more of fretless players since Jaco have striven for, the "Mostly bridge pickup plucked by the bridge" that brings out a nasally midrange sound. That's certainly recognized as "Jaco's tone" by the vast majority of bassists, whether on fretted or fretless.

As for "strummed harmonics", see my answer above: different tonalities on fretted vs fretless.

[Leugim89]

i have one too

[jazztubo]

Despite of its deep-mellow tone, I think this bass is a fretted one, , I can hear some fretting when Jonas slides his left hand, and the intonation is absolute tempered so, in my opinion, this bass is a fretted bass. As usual, great playing by Mr. Hellborg!

[BoilingHumans]

cant believe some ppl, you can easily hear its a fretless bass :O

[izbadd1102]

This is a fretted bass. I've seen him play this bass before. Lousy bass sound for such an incredible player.

[brandon5pennies]

shawn lane was in the background i think jonas and shawn brought the best out of each others playing

[scarred2112]

It's easy to get confused in the the fretted/fretless debate regarding this solo - Jonas *IS* using "Jaco's Universal Fretless Bass Tone" of almost all rear pickup and his style is so tight that he's not a "Slide Into Every Note"-style fretless player but hits every one with perfect intonation, but small things like his "Strummed Harmonics" @ 1:16 are simply you *cannot* get on a fretless bass.

[fryBASS]

You *can* get them on a fretless bass. Why wouldn't you be able to?? lol

[scarred2112]

Lousy wording, I'll admit - you can certainly get them, but they don't ring out with the pseudo-percussive *CLANK* that Jonas and others get from the technique on a fretted bass.

[mrfingers69]

even listen to the notes that he slides you can clearly hear the fretts

[michalbaranski]

country western on bass!!!cool!

[DarkTunnel4]

Ya this isnt fretless, i hear fret buzz when he goes high on the neck

[87SaleSo]

This is not a fretless. It's a fretted bass.

Can`t you see?

[Leugim89]

can`t you listen?

is a fretless bass, what you see they are marks, some bass fretless have them.

[MomoTheBellyDancer]

This is not a fretless. It's a fretted bass played on the rear rpickup. I love the "River People" reference on 2:03

[PunkizCursed]

no that really is a fretless bass it just has lines on it instead of fret bars u can tell by the sliding.

[vicwootenisgod]

ye tour right!:)

[SotR59]

I like his playing but I think the tone sucks.

[2112dim]

Can someone give me some information about Jonas?

[jagjaghuh]

Wiki is your friend

[skywalkerla5]

not a fan of the solo, kinda just wanking away if you ask me, which you didn't so who cares. but the tone isn't bad, it's pretty "perfect" for this style of playing.

[noodle360]

wow. i just didn't like this video at all. oh well.

[adamwc1776]

Mestre Helborg need keep the finger on shape....No swingue...

[Risenwind]

Booooooring. Check out Jeff Schmidt's or Michael Manring's solos.

[azragnotna]

hey guys i thought they called the precision basses that because they were the first basses with frets

[MHeardOnBass]

They were not the first basses with frets but the precision bass was named as such because with frets, one could play with precision. This was the first commercially successful fretted electric bass however. In fact this first commercially successful electric bass period!

[azragnotna]

thanks for the insight i wasnt that was just what i had heard but thanks again. you learn something new everyday haha

[BrianBeamers]

That has to be the worst tone I have ever heard on bass, FLAT AS HELL!!!!

[MarcoMinnemann]

That's not fretless... excellent solo anyway

[neilraoufsw]

is this shawn lane in the background....man almost like a ball....rip shawn

[markandtyler]

he sort of looks a little bit ike flea...in the face..

[sikkinixx75]

is this music or gymnastics? horrible!

[then00best]

no if it was gymnastics the guitarist would be sweating

[sikkinixx75]

he plays like a teen...

[go2illa]

awesome

[bonfirejovi]

whos the fat guy and why isnt he playing

[AnhMak]

He's not playing because Jonas Hellborg is performing his bass solo.

[FreakyDDR]

Ill ignore the fat comment and tell you its Shawn Lane

[FaLaTiCi]

This is not Fretless

[NZDaywalker]

i wouldnt get so worked up about what farm boy said, he's obviously retarded and i wouldnt b suprised if he put shit in his mouth