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Fretless 5-String Players, Please Check In Here!

Carl Hillman

Carl Hillman

Jan 1, 2010
3,706
9,237
#1
Hi everybody.

I've got an upcoming show that calls for a fretless 5. (Which I don't currently own.)

I'd like to get some input on what kind of bass you are playing now, and what you tried out before you bought.

Due to a limited budget, I don't want to spend more than 3.5K on this bass.

Just surfing around and looking at what's available to order I am somewhat interested in checking out the Pedulla Pentabuzz and an Ibanez Gary Willis.

I would appreciate any input or comments on how you decided on what you play now.

Thanks
 
#2
how about this one?

rosfl.png


My main 5-string is a Rob Allen Deep 5. Mostly for jazz and jazzish stuff. Plus I like the sound/vibe/feel. I have the Roscoe as a more modern approach but it is going up for sale. I'm doing a lot of 4-string at the moment and my RA will cover what I need until my Skjold is done late this year.

Previous 5 fretless was a Zon Sonus LIghtwave (currently owned by another TB'er). Great bass - very neutral. Just depends on what kind of music you're going for and what tone(s) you want.
 
#3
I play mostly fretless, and only 5er's.
There is no simple answer here, but I feel certain you know that. My main fretless is a G&L L2500 with ebony board and TI Jazz Flats. I also have a Lakland 55-02 with round wounds on it. Completely different beasts. I also have a Epiphone El Capitan with Labella Nylons on it.

My question back would be, what setting is this gig that 'requires' a fretless? I have heard of this requiremnet before, and try to keep from snickering.

I play fretless because I like the smooth feel and tone. It sets well in our acoustic Gospel group. At church where we play pop-rock comtemporary - I mainly play fretted, occasionally switching to the round wound fretless.

I honestly doubt if anyone listening (even other musicians) notices I play fretless, or even when I switch back and forth. I have even had musicians at church ask me why I use two basses.
 
#4
I've got an Ibanez SR405 that someone defretted, I like it a lot. I originally bought a Brice HXB-406 six string fretless to try out both six strings and fretless, found out that the sixth string wasn't worth the wider neck but I did like fretless. Found the Ibanez on MGR for a song not too long after that.

If I had your budget I'd look at a Dingwall Afterburner; best B string I've ever heard, my Combustion got me back into playing fretted again. I'm saving my pennies to have it defretted by a pro.
 
#6
"...what setting is this gig that 'requires' a fretless?"

It is the broadway show "Billy Elliot".

The bass book is written for 5 string fretted and fretless.

Often shows that "require" a 5 string are the result of a lazy or clueless arranger, and could just as easily be played on a 4 string bass without negatively affecting the music.

In this case, it is simply a matter of my meeting the contractor's specifications so I will be hired for the gig.
 
#7
Bozendoka said:
If I had your budget I'd look at a Dingwall Afterburner; best B string I've ever heard...
Click to expand...

They certainly look nice, but I don't know if I could play in tune on one. I'll be reading music and I won't be able to visually look at the fret markers. I have a feeling that it would take a while to get used to the individual scale length strings and fanned "frets".

Also, how easy is it to find strings for a Dingwall?
 
#8
Rick Turner's fretless Renaissance Basses are definitely worth checking out. It is an unusual look, but it sounds great and is really light. I don't know if you could find one to try out before you buy, but I've seen them regularly sell here and on ebay for way less than 2k. Carvin basses are outstanding for the money. You can pretty much design whatever bass you want and it will cost you way under 2k. Listen to Bunny Brunel's tone or any of the other fretless clips on youtube. I've played a carvin fretted 5 as my main bass for 8 years now, and it has been a total work horse and I can get pretty much whatever sound I want out of it. I think both of these are bang for your buck options. Hope it helps.
 
#9
Carl Hillman said:
Hi everybody.

I've got an upcoming show that calls for a fretless 5. (Which I don't currently own.)

I'd like to get some input on what kind of bass you are playing now, and what you tried out before you bought.

Due to a limited budget, I don't want to spend more than 3.5K on this bass.

Just surfing around and looking at what's available to order I am somewhat interested in checking out the Pedulla Pentabuzz and an Ibanez Gary Willis.

