What gauge rounds do you all use for fretless?

sunbeast · #1 11-30-2010, 01:53 PM

I've recently acquired a fretless again, and am much more excited to dedicate myself to learning it this time than I had been in the past. One thing that I think tended to throw me off in the past is that I'd always string it with my favorite strings at the time for fretted bass, usually medium to heavy roundwounds, and I realize this time around that heavier strings just don't get the singing midrange fretless tones and "mwah" I wanted to hear...

I'm set on ordering a set of DR Sunbeams, but am trying to decide on the best gauge- I may experiment with gauge using some D'addarios first to save myself some money, but thought I'd ask here first. It will probably be between the .040-.100set or the .040-.95 set.

What gauge roundwounds do you prefer on a fretless and why?

Thanks!

DaZombieWoof · #2 11-30-2010, 02:04 PM

I think I ended up with a tapercore medium set on my 5. Might consider a light top medium bottom. I think it will come down to what gives the mwaw and is balanced sounding on your bass.

sunbeast · #3 11-30-2010, 02:10 PM

I can get the "mwah" with the current set of medium Sunbeams (.045-.105), but it takes more work and lacks the singing midrange- a little too much "oomph" instead. If I tune them down a step they get more "mwah", but still have a little too thick of a tone...

FunkMetalBass · #4 11-30-2010, 02:25 PM

Circle K Balanced 112's and an NJ4SV.

kesslari · #5 11-30-2010, 02:38 PM

I like DR Sunbeams .45 - .105...
Beautiful tone.

sunbeast · #6 11-30-2010, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kesslari

I like DR Sunbeams .45 - .105...
Beautiful tone.

Wow- I really like the song from your signature! Great tone, though I am definitely going for a brighter attack on my fretless. How do you EQ on your bass and amp with your Sunbeams? I might just need to fool around with my EQ some more to find what I'm looking for.

I do love the feel of the medium Sunbeams alot and they are obviously not a hinderance to good fretless "mwah" as your music can attest, but I could get used to lighter gauges for the right tone (and without frets to make the nasty noises!).

sunbeast · #7 12-01-2010, 04:59 PM

bump for some more opinions!

DaZombieWoof · #8 12-01-2010, 07:34 PM

I am thinking a 40 - 120 set for my five versus the 45 - 125 set. I sometimes do flats, and many do flats for fretless, but I keep coming back to rounds for the tone I want to hear. In 4 string parlance, that would be a 40 to 100 set.

fretlessguy · #9 12-01-2010, 07:56 PM

I use .40-.100 for my roundwound strung fretlesses. Mike Stoker, current bassist for "ALTERED", who also is the guitar tech at a Memphis music store, suggested that I go from mediums to light if I wanted more mwah.
I thought he was kidding until I tried a set.

Joospocks · #10 12-01-2010, 08:09 PM

I'm currently using .045-.105 DR Nickel Lo riders on my VM Jazz fretless, basically because that's the gauge I tend to like on fretted basses. There's so much praise for fretless with sunbeams on TB, that maybe the next set I try will have to be a set of those. I wouldn't describe my current tone as "singing mwaaah", but I do like a reasonable amount of tension and "mwaaah" isn't really what I'm after at the moment.

On my Squier, I'd be afraid that if I switched to a set of lighter strings, the ebonol board would have a tendency to make ugly rattling sounds rather than musical mwah sounds. Maybe I need to fiddle with the truss rod to get the setup just right? The neck appears to be straight.

bassbrad · #11 12-01-2010, 08:16 PM

I use a light D'Addario set on my main fretless bass and an old set of Kaman Performers 'Kamflon' coated strings on the other.

sunbeast · #12 12-01-2010, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joospocks

I'm currently using .045-.105 DR Nickel Lo riders on my VM Jazz fretless, basically because that's the gauge I tend to like on fretted basses. There's so much praise for fretless with sunbeams on TB, that maybe the next set I try will have to be a set of those. I wouldn't describe my current tone as "singing mwaaah", but I do like a reasonable amount of tension and "mwaaah" isn't really what I'm after at the moment.

On my Squier, I'd be afraid that if I switched to a set of lighter strings, the ebonol board would have a tendency to make ugly rattling sounds rather than musical mwah sounds. Maybe I need to fiddle with the truss rod to get the setup just right? The neck appears to be straight.

Before the current Sunbeams, I had a set of .045-.100 Lo-Riders on my fretless and did really like the feel, but they definitely didn't have the high mids of the Sunbeams. I put the Lo-Riders on my P-bass and am in love with that combo!

knuckle_head · #13 12-01-2010, 08:32 PM

.182 .136 .102 .074

... but then I am tuned to octave down E on a 36" scale fretless.

iiipopes · #14 12-01-2010, 08:43 PM

The new Fender flats have it all: meat, growl, consistency, both string to string and up and down the fretboard, clean articulation, balanced feel.

FunkMetalBass · #15 12-01-2010, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knuckle_head

.182 .136 .102 .074

... but then I am tuned to octave down E on a 36" scale fretless.

How do you like your sub-contra fretless notes? Do you feel that they have the same mwah-like characteristics of the E1-G2 strings?

knuckle_head · #16 12-01-2010, 11:13 PM

I love 'em. Gives the low stuff way more girth than my fretted 39.5".

Because of the low register I need to slow way down but I'm not at all a fast player anyway.

sunbeast · #17 12-02-2010, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassbrad

I use a light D'Addario set on my main fretless bass and an old set of Kaman Performers 'Kamflon' coated strings on the other.

Do you use the D'addario nickels or Prosteels? .040-.100 or a different gauge? Have you tried other rounds on the fretless that you could compare them to tonally? With how cheap you can get the nickels, I thought I might experiment with different gauges of those before spending twice as much on a new set of Sunbeams. I may even prefer them for fretless, who knows!

sunbeast · #18 12-02-2010, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knuckle_head

.182 .136 .102 .074

... but then I am tuned to octave down E on a 36" scale fretless.

WOW is all I can say to that!

FunkMetalBass · #19 12-03-2010, 09:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knuckle_head

I love 'em. Gives the low stuff way more girth than my fretted 39.5".

Because of the low register I need to slow way down but I'm not at all a fast player anyway.

Slow down because the volume swell is slower?

I'm considering stringing my 35" Brice fretless 6er with F# - G.

knuckle_head · #20 12-03-2010, 10:49 AM

Really low notes take time to register to the ear, and if there are too many notes bass parts become undefined. It's pretty interesting.

There is no or minimal volume swell if the tension is adequate.