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Fretless Bass! Which type is the best? [POLL]

Which style of pickup configuration is ideal for the best fretless tone?

  • Jazz

  • Precision

  • P/J

  • Stingray (MM)

  • Other... (describe)

Results are only viewable after voting.
#21
electracoyote said:
Jazz

I bought an SX Precision fretless on the cheap as my first fretless just to see if I could get my head around it and make it a useful tool in my arsenal. Turns out I got the hang of it fairly quickly, but I wasn't thrilled with the split P pickup. It wasn't quite the fretless tone I had in my head from my favorite recordings.

Found a nice Fender MIM Jazz fretless at a good deal. The Precision was promptly sold.

I also play lined fretless because I just don't spend enough time with it to develop the accuracy and intonation required for an unlined.

Recently used the Jazz for a Bad Company tribute, ultra faithful 100% accuracy required. This bass delivered.
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Best story! Thanks! You and I share a lot in common!
Sartori said:
Rickenbacker.
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Holy cow, really?? I can't say I've ever heard one but they seem like they would sound pretty unusual. But killer.
 
#22
Ive literally never seen or heard a Ric fretless "in the wild", they are rare birds!
One of the best fretless I've played recently, I'm shocked to say, is the Squier VM Fretless Jazz with ebanol lined fretboard. It's an absurdly good bass for the price. Tinkerers might want to upgrade the pups or electronics, but it's pretty convincing mwah right out of the box.
 
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#23
Gilmourisgod said:
Ive literally never seen or heard a Ric fretless "in the wild", they are rare birds!
One of the best fretless I've played recently, I'm shocked to say, is the Squier VM Fretless Jazz with ebanol lined fretboard. It's an absurdly good bass for the price. Tinkerers might want to upgrade the pups or electronics, but it's pretty convincing mwah right out of the box.
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My buddy's dad who died a while back had an old 70s fretless ric that my buddy inherited. Only issue was is neck had been broken off! :bawl:
 
#25
Ballin'bass said:
Ok, guys, I'm trying to establish a general consensus of what the popular opinions are on TB, concerning fretless basses.

Which pickup configuration is the best for capturing the sound of a fretless bass, in your opinion? This isn't about particular brands, necessarily, nor is it about which fretless is most easy or comfortable to play. It's not about necks or tone woods. This thread is just about pickup types/placements and how they sound with a fretless.

Share your personal preferences with us and say a little bit about why you feel that configuration is best. What kind of touch/technique/playing style do you employ that led you to your preference? Do you like it because of its versatility? It's simplicity? It's singularity or uniqueness? It's ability to cut through mixes? Really anything you care to go into.

Another good thing to mention might be how you like your fretless bass to be set up, as the action/string height drastically effects the sound of the instrument and thus, what the pickups capture.

And yes, there is a poll. :thumbsup:

Let's have it!
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I'm over fretless jazz basses. I really lust for a fretless P bass (or G&L equivalent). I'm trying for as close of a double bass tone as possible, and with tone off and no frets... I feel I can get close. :)
 
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#26
Invalid poll.

Didn't include the active carrotbucker option.

09-Carrot-Steven-Rodrig-Upcycle-PCB-Sculptures-from-used-Electronics-www-designstack-co.jpg
 
Last edited:
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#28
My main fretless is a P/J with positions per diagram below, with an overlay of my Ray pickup position. I use a variety of combinations of pickups and tone caps depending on the song, but with 3 'starter-for-10' settings;

1: Solo P, 0.069uF cap backed off 50% : Nice woody thump
2: Solo J, 0.022uF cap backed off to 0 : mid-range honk
3: J (10/10) and P (9/10), 0.047uG cap backed off to 75% : a bit of mid-scoop with a some growl - nice for longer notes and 'falling back' in the mix, say during a piano solo.





Pickup Positions.JPG
 
#29
Not meaning this as an insult but more in a constructive criticism kind of way.

Fretted or fretless I'd be looking at that decision 80% neck 20% all other possible factors. Do you prefer a J or P neck? Which of the many profiles? Jaco's fretless J was defretted, do you want that or a neck built fretless by design? What wood for the neck and board? What strings? rounds are going to dig into your fingerboard but might be worth the tradeoff for the sound you want. What scale length are you used to and do you think that would also be the best to go for fretless?

Let's say you answer these questions and come up with a P neck. Well you can put that on any J or P body, J or P or PJ pups, electronics can be configured however you want. I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle honestly.

But most of the time the answer you're going to get is fretless == Jaco. That's the general consensus of the popular opinions of TB.
 
#32
I've been interested in doing a fretless conversion on my Epiphone Thunderbird, but as of yet I own no fretless basses. I'm hoping to get a more beefy jazz bass sound, but i'll see how that goes
 
#38
Ballin'bass said:
Holy cow, really?? I can't say I've ever heard one but they seem like they would sound pretty unusual. But killer.
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I've got an '80 4001F. It's a strange beast; not for every application, IMO, but a lot of fun to play. The bridge p'up is super punchy like most Rics, but the neck p'up is really woody and sounds almost like an upright. Blending the two is kinda weird. I like it, but it's not my go-to fretless by any means.
 
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#39
Gilmourisgod said:
Ouch! Busted neck through is a killer. Did he ever repair it? They are rare enough it might be worth it.
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I think he did get to get it fixed but it wasn't that good a job and it played like crap after that. Mile high action, etc. :( too bad...
cheechi said:
Not meaning this as an insult but more in a constructive criticism kind of way.

Fretted or fretless I'd be looking at that decision 80% neck 20% all other possible factors. Do you prefer a J or P neck? Which of the many profiles? Jaco's fretless J was defretted, do you want that or a neck built fretless by design? What wood for the neck and board? What strings? rounds are going to dig into your fingerboard but might be worth the tradeoff for the sound you want. What scale length are you used to and do you think that would also be the best to go for fretless?

Let's say you answer these questions and come up with a P neck. Well you can put that on any J or P body, J or P or PJ pups, electronics can be configured however you want. I think you're looking at this from the wrong angle honestly.

But most of the time the answer you're going to get is fretless == Jaco. That's the general consensus of the popular opinions of TB.
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You're missing the whole point of the thread. Reread the op. I'm asking about pickup configuration specifically because I'm inquiring about people's preferred SOUND, Not playability. And apart from the player them self, nothing effects the sound of basses more than the type of pickups and their placement, apart from equipment outside of the bass itself (amp, pedals, etc.). I specifically said I'm not asking about playability or what kind of bass it is, nor what kind of woods.

So you're basically saying you are more interested in the answers for an entirely different question than the one I'm posting... So, no offense but I don't really care. It's a complete non-sequitor.
 

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