One I am interested is purposely made from heavy ash. I think this is how these budget basses get their tone. That said, boat anchor basses don't work for everyone.
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Glarry: a really cheap way to get into unlined fretless?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
One I am interested is purposely made from heavy ash. I think this is how these budget basses get their tone. That said, boat anchor basses don't work for everyone.
Benefits of a cheap bass:
I had a bass with a grounding issue which taught me to stay in contact with the strings and sharp fret endings remind you to play on the tips. (I'm also play upright.)
I had a bass with a grounding issue which taught me to stay in contact with the strings and sharp fret endings remind you to play on the tips. (I'm also play upright.)
"34 one side and 35 the other" refers to the tool I used to replace the side dots on on my Glarry fretless.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCJ9DCW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DCJ9DCW/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Good lord, that's not a benefit, that's a health hazard. Absolutely no reason to play an instrument with a grounding issue.
I feel roughly the same about sharp frets, but not quite as strongly.
Gotcha that makes sense. not a bad price either.
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Grounding issue - Break out the multimeter and warm up the soldering iron.
Fret sprout - Get to work with a fine file and some emery cloth.
A cheap bass is a good place to start learning these skills and if you get into trouble there is plenty of help available on TB.
And to be honest, playing whilst grounded through your strings can be more dangerous than not being grounded.
I bit the bullet and ordered the Glarry. It came today, and the build quality is decent, The main issue that the assembly is lax even for a cheap bass. That said, I know how a screwdriver works, so I tightened up what needed to be tightened up, mainly the cover of the pickup. I also lowered the bridge saddles by three turns. My favorite store has a new Fender Precision pickup (MIM I think,) and I will have it installed this week. The stock pickup sounds okay, but it has hum, something a good split pickup should not have. The bottom line is that I have a perfectly playable unlined fretless, and even with the Fender pickup installed, it will be under $160.
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Did you have to reposition the dots? Glarry people told me they would look into that problem.
I haven't touched the dots and I do not think I will need to do so. My intonation was decent the first time I picked it up. It will only get better if I keep playing this fretless.
I just pulled the trigger on one of these this morning, after missing out on it... twice now, I think. I already have the straightedge tool, and I've found some glow-in-the-dark paint I can use to mark new dots on the side.
Will the nut need to be filed? Or is that just personal preference? I know before it even gets here that I will need to adjust saddles and pickup height, and maybe shim the neck.
Will the nut need to be filed? Or is that just personal preference? I know before it even gets here that I will need to adjust saddles and pickup height, and maybe shim the neck.
Mine only needed new dots. Make sure to use the 34" side of the notched rule.
I agree. You know where the notes are because you've been looking at dots in those same places forever. And though you don't finger on the fret you know where it is.
I have unlined fretless basses both ways, but as long as I know which is which (dots on frets or dots in normal locations) it doesn't matter.
I guess I'm out of sync with a lot of TBers about learning to play unlined fretless. I have a lined fretless 5 and plan on building a lined fretless 6. If I ever get good enough to play unlined fretless, I'll just not look at the neck. I've been playing bass for over 50 years and I still have to look at the neck even with my fretted. I just don't get what difference there is with a lined or unlined other than aesthetics. They are both fretless and if you are talented enough that you can play by feel it doesn't make a difference either way. Of course this is just my opinion.
The lines are unreliable. It's best to use your ears. You will remember where to put your fingers after awhile.
