General fretless strings discussion

ZebZeppelin · #1 11-13-2011, 06:53 PM

So, what strings do you use? What would you suggest for fretless basses? Rounds or flats? Brand?

I'll go first, I use d'Addario roundwounds that came on my 6-string. I'm trying to figure out the BEST strings for me. I play mostly metal, trying to get the mids up to bring more life into the special tone of the fretless. So far the tone is far from bad but it doesn't sound EXACTLY as I want it to sound. Listen to Obscura (Cosmogenesis), Augury (Fragmentary Evidence) and Beyond Creation (The Aura) and you'll know what I mean.

( Band name (Album) )

JTE · #2 11-13-2011, 08:00 PM

One of my fretless basses has rounds (DR Sunbeams, nickle rounds on a round core), and one has flats (Lakland Joe Osborn flats, which are pretty much identical to GHS Precision flats). Both have ebony boards, unlined. One bass is twenty four years old (I had the original fretless rosewood board replaced with the ebony about ten years ago after the stainless and nickel rounds I'd used on it since '87 finally wore it enough that I couldn't resurface it any longer). The other is a Lakland Deluxe 4-94 I got used about three years ago.

I don't really treat fretless any different than fretted, except I'm more particular about the neck relief. That means I'm more likely to adjust the truss rod on the fretless where I'd probably just let it go longer on the fretted ones.

Sound? Like I said, I don't approach fretted/fretless that much different. Touch points for me for great fretless sounds are:

Freebo- the first fretless electric player I was aware of. His work on the early (really early, way before Don Was produced her stuff- this goes back to 1973) Bonnie Raitt albums defined cool fretless for me. Listen to the way he wraps his bass around Bonnie's voice and guitar on "I Gave My Love A Candle", "Too Long At The Fair", and how funky he is on "You've Been In Love Too Long".

Jaco- Like Jamerson on electric bass, like Charlie Christian and Jimi Hendrix on guitar, like Charlie Parker on sax and like Louis Armstrong on trumpet, there's simply a divide with him. There's the way the electric bass was defined and there's a different way after him. "Continuim", the live version of "Three Views Of A Secret" (from Weather Report's "8:30"), and his achingly beautiful work with Joni Mitchell.

Pino- Pino and Paul Young- "Tear Your Playhouse Down", "Wherever I Lay My Hat", "Sensa a Donna", it's all there- tone, touch, style, and grace.

Dave Pomeroy- Much like Pino, he's a sensitive and inventive player who loves to lovingly wrap his instrument around a great singer doing a wonderful song. Dig how his slides make Trisha Yearwood's version of "On A Bus To St. Cloud" come alive.

John

Mike M. · #3 11-13-2011, 08:11 PM

I just bought my first fretless yesterday, a Squire VM Jazz bass, so I'd like to hear what others are using to get some ideas.

Too early to guess what I might like best. But I'll tell ya, this bass is fun!!

sawzalot · #4 11-13-2011, 08:20 PM

I use rounds (Ernie Ball Slinky's) on a MusicMan Stingray 5. Love the sound I get--definitely not your typical fretless Fender Jazz sound, that's for sure (not that there's anything wrong with THAT sound, mind you).

ZebZeppelin · #5 11-14-2011, 05:47 AM

The fretless bass's strings sound so different (specially in metal) from regular fretted basses. I could get the meanest possible tone out of my Schecter Omen 5 when using Ernie Ball Regular 5's. Brutal, heavy lows with highs for extreme amounts of bite. Same setup on the fretless made it sound dead and boring.

Nev375 · #6 11-14-2011, 05:56 AM

Rounds all the way. I've never settled on any particular brand, but I plan on trying Elixers next.

Kenova · #7 11-14-2011, 07:31 AM

DR Sunbeams, they are beasts on fretless and give fretless that famous character!

Ken J · #8 11-14-2011, 08:13 AM

I just picked up the same bass and I agree its a lot of fun to play.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike M.

I just bought my first fretless yesterday, a Squire VM Jazz bass, so I'd like to hear what others are using to get some ideas.

Too early to guess what I might like best. But I'll tell ya, this bass is fun!!

Jim Carr · #9 11-14-2011, 08:18 AM

Slick Rounds, sold under the Ken Smith label are great on an ebony fingerboard. I like rounds and flats both, but Slick rounds have the mids and zing of rounds and more wmah that TI flats, if you want it. Can't comment on how well they can match the tones you admire.

groove pump · #10 11-14-2011, 08:25 AM

I've got a Modulus fretless neck that I can swap onto my passive Jazz body no problemo. I've actually got it on there right now because I'm completely diggin' a hot new 4-string that I scored here from a TB'er.

