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Fretless players, please help!!

J

Jim11895

Dec 10, 2009
175
12
Atlanta
#1
Hey all,

I am looking to purchase a fretless bass. I am looking for a 5-stringer, 34" scale, with 17mm string spacing (same as my fretted Flea 5), and a less chunky neck. I would also prefer passive electronics, rather than active.

The only fretless I've had an opportunity to play was the Fender CS Jaco bass. Really awesome, but: a) way out of my price range, and of course, b) it's a 4, not a 5er.

My budget is around $1500. I've looked at the Carvin website, and a fretless SB5000 looks nice, but the string spacing is wider than I want. I can't find much info on fretless fivers on the Fender website, so not sure what the specs on their fivers are.

Can anyone recommend some makes/models to look at? I know the ultimate answer is to play as many types as I can, but right now, I'm not even sure what my options are.

Thanks in advance for your suggestions and words of wisdom.


PS - advantages/disadvantages of ebony versus rosewood boards?
 
#2
Look for a newer G&L L2500 or L1505 fretless (L1505 especially, if you like the Modulus Flea 5 w/MM). Mine has an AWESOMELY comfortable neck, and it's 17mm and 34". And it has a great B-string.

As for ebony or rosewood, the ebony is very hard and should last a long time even with rounds, unless you really mash the string into the board. Rosewood is ok, too (I have both), but there's definitely more density with the ebony.
 
#3
First, for the money you want to spend, I would seriously recommend the Carvin SB5000. I have a fretless SB4000 and it is sweet. I'm not sure how easy it will be to find a fretless with a 17mm spacing, though. Never looked. Both of mine are 19mm. From what I have read and heard, 19mm is preferred for finger style, which fretless usually is. Someone else please correct me if I'm wrong about this.

And to your luck, my two fretless basses have different fingerboards.

My Carvin is ebony, my Fender is rosewood.

My less than totally subjective assessment is that the ebony is clearer with better articulation and sustain. Also, it is harder than rosewood allowing for rounds with less wear and tear (though I have read many a post on this, and many don't care either way). The sound of the Fender (rosewood) is darker than ebony, with better accentuation of the mids. It also can get a kind of growl that I can't get with the Carvin. Though both are very nice.

Both basses are active, so no help there. Though I would imagine that you could get the tone you want either way. Though having a mid boost on the bass has been a real pleasure with the Carvin.
 
#7
Just last week I stopped by the GC near work and after messing about with the music man basses for a while saw this old somewhat worn G&L 2000 unlined fretless. I've been pondering for a while about getting a fretless, worriedly reading all the various threads about lined vs unlined, 5 vs 6, etc. but had only played a fender and peavey fretless and was lukewarm on them.

So I took down this 4 string worn G&L that didn't even have a price tag on it to see how hard an unlined would be, and was immediately floored. First, it wasn't so hard to play in tune, second - I simply couldn't stop playing it, it felt and sounded so right. Seriously awesome bass, and the pickups and preamp are quite versatile. Good range from thunderous house shaking to sweet and mellow.

It left with me an hour later, and today I get to fix up the ground wire and fix some rusty screws, but am loving it.

If you get a chance to check out a fretless G&L, do.
 
#9
+1 to both previous suggestions. G&L 1500/2500 basses make great fretlesses and a used Zon Sonus would be amazing. Zons have a great neck. Those are great basses particularly for fretless.
If they come in your price range used I'd also recommend the Pedulla Pentabuzz. It might be an 18mm bridge spacing but they are incredibly comfortable necks, consistent build quality and a classic fretless tone from the diamond coat fingerboads. I've never played one that I didn't like. Also, even though they come with active Bartolini's the pickups are very easy to change out because they are standard fender Jazz sizes. The same is not true of the G&L or Zon.
Good luck! and whatever you do: if you have roundwound strings on a fretless. a la Jaco get the fingerboard finished in acrylic or epoxy. Otherwise it's flatwounds only.
 
#10
Pedulla does make a 17.5mm Pentabuzz. I think that is the "standard" and 19mm is the option.

I can't agree with the comment that an un-coated board means "flats only". I've played un-coated fretless basses with ebony boards and round-wound strings for about 15 years and never had an issue, other than the occasional light sanding. It's my "flats only" bass that has had more issues - and it is coated... I don't play fretless exclusively, but I do play it regularly - often practicing on that in lieu of my fretted basses. Fingerboard wear is due as much to bad technique as it is to the strings you use.

In my opinion, play the strings you like for the tone they produce. Don't be a slave to fear that you *might* have to have the board dressed at some point. It's just a tool, so use it as such. And if you like the sound of flats on your fretless, then by all means, play them.
 
