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Ahhh.....the MWAHH!

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by Ívar Þórólfsson, Sep 18, 2001.

  1. Sep 18, 2001 #1
    Ívar Þórólfsson

    Ívar Þórólfsson Mmmmmm...

    Apr 9, 2001
    Kopavogur, Iceland
    Okay...I think I finally now what you all are talking about when you refer to the mwahh.

    I made a quick trip in my lunch hour to a music store, and I found a fretless 4string Godin hanging there. The Godin fretless

    I picked it up off the wall and started playing with it...omg...the mwahh came to me. This was a beautiful instrument to play on (the first fretless I´ve ever tried), and the notes just seemed to sing out from the wood.

    They were selling it for about 700$. I don´t know if that is a good deal or not. The Icelandic currency has fallen considerably to the us dollar in the past 6 months. For example; An instrument which would have cost me 1000$ 6 months ago, now runs for 1320$. A sad thing indeed.

    But enough of that....I have found the mwah, and I like it! (Now if there was only a way to finance the aquisition of mwahh) :)
     
  2. Sep 18, 2001 #2
    Charlie Quatro

    Charlie Quatro

    Apr 19, 2001
    Northern Virginia, 10 miles from DC
    I really like my Stingray 5 fretless.

    It goes wackity-wackity-mwaahhhh!
    wackity-wackity-mwaahhhh!
    wackity-wackity-wackity-wackity-
    wackity-wackity-MWAHHHHHH!!
    C
     
  3. Sep 18, 2001 #3
    Gard

    Gard

    Mar 31, 2000
    Fuquay-Varina, NC, USA
    Ah yes...without the great and powerful MWAAAAAHHHHHZZZZZ life for me would not be as sweet.... :D

    ...which way is Kansas??? ;)

    Toto, where are you??????
     
  4. Sep 18, 2001 #4
    Usul

    Usul Guest

    Apr 16, 2000
    Valley Springs,CA (Sierra foothills)
    Seeing as this thread is already in exsistance,I`m going to tag on to it with a question.Hope nobody minds that. :p

    I`ve been toying with the idea of getting a cheap frettless one day.It would have to be lined and marked though.
    :(

    Just wondering what some decent cheap makes/models would cost.This would be kind of an expearimental/learning instrument.Currently I am working on playing with my eyes closed and not looking at the frets :cool:

    Well,Icez it sounds like you are under the spell of the mwaahhhh.Good luck to you!

    Usul
     
  5. Sep 18, 2001 #5
    bassdr

    bassdr

    Dec 12, 2000
    Fort Wayne, Indiana
    The Godin is a very sweet fretless. I really wanted one but got the MTD Kingston K5 fretless. Amazing amounts of "mwah" for around $500. Check it out!
     
  6. Sep 18, 2001 #6
    Ívar Þórólfsson

    Ívar Þórólfsson Mmmmmm...

    Apr 9, 2001
    Kopavogur, Iceland
    Haha :)
    Thanks... I don´t think my bass playing life will ever be the same after this. Now I´m on the look for a fretless, lined (faint lines though) bass. 4 or a 5 stringer. The Godin I tried had no lines, but position markers not on the fretboard itself, but on the top (you know what I mean ;) ) that just marked the usual 3-5-7-9-12-etc. At first I found it quite challenging, but this is quite a good eartraining. I immediatly noticed the minor differences between spot-on, and almost spot on :) Quite fun to play with a fretless I must say!

    Long live the mwah!
     
  7. Sep 18, 2001 #7
    Bass Guitar

    Bass Guitar Supporting Member

    Aug 13, 2001
    Get a cheap fretted bass and defret it, and fill the holes with wood filler - you will get a cheap fretless with barely discernible lines that only you can see - looks good, and should sound reasonable.
     
  8. Sep 18, 2001 #8
    tufnuts

    tufnuts Guest

    Sep 14, 2000
    Wichita Kansas - Smell the Whe
    Go ahead and check out a MIM jazz fretless. Suprisingly good. Decent bass as well, easy to upgrade later.

    Good luck. Fretless = Fun
     
  9. Sep 18, 2001 #9
    Brendan

    Brendan

    Jun 18, 2000
    Portland, OR
    Hmn...what is this "Mwah" you speak of? I have yet to play a bass with such "mwah"...is this characteristic exclusive to fretless?

    Oh...I might get me a lined fretless 4 sometime in the future...I liked playing Upright fretless, I think I might dig fretless BG as well...
     
  10. Sep 18, 2001 #10
    Bass Guitar

    Bass Guitar Supporting Member

    Aug 13, 2001
    Yes. A double bass has some mwah but more thump. For "mwah" factor, listen to Mick Karn albums.
     
  11. Sep 18, 2001 #11
    Brendan

    Brendan

    Jun 18, 2000
    Portland, OR
    Hmn...mayhaps the "Mwah" was why I liked playing DB in band...(well, for the last week of school anyway). Makes me think I might need a fretless in the future....

    Or...(sic) get my DP fretless?...no...not yet. Maybe the NEXT DP....(yes, there will be another DP:D)
     
  12. Sep 18, 2001 #12
    elbass

    elbass Guest

    Aug 6, 2001
    San Antonio TX
    I own a pre-Gibson Tobias bass with most excellent mwah. It's a lined fretless, and lots of people have mistaken it for a fretted bass. I've had several people ask me questions like:"How do you get that great fretless sound out of your bass?" I just take it as a compliment on my flawless intonation;) . My most outrageous experience was at a studio session some time ago where the engineer asked me if something was wrong with with my bass-he said he was hearing a strange buzz that he was having a hard time EQing out. I said: "Well, quit doing that-I paid extra for that buzz!"
     
  13. Sep 18, 2001 #13
    CaracasBass

    CaracasBass

    Jun 16, 2001
    Madrid, Spain
    :Obi-Wan Kenobi voice ON:

    ......Luke, remember: the Mwahh will be with you, Always!!!!

    :Obi-Wan Kenobi voice OFF:

    ;)
     
  14. Sep 19, 2001 #14
    Brad Johnson

    Brad Johnson Inactive

    Mar 8, 2000
    Gaithersburg, Md
    DR Strings
    With what you can get for under $500 these days I doubt if that's worthwhile.

    1. You potentially may destroy the bass and end up with next to nothing.

    2. There's a pretty good chance that a bass that was "designed" as a fretless with work much better than your experiment.
     
  15. Sep 19, 2001 #15
    Bass Guitar

    Bass Guitar Supporting Member

    Aug 13, 2001
    I've done it to 3 of my basses, and it's worked well for me. I take it to my luthier - he charges me AU$100 (which is only $50 US), and he does a superb job. Of course, if you don't know what you're doing, you can damage the fretboard.

    Obviously if you have the money, buy a fretless. If not, and have an old bass lying around, spending an extra $50-100 is all you need to get it done professionally. But what Brad says is true too.