Brighter Tone with Fretless Bass

[MIMike]

I pulled the frets out of my 83 AVRI Jazz back in 1989 and have not done anything to the fingerboard other than an occasional (read, rare) oiling. It shows very minimal wear. I tried flats at first; hated the tone. Tried ground wound next; bad tone and horrible feel. Switched to XL nickel rounds almost twenty five years ago and have loved the tone ever since.
Just get the bass you want, put on the strings you want and play away!

 

[bassstrangler]

Get yourself a Vintage modified jazz or precision by Squier. Both are fretless and come strung with rounds on an ebanol fretboard. A decent starter fretless for $300 new.

 

[jmlee]

I have TI Jazz *Rounds*'on my Ibanez Musician fretless that are fabulous. Very fine wrap that's inherently much less damaging to ebony (were that even a substantial issue). But the best thing is the tremendous articulation and punch, with satisfying mwah on that bass. They're rather expensive but they're the cat's butt for fretless.

 

[jimmybc91]

Consider using Elixer nano or even polyweb as the coating on the roundwounds make for a less harsh on your fingerboard and fingers. But I know.. Elixer strings are usually ones you love or hate. I use them almost exclusively even when I owned a MIM Fender Jazz Fretless.. sounded good to my ears. Tone wise like any other fretted bass, just fretless. Personally I like that they maintain the "fresh strings" sound for quite a while.
Let me know if you'd like to hear a clip.. I can see if I can somehow post one up for you.

 

[lfmn16]

I heard that that can damage the wood of the fretboard over time. I'd prefer not to do that if at all possible.

That's what luthiers are for.

 

[TMARK]

To the OP: listen to Tony Franklin's tone. P/J pickups with an un coated ebony board, DR Sunbeams (nickel rounds).

 

[GMC]

It really depends how hard you play and how much. Fingerboards are replaceable items and if you want to use normal round wound strings, you are going to wear the board out faster. You'll see string grinding marks on the board and these will get deeper and deeper until the bass needs the fingerboard replacing. Ebony is harder and more resistant, rosewood is softer and wears quicker. But even with flat wound strings, there will still be wear but it will be a lot less and the board will last longer.
I like flats on a fretless, but coming from a zingy fretted bass, the strings and tone can feel very dull and lifeless. It becomes a different instrument and I would suggest looking up a few fretless players and learning a few set pieces to help you "hear" the tone and play to it's strengths. These days I play a fretless a lot and I just love the way flat wounds sit in a busy mix. Some players like Pino Palladino play so much, they would order very thick fingerboards and get them sanded every year. Even then, he would need a new fingerboard every 8 years or so!

 

[cnltb]

I'm thinking of getting a fretless bass, but I'm a fan of brighter tones. I know flats are generally used, unless you lacquer the fretboard. Are there any flats that have a brighter tone? If not, how hard is it to lacquer a fretboard to put rounds on a fretless? Is there any risk to the bass itself?

I'd just turn up the volume a bit and turn down the bass on your eq.

 

[Matthijs]

I play exclusively fretless and it needs to be able to sound like a fretted instrument part of the time. I use nickelrounds (boomers) on a ebony board with the same bass during at least 15 years, and it has seen heavy use. Except for some yearly maintenance it has kept up O.K.

If you like a bright sound with fretless and want to keep some extra zing if nescessary IMHO you need roundwounds or a really bright alternative. For me most half rounds and pressure wounds are not enough, although i have a second bass with TI's for a more old school sound, but that one has realy bright pickups and electronics. In any case the electronics also should not take away to much top end. I use high impedance circuitry (500k pots and not to many of them).

 

[Dan Bass]

I'm thinking of getting a fretless bass, but I'm a fan of brighter tones. I know flats are generally used, unless you lacquer the fretboard. Are there any flats that have a brighter tone? If not, how hard is it to lacquer a fretboard to put rounds on a fretless? Is there any risk to the bass itself?

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden uses his custom stainless steel flat wounds, the Swing Bass Roto Sound Signature Steve Harris Flat Wounds. They are really bright sounding like round wounds, but remember he plays a Fender P-Bass with low action because he has string gauges 50.75.95.110. And he tunes his Bass standard E A D G. So the strings would be tight, but with his really low action it would be easy to play.

 

[Robert Strickland]

Coated fingerboard will most definitely affect sound...brighter, more "mwah" like sustain. Read the history of how Jaco developed his sound. Ebony will also have more of that than rosewood or maple.

I use Ernie Ball super slinky flats. Very bright sound, but a bit warmer than rounds (which, IMO, you want in a fretless), and much better (IMO) feel than rounds for a fretless.

Yes, I think rounds on a rosewood fingerboard will cause excessive wear if you play a lot.

 

[moldyboy]

No matter what kind of strings you use, you will eventually experience fingerboard wear. Flatwounds will still wear the fretboard, so I say don't worry about it. My current fretless is a David Minnieweather 6 string with a rosewood neck, and I use Fodera nickel roundwounds without a problem. It is all about the tone you are going for, and if you want bright, then you need roundwounds.

 

[thewildest]

I looked through the list and did not see any suggestions regarding what I first thought when I so the OP's question.

