how do these fretless basses compare sound wise?

[shookiedookiema]

Jaco pastorious jazz bass-4 saddle u.s. vintage bridge, fender american vintage 60s pickups, select alder body (i've heard the stock strings are flats but to get a true jaco saoubd use swing 66 roundwounds)

Tony franklin fretless bass-select alder, tony franlkin custom american p bass pickup, tony franklin custom jazz bass pickup with ceramic bar magnets, and the 4 saddle american vintage bridge with single groove steel barrell saddles, tony franklin signature NPS (nickle plated steel) .45-.105 gauge strings. How do these basses compare soundwise becuase i'm wondering if i should save money for the tony franklin model or modify a mexican bass.

 

[lposavad]

One's a Jazz bass, one's a P-bass (with a Jazz bridge pickup added).
The Pastorius will growl like a jazz, the Franklin will yowl like a Pbass.
They're both good; it just depends on your preferences and needs.

 

[Stick_Player]

Depends on WHO is playing them.

... but to get a true jaco saoubd [sic]...

Not specific to your question, but... You do know that Jaco recorded quite a bit with a fretted bass.

You can search - on TB - for several posts about this.

 

[shookiedookiema]

Depends on WHO is playing them.



Not specific to your question, but... You do know that Jaco recorded quite a bit with a fretted bass.

Really? I didn't know jaco used fretted basses. I just wanted to know the specific tonal difference between the two fretless models (in the sense that the strings on the jaco model were changed to the roundwounds) because like i said i'm wondering if i should just modify a fender MIM 60s jazz bass (same thing as jaco except for pickups strings and the fact it has frets). Also i'm trying to consider whether to buy a fretless acoustic bass with albella flatwounds to get an uprightish sound or if one of these basses will give me an uprightish sound.

 

[unclejane]

Really? I didn't know jaco used fretted basses. I just wanted to know the specific tonal difference between the two fretless models (in the sense that the strings on the jaco model were changed to the roundwounds) because like i said i'm wondering if i should just modify a fender MIM 60s jazz bass (same thing as jaco except for pickups strings and the fact it has frets). Also i'm trying to consider whether to buy a fretless acoustic bass with albella flatwounds to get an uprightish sound or if one of these basses will give me an uprightish sound.

Neither one of those is going to sound much like a string bass, really. The jazz bass is going to be a little more nasal/single-coily, and the TF will be a little fatter sounding.

The Jaco will sound generally like this:


But the _best_ sounding jazz bass ever made is my defretted Modern Player jazz bass hah! It's similar in sound to the TF on the bridge PU, maybe with a little more heft.

So that's what I'd recommend - the Modern Player and do a defret/level/neckshim on it. They're cheap and sound great with the frets off.

Otherwise, my vote would be the Tony Franklin. It's already fretless (and unlined) with a P/J configuration. It'll be the most versatile.

LS

 

[Davo-London]

I have a Jaco and thoroughly recommend that. I've epoxied he neck on mine as I prefer round wound strings. Both sound amazing and the TonyF video is amazing.

Neither sound like an Upright; a semi fret less like Godin A4 or Rob Allen would be required to chase he upright tone!

Davo