GAS Strikes Again

[Dr. Cheese]

Last week, I played three nights of revival and a long Easter program. I found myself very satisfied with my current lineup of a Fretless Fender Jazz and. Yamaha BbN5. My Yamaha is new, and I have to tweak my amp more to get its slap tone to come alive, but the finger tone is already happening which is cool because I slap less now than at any time in the last thirty years. My fretless Jazz is simply one of my all time favorite instruments, period! If I crank the mids, my Jazz will smoke anything I have ever heard. That said, I really find myself wanting a fretless five obvious reasons. Although, I sound great on my Jazz in standard tuning or DGCF, I do miss the extra range a five would give me. Part of me, however, says just be happy with what I have and hold on to my pennies. The other GAS-sy part of me is looking at a Ibanez SRF705, a fretless Carvin B50, or fretless G&L L-1500 like the one I had about eight years ago that I should have kept.

Oh well, I guess some things never change.

 

[faulknersj]

Try to find a nice used bass hat suits your needs...that way you can always resell if you don't find yourself playing it much with minimal financial loss...a shipping fee...or as i like to think of it the cost of renting a bass for a while!

 

[gully_jones]

Voted for the G&L

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I should have said a fretless G&L L-1505.

 

[bassbenj]

I should have said a fretless G&L L-1505.

Well I have to vote for them all! As a serious GASer I have to say that my main 5er axes are my G&L L2500. I have one in fretted, one in fretless and one bar bass (Tribby). So you might think that's my vote, but good as that is, I have recently acquired and Ibanez SR206 and SR506 in fretted. Those two basses are so different from my G&Ls yet blow me right away! I'm having a SERIOUS GAS attack trying to somehow turn those into a fretted-fretless pair. But that isn't all. The Carvin basses are to die for! I don't have one of those but I do have a Carvin AC50 and the workmanship is just astounding. How could you go wrong with that? And sure I've got a Fender too. Hey nothing does the Fender look and sound than a Fender. It's not my favorite, but like you I've all ready got it, it plays and sounds great so why switch?

The bottom line is you've got a serious GAS problem here and since I've got a very similar one, I"m thinking the only answer is to BUY THEM ALL!

I will say that I only do 5ers and more now and hence recommend that, but that probably way back when I was changing from 4s if I had thought of DGCF tuning I might not be such a 5er fanboi now. But it's too late for me.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Well I have to vote for them all! As a serious GASer I have to say that my main 5er axes are my G&L L2500. I have one in fretted, one in fretless and one bar bass (Tribby). So you might think that's my vote, but good as that is, I have recently acquired and Ibanez SR206 and SR506 in fretted. Those two basses are so different from my G&Ls yet blow me right away! I'm having a SERIOUS GAS attack trying to somehow turn those into a fretted-fretless pair. But that isn't all. The Carvin basses are to die for! I don't have one of those but I do have a Carvin AC50 and the workmanship is just astounding. How could you go wrong with that? And sure I've got a Fender too. Hey nothing does the Fender look and sound than a Fender. It's not my favorite, but like you I've all ready got it, it plays and sounds great so why switch?

The bottom line is you've got a serious GAS problem here and since I've got a very similar one, I"m thinking the only answer is to BUY THEM ALL!

I will say that I only do 5ers and more now and hence recommend that, but that probably way back when I was changing from 4s if I had thought of DGCF tuning I might not be such a 5er fanboi now. But it's too late for me.

I had been playing fives since 1987 before I realized that I could really enjoy DGCF tuning. A five is more versatile, but dropping down a half step is great, especially on a 22 or 24 fret bass. My poor Fender only 20 frets.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

A Carvin PB5 would be a great choice too. Both a passive B50 and a PB5 can be had for under $900.

 

[Got2SadowskyNYC]

Quit buying cheap basses and save up a get a really nice piece. It's cheaper in the long run because you're not always wanting something new.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Quit buying cheap basses and save up a get a really nice piece. It's cheaper in the long run because you're not always wanting something new.

G&L and Carvin are really nice basses, they just are not very expensive. I'm sure a bass like a Sadowsky or Xotic would be great, but when I owned boutiques years ago, my GAS never went away either.

 

[zontar]

You have to watch out for GAS--it can strike at any time.
Even when we're more than happy with what we have.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

So far, the most votes are for sticking with my Fender. That is not bad advice at all.

 

[lowphatbass]

So far, the most votes are for sticking with my Fender. That us not bad advice at all.

It's tough to argue against a fretless Jazz bass.

 

[basschanges]

Watchoo thinkin' bout dude!? stick with that Fender Jazz!!

That's my highly nuanced analysis.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

To be clear, if I do buy a fretless five, my Jazz is not going anywhere.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Watchoo thinkin' bout dude!? stick with that Fender Jazz!!

That's my highly nuanced analysis.

Those are some great YouTube clips in your sig!

 

[basschanges]

Those are some great YouTube clips in your sig!

Thanks for the kind words!

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I appreciates the responses. Fretless has given me a new lease on life when it comes to my bass playing. I always loved fretless, but until I got my Fender, intonation was my greatest fear. From the first time I ever played it out, I was struck by little I went out of tune. Fretless has really given me something new after three decades of slap heavy funk.

As I said before, I am keeping the Fender, I honestly could not ask for more in a bass. I don't know if all MIM Fender Jazz fretlesses are that good, or if I just got lucky. Mine is a Sixtieth Anniversary Edition, if that means anything. I I get a new five, I will get the a Ibanez or a Carvin because the quality for under $900 can't be beat. I just don't want to get into a hurry, it's not like someone has a pile if money for me to out on the road or studio with a new fretless.

 

[kcole4001]

.......... fretless G&L L-1500 like the one I had about eight years ago that I should have kept.

.....

I think this answers your question.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I think this answers your question.

Yes, I custom ordered a sea foam green fretless L-1505, and it was killer. A local female bassist ended up with it, and told me that there was no way she would sell it back!

I just gave up on that bass when I was badly out of tune when I played it with my choir. Ordering another one would be cool, but it would probably put me several hundreds dollars past my budget.

 

[thechillinvillain]

You can probably get a vintage g&l for the price of a carvin (or less!), and well you would have a bass that more or less came from Leo Fender's custom shop.