#13
+1 on the Pedulla. I have a Pentabuzz and it is an amazing instrument. I am on the lookout for one with wide spacing as I prefer the 19mm. The one I have is the 17.5 and it is tight for me.

AMAZING tone and feel.

Dan K.
 
#15
Hi Jim,

For a long time now I have been looking to buy an unlined fretless bass. My personal impression is that the market has little to offer musicians who are serious about playing a fretless bass as their only or main instrument.

After checking out some of the existing options in both basses that are mass produced as well as the option of having a luthier built one from scratch, I have decided to buy a fretted bass, one which I really love playing (Ibanez SR 500) and have it defretted and epoxied by a professional. The issue that I have with a luthier building an instrument for me from scratch, is that I really don't know what I am going to end up with once they're done. I feel uncomfortable with the idea. At the same time, many others are perfectly fine with the concept.

Hope this helps.
Best of luck with your ongoing search.

~ Oded
 
#17
Another big +1 for G&L. I own two fretless basses (including a G&L USA) and have tried out many others. The G&Ls always stand out and are particularly good fretless basses. My #1 is an ASAT semihollow fretless with fretlines. It has a wide range of sounds and feels great under hand. I also played an L2000 fretless w/o lines and I had the same experience as the other poster--lines weren't an issue; it was very easy to play in tune.

Plus, the L2000 body and layout is very balanced and comfortable. I wish I'd bought that L2000 as well. The L2000 fretlesses are amazingly expressive and comfortable at the same time.
 
#18
A few years back when I was more of a fledgeling player, I rented a Warmoth fretless 5-string Jazz with a maple/ebony neck. The body must have been alder or ash. Although the pickups were EMG's, the bass had a gorgeous sound, even unplugged. Solid, warm sounding, hefty yet cozy on a strap... not a boutique bass, but a wonderful player (and I'm a confirmed 4-string bachelor).

Lots of ingredients that added up to r-i-g-h-t!!!
 
#19
JohnnyB53 said:
Another big +1 for G&L. I own two fretless basses (including a G&L USA) and have tried out many others. The G&Ls always stand out and are particularly good fretless basses. My #1 is an ASAT semihollow fretless with fretlines. It has a wide range of sounds and feels great under hand. I also played an L2000 fretless w/o lines and I had the same experience as the other poster--lines weren't an issue; it was very easy to play in tune.

Plus, the L2000 body and layout is very balanced and comfortable. I wish I'd bought that L2000 as well. The L2000 fretlesses are amazingly expressive and comfortable at the same time.
Click to expand...

+ 1 on the fretless L-2500 USA. I own one and it is clearly the best playing/feeling/sounding fretless bass I own. It too was a GC find that needed a bit of fix-up, but now it's gorgeous, and note that when I say "best" I'm comparing to some other basses like Carvin AC50 or Alembic Epic Fretless 6 string. Those basses are NOT slouches! My L-2500 happens to be lined because that's the way the previous owner ordered it and I would have preferred unlined for the look (can't see the lines when standing anyway) but given how great the bass is I'd have bought it if it had zebra stripes on the fingerboard!
 
#20
bassbenj said:
+ 1 on the fretless L-2500 USA. I own one and it is clearly the best playing/feeling/sounding fretless bass I own. It too was a GC find that needed a bit of fix-up, but now it's gorgeous, and note that when I say "best" I'm comparing to some other basses like Carvin AC50 or Alembic Epic Fretless 6 string. Those basses are NOT slouches! My L-2500 happens to be lined because that's the way the previous owner ordered it and I would have preferred unlined for the look (can't see the lines when standing anyway) but given how great the bass is I'd have bought it if it had zebra stripes on the fingerboard!
Click to expand...

[hijack]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but how do you like the single coil mod on the fretless L2500? I loved it on my fretted L2500 - used it all the time. I do solo the bridge pickup on the fretless, so noise can be an issue for me. MFD's in single coil aren't the quietest pickups in the world - even with shielding.

I'm also contemplating dropping an ACG filter pre into my fretless for 2 reasons: 1) it sounds amazing (I already have one in a box on my pedal board), and 2) I really want to take advantage of buffering the pickups at the bass. I also like the ability to blend pickups, which I had on my fretted L2500 and I suspect would be very useful on the fretless.

[/hijack]

I'm also seriously contemplating epoxy on the G&L - not for "protection", but for the particular tone. Or I should find a Pedulla as that's more in my preferred tonal area. But the G&L plays and feels so amazing!
 

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