I attended the NW Worship Conference near Seattle and had a chance to play a Barker Bass. What treat, I played a five string lined fretless with tapewound strings and two Basslines jazz pickups with passive tone control. The bass was easy for me to play, had a woderfully full and clear B string, produced electric fretless like tone with the tone pot boosted and the bridge pickup favored and a very convincing upright sound with the tone pot dimmed a bit and the neck pickup favored. The quality and workmanship of the Barker is top rate and I plan on saving my money to get one some time in the near future.

interesting, I have never played one with tape wound stings. I can only imagine that its amazing. I played them with roundwound and they were incredible.

I can not emphasize enough how much fun it was to play the Barker fretless five. The notes blossomed nicely much like an upright but I could still get the Jaco tone by playing back by the bridge with the bridge pickup favored and the tone pot boosted.