I have a BNF6 (F Bass fretless) and I had piezos installed on it after playing with it for a while. The possibility to mix the signal from the piezos into the mix really gives an incredible sound. If you ever go that way, the best would be to have your pickups and the piezos with independent equalization capabilities. If you get a highly mid/bass sound from your pickups and a treble sound from your piezos you can generate a great and full sound.

My suggestion then, if you can afford it, is to get a bass with piezos on it.

 

[The Nameless]

Sometimes? This debate over rounds or flats on a fretless is a little off putting. Your technique determines fret board wear and the string choice, be it round or flat or in between, has a lot more to do with feel than sound. I been playin fretless instruments since I first picked up a Cello in grade school. All fingerboards wear, no matter the string choice. I use rounds, all my life, because I never heard a fretless player that influenced me that didn't use rounds, except maybe Bill Wyman. Boz Burrell, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Franklin, Gary Willis, Roger Waters, Marco Mendoza, Richard Bona, Michael Manring. All these guys used rounds. So I do. The marks on the board provide a bit of air under the string, the string wants to vibrate freely, and it will create room. After the initial marks appear when playin a new, or reconditioned, board? They don't necessarily grow. Proper vibrato technique, raising your action, can help to make an uncoated board last longer. But? I play HEAVY music, I play wit reckless abandon. I play 250 dates a year. And I haven't had to recondition any of my fretless basses yet. Coated or uncoated. Rosewood or ebony or purple heart. I slap. I dig. I kill my basses. For a brighter, more defined sound? It has to be rounds. It was suggested to the OP to look to the tones and players whose sound you admire, and do what they do. There are a million hacks surroundin us, tryin to tell us bs over this and several subjects, without the raw experience to actually make a determination. Look to guys you admire, the guys that motivated you to like fretless to begin with, and do what they do. Here at Talkbass, resale value is held in higher esteem than tone, in many cases. Science tellin me what my ears should hear. My heroes would never accept that. So I don't.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

I heard that that can damage the wood of the fretboard over time. I'd prefer not to do that if at all possible.

It will, but it take a long time to even notice. A good luthier can smooth the fretboard when that time comes. I have a 5 string acoustic fretless I've had for about 5 years. It was used when I bought it, so I don't know the vintage. I use the bronze rounds on it and it is beginning to show a little wear but it isn't affecting the playing or the sound. Granted I don't play it that much, maybe once a week for an hour or less.
As to flats, some are brighter than others. I think I saw a thread here about the relative brightness of flats recently. You might try searching for it.

 

[gadgetgirl]

Try a .033uf tone capacitor + TI flats.

 

[VinnyIuspa]

Steve Harris of Iron Maiden uses his custom stainless steel flat wounds, the Swing Bass Roto Sound Signature Steve Harris Flat Wounds. They are really bright sounding like round wounds, but remember he plays a Fender P-Bass with low action because he has string gauges 50.75.95.110. And he tunes his Bass standard E A D G. So the strings would be tight, but with his really low action it would be easy to play.

His custom strings are Monel not steel

 

[Tom Howland]

My main fretless. TI-Flats, Epoxied fingerboard ( HG Thor Labs ) .
The epoxy job made the bass, more defined, and quicker. Notes jump of fingerboard.
It tighten up everything.

 

[Dan Bass]

His custom strings are Monel not steel

Wow, I just read about monel strings, there way stronger than just nickel and resist corrosion. They don't last that long and go dull and dead just like Swing Bass Roto Sound round wounds. But if your Steve Harris you can put a brand new pair on your Bass guitar after every ten songs or so. Man, that must be nice getting a brand new set of Bass strings on your Bass every day. And not having to pay for them, sponsored. They are nice and bright sounding at first, though. I am not a fan of flat wounds. I love my stainless steel round wounds. The best IMO.

 

[TMARK]

Sometimes? This debate over rounds or flats on a fretless is a little off putting. Your technique determines fret board wear and the string choice, be it round or flat or in between, has a lot more to do with feel than sound. I been playin fretless instruments since I first picked up a Cello in grade school. All fingerboards wear, no matter the string choice. I use rounds, all my life, because I never heard a fretless player that influenced me that didn't use rounds, except maybe Bill Wyman. Boz Burrell, Jaco Pastorius, Tony Franklin, Gary Willis, Roger Waters, Marco Mendoza, Richard Bona, Michael Manring. All these guys used rounds. So I do. The marks on the board provide a bit of air under the string, the string wants to vibrate freely, and it will create room. After the initial marks appear when playin a new, or reconditioned, board? They don't necessarily grow. Proper vibrato technique, raising your action, can help to make an uncoated board last longer. But? I play HEAVY music, I play wit reckless abandon. I play 250 dates a year. And I haven't had to recondition any of my fretless basses yet. Coated or uncoated. Rosewood or ebony or purple heart. I slap. I dig. I kill my basses. For a brighter, more defined sound? It has to be rounds. It was suggested to the OP to look to the tones and players whose sound you admire, and do what they do. There are a million hacks surroundin us, tryin to tell us bs over this and several subjects, without the raw experience to actually make a determination. Look to guys you admire, the guys that motivated you to like fretless to begin with, and do what they do. Here at Talkbass, resale value is held in higher esteem than tone, in many cases. Science tellin me what my ears should hear. My heroes would never accept that. So I don't.

Real Talk.