1985-ish Fender Jazz Bass Special Fretless...Strings?

Nice bass, I like the way that finish ages. String preference is really a personal tastes thing, especially on fretless.

 

Sounds like a job for ground or compression wounds then (rather than flats). My personal favorites for electric fretless are Ken Smith Compressors and Slick Rounds.

 

My recommendation would be the GHS Pressurewound ML7200 (44-58-80-102).

 

Agree & Second

 

That bass needs some 9050 Fender flats, IMO, at least to get started.

There are lots of bass string shootouts on YouTube - that should give you a frame of reference

 

Too bad those strings on it aren't flatwounds -they'd be perfect about now.

 

Every string will damage the fingerboard. You're pressing metal into wood.
If you play it a lot you might have to get it sanded down a little in 10 years.
Don't let that prevent you from using any kind of string that gets you the sound you want.

That said, I prefer GHS Pressurewounds on fretless electric. Not because of board wear, but because they feel smoother while doing slides while sounding like broken in rounds.
They're basically roundwounds that are run through rollers at the factory to squash the outer windings down a little.

 

I will back up lz4005 on this. I have an '87 Jazz Bass Special fretless I just restrung with GHS Pressurewounds and so far I like the feel. I used the 40-96 set. I have yet to run it through an amp to hear the sound, but if they sound like they play and feel they are excellent.

If it matters, I also plan to try the SIT Silencers and the Rotosound Pressurewound before I settle on a choice, but I think that Pressurewounds would be worth looking at.

 

Chromes, TI Jazz Flats, mmm, maybe Labella Low tension Flats, or................

I'm a flats guy, can't you tell?

 

One thing to keep in mind about the GHS PWs is they're slightly stiffer than a typical set of rounds.

Here are the actual tension numbers:

Pressurewound L7200:

G 040 - 37.2 (lbs.)
D 054 - 36.5
A 076 - 39.3
E 096 - 34.2

Pressurewound ML7200:

G 044 - 43.3 (lbs.)
D 058 - 41.9
A 080 - 44.6
E 102 - 39.5

GHS Pressurewound M7200:

G 044 - 43.3 (lbs.)
D 062 - 48.6
A 084 - 47.2
E 106 - 48.0

I personally find the ML7200 the best-balanced of the three both in tension and tone. But that's just me...

 

I like half-rounds better on a fretted instrument. Well, on some fretted basses, they seem to be just the right thing.
My fretless has med. GHS Precision flats: stiff flatwounds which retain some brightness.
I'd recommend them on a P/J. On a Jazz, it all depends of how much high you want.

 

The correct answer is Nylon Tape Wounds (LaBella 760N).
Clearly, the TBers who know this haven't chimed in yet.