I would appreciate any input or comments on how you decided on what you play now.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I'll throw my hat in for the Carvin Bunny. I actually don't have the 5, but I have the 4 and 6, both fretless, so I figure I can probably speak for the 5 fairly well.

I went with Carvin, and specifically the Bunny Brunel, because:
- Carvin offers fretless as a no-cost option (lined and unlined, but unlined is a personal requirement)
- The BB has good balance as a primary feature.
- has my desired pickup arrangement (large humbucker at the bridge) for no extra cost.
- suitable quality and tone for $1100-$1300 for the basic model with a couple options like the 5 piece neck, etc.

The 5 string also has an asymmetrical neck profile (my tobias 6 had this and it's really addicting) which should make its playability even better.

The only drawback is you'd have to order it and it'd take a couple months to get it. So it might not get to you before the gig.

That'd be my suggestion. The Carvin has a very smooth, velvety tone which is unobtrusive and sits in mixes very well. It'd be my main choice for any kind of ensemble playing where you don't want to stick out like a sore thumb.

LS
 
#10
I have played a Modulus Genesis fretless 5 for years. It has the most amazing sounds and can sound more "fretted" based on how you play it.

Some others I've owned that I would recommend are:

ZON- tons of Mwah lightning fast
Pedulla Penta Buzz- good Mwah and nice player
Modulus Q5- amazing overall, prefer the ones with Bartolini electronics
Status Empathy 5- great player, lots of mwah, super punchy bridge pickup

Depends on how much mwah you want I guess. Coated boards tend to have more and so do Phenolic boards in my experience. I've kept the Genesis so long because it can have that big swelling mwah but can also sound more fretted depending on how I play. It is also the most traditional looking and sounding. Think modern Jbass update with way more sustain, clarity, and punch.

with your budget you can get pretty much anything out there. If you find yourself looking for a 6... drop me a PM :)
 
#11
rereading your first post, I'd say that I'd rank the PentaBuzz 5th behind the graphite neck basses I mentioned. I would rank it last based on sound, playability, and durability. Plus you'd have the stability of carbon fiber and virtually maintenance free care that carbon fiber graphite offers.
 
#14
Incredible difference in tone from one fretless to another!

There are so many great fretless basses out there. You should know what you need for playability, and what your tonal goals are.

Also, I would recommend against having a bass defretted. In my experience they are a different animal than ones designed and built as fretless basses from the get go.

Make sure you have a preamp that will allow you some midrange adjustments as well. Fretless lives in the mid and low mid range.
 
#15
theres so much variety with fretless basses, I guess it depends on what kind of fretless tone and visual look works best for you. After owning a few different fretlii (acacia custom, fender jazz, Zon sonus special, roscoe century sig), I picked up an F bass Alain Caron 5, for about the price you mentioned, and couldnt be happier with it. For your budget, you probably need to play a bunch of stuff and see what speaks to you, since "better/worse" is purely subjective at that level.

The sweetest fretless's I've played have been made by Zon, F bass, Roscoe, Rob Allen, and Skjold. for your budget, you could have the pick of the litter if you're willing to go used.
 
#16
J.Wolf said:
For your budget, you probably need to play a bunch of stuff and see what speaks to you, since "better/worse" is purely subjective at that level.
Click to expand...

Mr. Wolf is correct, you must check out some axes, especially if you are considering spending that kind of money.

May I suggest listening a bunch of fretless players and see whose sound you are digging. Alain Caron, Jimmy Hasslip, Jaco etc... You can start by checking out the axes of the players whose sound you love. Find a merchant that will send you an axe for evaluation with a no-restock fee return policy for an evaluation.

In the end we (TBers) all have our favorite basses, builders, models, pickups ...but that will mean little to you, you have to decide what works for your style and approach.
 
#17
Add me to the list of Rob Allen fanatics.

In solid-body realm, Im quite enamored with Scotland's ACG Skelf. Very responsive, flexible and consistent. The filter-based tone controls are a unique touch; amazing range of usable tone.

Mine has no mag pickups but that's just due to my peculiarities.

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#18
I play a fretless Warwick Fortress 5 string that I picked up off these forums for less than £500, the wenge neck and fingerboard gives a nice warm tone, its a very bassy bass but you can still dial in the Warwick growl. The other consideration to your fretless tone is strings, mine came strung with half wounds and I've ended up sticking normal roundwounds on as it livens it up a little but its all personal preference.
 

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