Fretless bass? 4 or 5- and which one?

[SunByrne]

First, yes, of course get a fretless. I got one about two years ago and it's great fun. I'm still not great at it, but it's great fun nonetheless. Beware, though, because it's enough fun that I had one of my other basses de-fretted a few months ago.

I'd recommend a jazz bass, since that's kind of the "standard" fretless sound. If you like flats, go with those, but if you like rounds, I'd recommend pressurewounds on the fretless. And like everyone else says, if you're most comfortable on a 5, by all means get a 5.

 

[Sponson Thrisby]

FWIW:
I currently only play 4-string fretted. But I want to have a fretless as well. So I'm currently waiting on a quote for a Sire P7 or P8 fretless 5 (can't order direct here, apparently).
I figure I may as well cover as much territory as I can with it.

 

[fretlessguy]

I have a carvin Bolt 5 fretless that I purchased in 95. I pulled it out after a five year nap. It's sound was magical. I play it at church mainly, where the rhythm section has told me to leave the the rest of my basses home. lt is currently sporting GHS tapewounds

 

[Chris Chong]

Definitely fretless.

Definitely 5 strings.

I recommend G&L.

 

[MarkM13]

Sounds like you've settled on a 5; good call. I too play exclusively 5 and my four only once in a great while. While I love Yamaha basses, the TRBX series is one to skip; very Blah pups/electronics. My fretless is a Sandberg California VM2 that is just killer. While I'm not familiar with the Sanberg you have cited, I'd be will to say if it's a made in Germany model it will be hard to go wrong with. Good luck. BTW what started out as a "just for fun endeavor" with a MIM Fretless Jazz, has now become the only bass format I gig on (except it's the Sandber 5).

 

[FunkHead]

Or....This.

ESP Custom Shop Carve-top Fretless Bass 5-string | Reverb

 

[vindibona1]

Since you already have 5's in majority, get a 5.

But eventually, you should at least experience the Zen of a passive fretless Fender 4-string Jazz with 2 no-noise single coils.

This is coming from someone who has a Pedulla Buzz since for more than 30 years and my first bass converted to extended fretless with Barts, active pre-amp and piezos.

I did add a D string de-tuner to this bass, if I need an Eb-E vibrato and other things.

View attachment 5350460

I think you just gave me a thought... "I have a very nice Squier 4 string jazz bass with Aguilar noiseless pickups and a Gotoh heavy bridge with a Hipshot drop D tuner that I have on loan to a friend that I can get back from him in the spring. I'm wondering if all I need to get started is to get a 4 string neck rather than an entire bass?"...

BUT THEN... I saw this locally about 20 minutes away... and look what the cat dragged in!!!! NBD!!!! Used in near mint condition. Under $1000. I had sold my BTB675m this week and a 1981 Epiphone MIJ acoustic so more than funded.

 

[Bob_Ross]

It will probably be my first and last fretless.

LOL. You say that now...

Only advice I will offer (which I am almost certain someone has already suggested in these 3 pages, but I haven't read all the responses yet) is, get a bass that is nice enough and versatile enough so that if it really is the last fretless bass you ever own, you don't find yourself hating it. Or worse, losing interest in playing fretless. Get an instrument that's nice enough that it inspires you to keep playing, and that you don't feel imposes any limitations on what you can do with it.

[edit: Just saw that you sprang for a 5-string Carvin BB. Everything that I know about those instruments suggests that you made an excellent choice; if that BB is the last fretless you'll ever own, you'll probably never find yourself wanting.]

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I vote 5 . This one would be at the top of my list . ( no affiliation)

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/ernie-ball-sr5-stingray-fretless-w-hsc.1639007/#post-28203146

The Sadowsky @Dr. Cheese has would be a great new option. It’s one of the import models .