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08-26-2010, 03:04 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Seattle | | | Acoustic Fretless, string question.
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Okay so I've recently bought an acoustic fretless (my first fretless) and I've noticed that already in just two days or so the stock strings have made bite marks in the fretboard. I thought this might happen but not so soon. So my question is this: I know to put flats on a fretless normally (because it sounds better to me and also saves the fretboard) but on an acoustic I'm not sure. Would it still give me the same tone when playing acoustically? And also: is there another way to save the fretboard from wear and tear?
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Originally Posted by Mark Latimour  A 15 string bass walks into a bar and the bartender says "man, you look really stressed". The bass says, "yeah, there's a lot of tension in my neck". | |
08-26-2010, 03:13 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Minnesota - Twin Cities | | | I settled on tapewounds..
I was more concerned about finger zing sounds.
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08-26-2010, 03:24 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Connecticut, USA | | | My suggestion would be to play the strings that feel and sound the best to you and play the pookey out of it!- unless these are really deep grooves. Or unless you feel the resale value must be preserved.
For my workhorse basses, I have to accept that normal wear is inevitable and fingerboards are easily resurfaced to maintain playability.(fretwear too). Eventually, fingerboard replacement may happen, and any competent luthier can make a fb replacement look and play great.
Wear issues aside, opinions on strings run the gamut here- what strings are on it and what would you change about the sound and feel?
Rodger
(edit) what wood is used for the fingerboard?
Last edited by Rodger Bryan : 08-26-2010 at 03:27 PM.
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08-26-2010, 03:27 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Seattle | | | Alright Rodger that makes sense. Well I'll probably switch to flatwounds but would they still sound good while I was playing it acoustically?
edit: Rosewood. Pretty fragile from what Ive seen.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Latimour A 15 string bass walks into a bar and the bartender says "man, you look really stressed". The bass says, "yeah, there's a lot of tension in my neck". |
Last edited by UnfortunateTony : 08-26-2010 at 03:30 PM.
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08-26-2010, 03:31 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brookfield, CT | | | Honestly, it will take years for rounds to create significant wear- it looks worse than it is. Flats will sound different, plugged in or not. Whether or not it's a good sound is up to you.
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Originally Posted by Lesfunk I have trouble staying in shape because I'm a lazy, fat, piece of crap; not because I'm a musician. | |
08-26-2010, 03:42 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Connecticut, USA | | | If you like a growly, midrangey fretless tone, rounds are hard to replicate. If you are looking for more fundamental and thump, flats will get you closer. Check out the reviews of Thomastik-Infeld Jazz flats. Some love them some hate them.
The only way to see if a particular string will excite the top of that instrument is to try them. 'tis expensive. Honestly, I have only tried rounds on an acoustic and prefer a sound that approximates the sound of a standard guitar tuned down. |
08-26-2010, 09:25 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: May 2008 Location: West Memphis/Marion area, AR. | | | I have used these sets on my fretless ABG:
LaBella Tapes
Fender 9120 Tapes
GHS Precision Flats (.45-.95)
D'Adarrio Chromes (.45-.95)
Fender Phosphor Bronze (The New ones)
Martin Bronze strings.
I have found the GHS Precisions to be my favorite after a couple of years of experimentation. I also liked the New Phosphor Bronze strings Fender makes, but didn't care for the finger noise, even though they had a great mwah sound. The Fender tapes were really cool, but I had to ever so gingerly remove some of the silk so they would fit in the nut right. |
08-26-2010, 10:24 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Northern Va. | | | I came in here to ask this very question.... | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
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