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Fretless vs EUB

N

Nasty Nate

Feb 7, 2012
54
1
Frederick, Maryland
#1
Versatility is mainly what I'm thinking about here... If you want to do Folk/bluegrass, big band jazz standards, and fusion, would either be able to cover everything?

Would love to hear clips of people playing on non-standard instruments (mingus on a fretless, jaco on an eub)

Peace
 
#2
I have owned quite a few fretless basses over the decades, by Fender, Zon, Yamaha, Alembic, Rick Turner, and Martin Keith. I also owned for a while a NS Design CR4M EUB. I sold the NS as it sounded too much like a fretless electric bass, but I am sure other EUBes from other makers may have given me a different opinion. I think for the range of musical styles you plan to do a good fretless electric bass will fill the bill just fine.
 
#4
I'm mostly an electric bass player. I've tired EUBs and due to the string length and rounds they do tend to get closer to the upright thump than a Fretless. Some if this can be alleviated by palm muting on the Fretless.

I think my biggest problem was playing a completely different instrument. So to me there isn't much option :-) those calling me to play a gig will do so to utilize my playing abilities, and that would be my Fretless bass anyway.

I think, as the previous poster says, that a good Fretless should cover your needs as long as you play what fits the music.

Now, if you want to develop those skills on Fretless, EUB, Kala ukulele or synthesizer is up up you. :-)

Good luck
 
#5
The EUB cab be BOWED and that's the critical difference.

If you don't need that then I think going full bore with the fretless electric is the way to go. Unless you're undaunted by the technical challenges of learning a new instrument.
 
#6
Not all EUB's can be bowed. But many can. And that will get you cloer to the sound of an upright, but never exactly. The only thing that will sound like and upright is an upright.

That said, EUBs are fun to play, but if you've only played an electric bass it will take some getting used to and some technique adjustments.
 
#7
Hands-down, the closest thing to an upright sound out of a non-upright. (Easily rivals the best of the EUBs, and even easier to carry.) I have a fretless hollow-body Kala, and I always get rave reviews for tone. (Even from the sound guy.)

I haven't tried the solid-body Kalas, but I imagine the sound isn't that different. Check out both.

P.S: Since it is basically a tenor uke body, you probably won't get the same kind of reverse-snobbery that some bluegrass players would give to a conventional solid-body electric.
 
#8
Jeff Scott said:
I have owned quite a few fretless basses over the decades, by Fender, Zon, Yamaha, Alembic, Rick Turner, and Martin Keith. I also owned for a while a NS Design CR4M EUB. I sold the NS as it sounded too much like a fretless electric bass, but I am sure other EUBes from other makers may have given me a different opinion. I think for the range of musical styles you plan to do a good fretless electric bass will fill the bill just fine.
Click to expand...

I've had a very different experience with an NS Design EUB. I've got the WAV 4, and frankly I can get a more authentic upright sound on THAT bass than I did on my Azola BugBass. Will an EUB sound like an acoustic upright? It's close, but not totally there.

A lot of the tone of an EUB is dependent on technique. I've seen a lot of guys use what basically ammounts to bass guitar pizzicato technique on the upright. And very often that will be what makes an EUB sound like a fretless bass guitar. When you use more traditional upright pizzicato technique, with your fingers essentially parallel to the strings, you wind up with more of that thumpy upright tone.
 

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