Bass Guitars without embedded frets in the fingerboard. These electric bass guitars emulate the fingerboard of the traditional acoustic double bass. Played in a similar manner to a fretted bass the main differences are that the "positioning" is not as exact as with fretted bass, the tonal sound is different and this is part of the appeal of the fretless bass and this together with the ability to "slide" up and down the fingerboard gives the fretless bass its own unqiue sound.