While I've always liked the feel and general output from nickel rounds like DR Sunbeams, I don't like the idea of tearing up my fingerboard with the strings. The catch-22 for me is that I don't care for flats one bit. What's been the best solution for me are D'Addario's nickel ground wounds - also known as half-rounds. Smoother feeling than regular rounds, but a lot more of the personality that I prefer with Sunbeams, etc. over flats.

ZebZeppelin · #11 11-14-2011, 10:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by groove pump

Smoother feeling than regular rounds, but a lot more of the personality that I prefer with Sunbeams, etc. over flats.

Which means awesome mwah?

kesslari · #12 11-14-2011, 10:45 AM

I like nickel rounds on fretless. I'm not going for the "as close to upright as possible" sound - more the mwah and vocal expressiveness in the midrange.

My favorites are DR Sunbeams. Zon nickels are good also.
My other favorites are compression-wound (NOT groundwound - those don't work for me at all). Ken Smith Compressor-wounds (I think GHS are the same). Almost all the zing of rounds, and what they miss is perfect. They are my current favorites.

At some point when I'm feeling wealthy I will buy a new set of DR Sunbeams and Ken Smith Compressors and A/B them. But I haven't felt that flush yet.

AmadeusXeno · #13 11-14-2011, 02:55 PM

I've tried many different strings on my fretless, but I've decided to stick with what's on them now. Rotosound flats 30-45-65-85 tuned standard. I love the feel and tone

Corporate Boy · #14 11-14-2011, 03:22 PM

Anyway opinion on strings on a Fretless Thumb? I have been using the same factory set of strings for a couple of years now and haven't disliked my sound, but playing a Dead set of strings hasn't allowed me to explore all the opportunities this bass can create. I really like Ken Smith Slick Wounds on my regular bass. I need to get a taper core set for the Thumb, so I haven't tried them yet.

ZebZeppelin · #15 11-14-2011, 04:14 PM

Not from here, sorry. But I've heard (both from mouths and the bass itself) the Thumbs are great whatsoever

FunkMetalBass · #16 11-14-2011, 04:27 PM

I've been trying to figure out that Obscura bass tone for a while now. It's vaguely reminiscent of flats, but with a nice mid punch (probably due to the Thumb). My guess is that the Ken Smith slicks and a reasonable amount of neck-pickup presence (but still a full-on bridge pup) are the key to that tone.

Currently I use a set of Circle K rounds on my fretless jazz, but more and more I'm thinking that I don't care for the sound. I'm getting and might switch to the Ken Smiths for a more vintagey tone.

Whenever I finish the fretless 6 refin, it will have Circle K rounds for sure.

ZebZeppelin · #17 11-14-2011, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FunkMetalBass

I've been trying to figure out that Obscura bass tone for a while now. It's vaguely reminiscent of flats, but with a nice mid punch (probably due to the Thumb). My guess is that the Ken Smith slicks and a reasonable amount of neck-pickup presence (but still a full-on bridge pup) are the key to that tone.

Yeah, the same for me. The solo in Orbital Elements is out of this world in terms of tone.

I do believe that you need a recording software EQ to get to that tone, with far less limitations than a speaker cab. I knock the mid range up to nearly max, and the whole bass goes from a half-dull baah and begins to sing like a bee (tone actually has a hint of a buzzing bee). Keeping everything else pretty flat (tweak the rest after your own preference and/or bass) will make it sound reeaall good.

I think Jeroen uses rounds or semi-rounds to get that sound, I believe flats are too... Flat.

FunkMetalBass · #18 11-14-2011, 07:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ZebZeppelin

Yeah, the same for me. The solo in Orbital Elements is out of this world in terms of tone.

I do believe that you need a recording software EQ to get to that tone, with far less limitations than a speaker cab. I knock the mid range up to nearly max, and the whole bass goes from a half-dull baah and begins to sing like a bee (tone actually has a hint of a buzzing bee). Keeping everything else pretty flat (tweak the rest after your own preference and/or bass) will make it sound reeaall good.

I think Jeroen uses rounds or semi-rounds to get that sound, I believe flats are too... Flat.

They definitely sound like they are worked-in rounds if they are, because they do lack a certain top end presence (also partially do to the fact that it's a fretless and there's no metal-on-metal).

SLaPiNFuNK · #19 11-15-2011, 02:36 AM

I feel like I say this a lot lately....

Pressure Wounds?

Jim Carr · #20 11-15-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SLaPiNFuNK

I feel like I say this a lot lately....

Pressure Wounds?

I tried GHS Pressure Wounds on my EADGC fretless 5er, but they weren't for me. This was because I really didn't like the sound of the .028 C string (couldn't dial in the setup and pre), and I felt there was something missing in the feel of the whole set for me—perhaps too stiff. Obviously totally subjective, and YMMV.

The Smith Slick Rounds were another story. I really like them.