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Best strings for fretless + fuzz
- Thread starter DaBigBadaBoom
- Start date
All depends on what you're trying to do. I used TI Jazz Flats on my fretless basses for a long time, but have recently switched to Dunlop Flats because they have a bit higher tension. I'm a nut about keeping the fingerboards pristine though and don't think I'd use anything but flats on them, but that's partly due to personal neurosis. Also note that I'm using pretty low gain fuzz for mainly two purposes - to add on top of an octaver, or to juice an envelope filter with harmonic content. Things may be different if I were using a Big Muff in a rock setting, for example. As far as advice, I'd recommend flats to start with, simply to be easy on the boards. Can always change if you find something lacking.
I started playing Fretless seriously a few years ago. I got a maple bodied ebanol board Hohner professional as a gift.
It came with flats and I hated them, switching to DR Sunbeams nickel rounds. Worlds better for me.
The flats went on my Jack Cassady and does perfect vintage P thump thing there.
The board will outlive me and I’m no light player!
It came with flats and I hated them, switching to DR Sunbeams nickel rounds. Worlds better for me.
The flats went on my Jack Cassady and does perfect vintage P thump thing there.
The board will outlive me and I’m no light player!
Thanks for all this!
I'm using it in an electronic-y/alternative rock-y setting.
I tend to slide a lot on my playing and have wanted to push that as far as possible... Essentially.
I tend to use fuzz in parallel most of the time, though sometimes I'm happy to lose the lowend because I'm playing along to a sub bass. So low end isn't the point in that situation.
Both basses are shipping with new flats, not sure the make, etc. So I'll start there and adapt as need be!
This is intriguing!
I genuinely have no idea how sensitive these necks will be. You dooooo seen torn up p bass necks and stingray necks. Not sure how those people managed that!
I suspect it’s those REALLY heavy handed players, the ones that bend every note 1/4 tone sharp with their fretting hand. Plus time. Lots of time.
I tore up my main bass’ frets and board when I was rehearsing 3x a week and gigging all over. It did take a decade or so.
Think about it like this; (or not!). Many hundreds of playing hours from now, regardless which strings you use, you will need the neck lightly dressed by someone with some skill. Not a huge price for using strings you like!
I tore up my main bass’ frets and board when I was rehearsing 3x a week and gigging all over. It did take a decade or so.
Think about it like this; (or not!). Many hundreds of playing hours from now, regardless which strings you use, you will need the neck lightly dressed by someone with some skill. Not a huge price for using strings you like!
The P arrived today. My god it's a beast! One of the nicest necks I've ever felt on a P. And it's light! Total score.
One owner from new, who just wanted it to end up with someone that would play it. So I got an amazing deal - there's a fretless neck, just the neck, on Reverb from the same era, which is over 2/3rds the price of what I paid for the entire bass, etc.
8/10 cosmetically
10/10 feel and sound
The music man is gonling to have to really be amazing to beat this! Maybe I DO need two fretless basses after all.
One owner from new, who just wanted it to end up with someone that would play it. So I got an amazing deal - there's a fretless neck, just the neck, on Reverb from the same era, which is over 2/3rds the price of what I paid for the entire bass, etc.
8/10 cosmetically
10/10 feel and sound
The music man is gonling to have to really be amazing to beat this! Maybe I DO need two fretless basses after all.
Does a neck dressing actually clean up the board? Can it be just refinished like a piece of furniture?
I've worn down frets a few times, and in fact currently have two guitars that need refretting, but never owned a fretless long enough to consider the long term neck maintenance!
It has old dead rounds on it at the moment. I'm 50/50 on them. Have some tapes and flats incoming to compare them with! Thanks for your suggestion and reply!
When I purchased my 1982 Pedulla Buzz, it had the first owner's choice on it of stainless roundwounds, and there were some scratches turning into little grooves down in the first four or five positions underneath the E and A strings.
I had the neck refinished sometime around 1992.
I played D'Addario XL nickel rounds on it from then until about two years ago. It has some minor scratches in the finish under the strings, but no damage worthy of concern. I switched it to LaBella Gold White Tapes about two years ago when I decided that I wanted even more MWAH out of it, and boy do those strings deliver.
I have the Labellas on my fretless Sire V7 as well, they are a little bit noodly though, so I might give the XL rounds another go.
I had the neck refinished sometime around 1992.
I played D'Addario XL nickel rounds on it from then until about two years ago. It has some minor scratches in the finish under the strings, but no damage worthy of concern. I switched it to LaBella Gold White Tapes about two years ago when I decided that I wanted even more MWAH out of it, and boy do those strings deliver.
I have the Labellas on my fretless Sire V7 as well, they are a little bit noodly though, so I might give the XL rounds another go.
My favorite strings on fretless are broken in Dean Markley Blue Steel or Labella Rx stainless. They seem to have a nice fat tone that you can do anything with. Punchy but full yet can get articulate and shimmering when you turn up the tone or treble knob.
