Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Best Amp to Accentuate Fretless?
- Thread starter EliasR
- Start date
I use the same amps for fretted and fretless. Any good amp/cab combo should be able to do that. If I were buying a new rig, $599 would go towards a Markbass Little Mark II head and I'm sure for $400 I could find a nice used cab. Or buy the Markbass used.
Keep your eyes on the classified here, bassgear.com. ebay, craigslist, etc. I just found a great deal (here on TB) on a tiny Tech Soundsystems 212 cab and it sounds great with my fretlesses being driven by the Little Mark II.
Keep your eyes on the classified here, bassgear.com. ebay, craigslist, etc. I just found a great deal (here on TB) on a tiny Tech Soundsystems 212 cab and it sounds great with my fretlesses being driven by the Little Mark II.
Rick Auricchio
Registered Bass Offender
I use either the Eden 550 or WTX260, with Eden cabs, for both fretted and fretless.
You can tweak the "mwah" by adjusting the truss rod and action height. Too low and not much mwah. Too high and not much.
You can tweak the "mwah" by adjusting the truss rod and action height. Too low and not much mwah. Too high and not much.
What cab are you going to be playing through? Or do you mean that you need both a cab and a head unit for around $1K? If you don't need horribly loud volume, I REALLY dig EA's cxl-112s for fretless work. That cab is the most articulate cab out there IHMO. You can pick them up used for $350 to $400 last I checked. That cab with any good clean head will kick massive booty.
I ran a fretless J through a thunderfunk, ampeg 410 hlf combination a couple years ago that sounded phenomenal. The ampeg cab was kinda a one trick pony from what I could tell, but that trick suited my fretless J. I recall the words "chewy mids" popping into my head at that gig. My fretted 'wick didn't fare as well with that combination. If you need a cab for higher volume stuff and don't mind the cartage and lack of versatility, might want to check a used 410 hlf out. I mean, I can still remember that sound two years and around 300 gigs later.
Head wise, I personally would avoid anything overly "tubey" for fretless. That tubey tone seems to mask the natural mwah/growl from a fretless with a different tubey growl. Nothing wrong with tubey growl, I just dig the tone of the bass more than the tone of a tube. Ex: While I personally like the mesaboogie walkabout head for a tubey sound, I think it sounds like poop for fretless work. There are some used thunderfunks popping up in the classifieds now that the 750 thunderfunk is out. I am pretty much done head shopping since getting mine. The tight lows and mid punch of that head makes it my personal ideal head for fretless. A LMII would probably work as well, but the greater treble "sparkle" response of the LMII would be a detriment on fretless IMHO. Then again the LMII is no longer the flavor of the week since the shuttle seems to have taken over the hype throne. You might snag a super cheap markbass head.
All, my opinion obviously.
I ran a fretless J through a thunderfunk, ampeg 410 hlf combination a couple years ago that sounded phenomenal. The ampeg cab was kinda a one trick pony from what I could tell, but that trick suited my fretless J. I recall the words "chewy mids" popping into my head at that gig. My fretted 'wick didn't fare as well with that combination. If you need a cab for higher volume stuff and don't mind the cartage and lack of versatility, might want to check a used 410 hlf out. I mean, I can still remember that sound two years and around 300 gigs later.
Head wise, I personally would avoid anything overly "tubey" for fretless. That tubey tone seems to mask the natural mwah/growl from a fretless with a different tubey growl. Nothing wrong with tubey growl, I just dig the tone of the bass more than the tone of a tube. Ex: While I personally like the mesaboogie walkabout head for a tubey sound, I think it sounds like poop for fretless work. There are some used thunderfunks popping up in the classifieds now that the 750 thunderfunk is out. I am pretty much done head shopping since getting mine. The tight lows and mid punch of that head makes it my personal ideal head for fretless. A LMII would probably work as well, but the greater treble "sparkle" response of the LMII would be a detriment on fretless IMHO. Then again the LMII is no longer the flavor of the week since the shuttle seems to have taken over the hype throne. You might snag a super cheap markbass head.
All, my opinion obviously.
Have you tried a fretless with an LMII? Just curious. My LMII doesn't have any more (or less) "sparkle" than my Thunderfunk.
Yes I have, but to be completely fair it wasn't with my personal fretless nor was it with my own cabs. I suppose I should qualify that.
- Jun 25, 2007
- 4,531
- 135
- 63
- Disclosures
- Artist:TC Electronic RH450 bass system (original test-pilot)
I have always liked the thoatiness of a 15 inch speaker for fretless (no tweeters).
And a solid-state head...Make sure you try several combinations to find what you like.
And a solid-state head...Make sure you try several combinations to find what you like.
Thanks, I was just wondering. I've been playing both of my Brubaker fretlesses recently through an LMII into Schroeder 1210L, Tech Soundsystems CT-212 cabs and my Nahas 1-12/1-15 stack and while I can dial in more than the normal high end of the bass, set flat it's very full and even sounding.
I had a friend tell me a couple of days ago that LMII's sounded "transistory" based on a brief audition at GC, then found out he didn't know how the tone controls worked.
I've only used basically three amps over the last twenty years and they all have a similar tonal footprint. AMP BH-420, Thunderfunk TFB420 and the LMII. IMO of course.
Everybody has different taste on this but my fave is my mesa walkabout 12" combo.
Fretless is the only thing I really like the combo for, but I use the head for everything (it comes out). It has a nice tube growl that helps the fretless stand out and the radiator cab seems to add to that.
I did not like my SWR at all for fretless, too clean.
Fretless is the only thing I really like the combo for, but I use the head for everything (it comes out). It has a nice tube growl that helps the fretless stand out and the radiator cab seems to add to that.
I did not like my SWR at all for fretless, too clean.
Have you tried a Black Beauty or Basic Black? Even the Workingman 12 can sound very good with fretless IME.
Also I have an Ampeg B100-R and it sounds great with fretless but it might not be optimal in an overly loud situation
Also I have an Ampeg B100-R and it sounds great with fretless but it might not be optimal in an overly loud situation
I've always loved the Eden sound for fretless especially the XLT cabs. Tons of lows & punchy low mids for that nice MMMWWWAAAHHH action. I recently purchased a shuttle that I'm loving on fretted. I have not yet had a chance to properly rev it up with the fretless but I can hear the possibilities.
Big +1 on the SWR basic black combo. Too bad that combo doesn't belt out more volume. I use it for low volume rehearsals, but that's really just about the only thing I can use it for. That thing sounds great for being an old beat up combo. Despite SWR's reputation for being mid-scoopy, that combo has a 15" speaker in what I suspect is a slightly too small box. Result is a slightly mid-forward cab. If that mid-forwardness bugs you, you dial in a little enhance and bingo. Problem solved. Even with an extension cab though, not enough juice to get the job done for me.
