How many fretless basses?

[Marial]

For you fretless owners, how many fretless basses do you own?

I'd also like to know why you have the amount that you have. For instance, you may have only one, but it is active with a passive bypass, has two pick-ups and compression wound strings and can get most of the tones you are looking for, or you have three, one is a passive jazz with rounds, and an epoxied board, another is a fretless p bass with flats and a foam mute on a raw ebony board, and the third is an acoustic with tapewounds on a rosewood board, etc.

Thanks,

Matt

I currently have two, a 2009 Pedulla Pentabuzz and a 2012 Squier VM Jazz.

I'd wanted a Buzz since seeing them in BP magazine in the 80s and I finally had the money for one. It's my first five string and my first fretless with a coated board. It has a PJ pickup configuration and it's strung with light gauge Sadowsky Black Label flats. A lot of people either stick with the stock Pedulla nickle rounds and or go with other rounds, but I found them way too boingy, especially on the B and E strings (I tried both the stock strings and a set of Circle K/Kaliums). After a proper set up with the Sadowskys, the bass is very warm and smooth sounding and the feel is fantastic. It sings the way it should now.

The Squier was my gateway bass back to the fretless world. I'd had a couple of fretlesses over the years but I'd never really caught the bug, but it hooked me completely. For the money, it's simply a fantastic bass. Yes, the neck moves, a lot, but the beauty of Squiers is the freedom to mod them. To that end, I have a Warmoth goncalo alves/bocote fretless neck and Antiquity II pick ups ready to be installed. The tonal goal for the bass is to be able to go from deep dub to singing warmth. I chose the Ant IIs because of prior experience with them in a '66 Jazz I had for awhile.

Down the road I'd like to get a Precision and stick a fretless Jazz neck on it. It's a different sound to the Jazz and it's one I'd like to have in my arsenal. I'll probably start with a Squier again, since that's ultimately the cheapest route and the best for getting exactly what I want.

 

[SteveC]

Right now I don't have one. I will when I can afford one again - and have more of a use for one. I think one will be enough for me, but I would answer the question the same way I would for fretted bass. I have 2 fretted basses. One 5 and one 6. I looked at other 5's but for me, one fretted 5 is enough. Yes, I get the you need a fretted 5 J, and a fretted 5 P, and etc., etc. but I wanted something different for a 2nd bass. I went 6 as there are some things I like to play/try that are a little easier/appropriate on a 6.

A close second for me would have been a fretless 5. That will be my next purchase. I wouldn't have more than one fretless 5 any more than I'd have more than one fretted 5. At least that's my thinking right now.

 

[wolfmancharlie]

I have one fretless. My Tom Martin custom Nessie 4 string. A great bass for the price I paid . Probably the only one that I will need. Very versatile tones. Plays great . Beautiful. This is my first fretless and totally love this .

 

[britainblues]

I have 4
1. Squire VM passive w/rounds I never play
2. Carvin B5 kit unlined ebony board, 3 band active MM in bridge, jazz in Neck position, with rounds
3. Warmoth deluxe 5 unlined pua fero board, 2 band active EMG, 2 Aguilar super singles, with rounds. This is my main player
4. Ibanez sr206 that I defretted myself. 2 band active Aguilar, stock soapbars, with DR Black beauties

 

[bassbenj]

I have a few.

1. 6 string; I have my Alembic Epic; unlined; ground wounds; (which was the only 6 string fretless I had for years) and now I have my SX Jazz clone fretless; unlined; flats; I converted myself. I'm hoping this will cover all bases (basses...heh) better since the Epic has sort of a jazz trio sound/look/vibe.

2. 5 string: Main axe is my G&L L2500 fretless [lined] with ground wound strings. Just too cool for words. most versatile bass on the planet. Blue burst. I'm in love. Also have a matching fretted one also in blue burst. I tend to prefer the fretless one though for most current playing. I also have a pair of SX 5er Jazz clones. One a factory SX with lined neck; flats; and the other an ebony unlined fingerboard conversion I did myself; GHS pressure wound strings. Both serve as Bar Basses.

3. Odd ball bar bass... It's some kind of SX fretless 5er [lined] that I've never seen before. I got it in pieces for $10 in a pickup deal with a TBer. Put it back together and it's an OK bar bass now. Really have no need to use it except for practice, though.

Oh wait! I almost forgot! I've got two fretless Wishbases! They were bought more to be wood working projects than playing basses (until finished) so I've been slowly figuring out what I want to do to mod them to my likes. Very interesting basses and certainly oddball. I've never played them out, yet at all.

4. 4 string: I own no 4 string fretless basses.

5. Fretless GAS: I really want to pick up another Ibanez SR506 like the one I've got and convert it to fretless. Then my sixers would cover Alembic, Jazz bass and Soundgear tones in a fretless 6 string. I also would like to try a fretless version of my Squier P/J 5er. If I find another Squier special like the fretted one I converted, I may do that fretless conversion too, just for grins. Don't know if I'll love it until I try it, right?

 

[HockeyDawg]

I have two, a Squier Jaco and a defretted Carlo Robelli. I was in a band where I played nothing but fretless but wasn't happy with the tone of the Squier so I converted a bass I wasn't using to get a deeper sound I couldn't get with the Jaco.

 

[ArtechnikA]

Two.

My Roscoe SKB 6 gets 99.9% of my attention.

Also have a Synapse 5 which I got because it's the twin of my fretted Synapse 5, and I couldn't resist having a matched pair, especially at the price it was listed at.

Both fretless are unlined. (IMO this doesn't make them better or worse than any other fretless, but people seem to be curious...)

My wife keeps asking when I'll get an upright, but we really don't have the room. A NS Designs or Kydd EUB could be a possibility some day...

 

[BbBlues]

Also have a Synapse 5 which I got because it's the twin of my fretted Synapse 5, and I couldn't resist having a matched pair, especially at the price it was listed at.

^^^^
Are you able to simulate a decent upright tone with the synapse?Because of the Piezo pickups I thought it might be a good choice.

 

[ArtechnikA]

Are you able to simulate a decent upright tone with the synapse?Because of the Piezo pickups I thought it might be a good choice.

Hasn't been a goal, so I have to say I don't know.
I usually just play with everything in the middle, including the pickup balance. And I haven't touched it since the Roscoe came in...

But I'll pull it out of its case this weekend and see what I can dial in.

 

[SteveC]

I haven't touched it since the Roscoe came in...

That happens when a new Roscoe arrives. I used my Roscoe (JB placement Barts) fretless with a jazz trio and they loved it. Said it was the best sounding bass I've had - and there have been a few - including a Rob Allen which they also loved. A Roscoe doesn't sound like an upright, but it sounds amazing!

 

[Tampabass]

Just one (unless you count my upright) -- a Tony Franklin sig P -- P/J pickups, unlined ebony fingerboard, great fit and finish, nice (but not too much) mwah, passive (of course) but really fills up sonic space.
I pursued the "right" one of these for quite a while, and I feel like it would be hard to beat. That said, I haven't had the opportunity to try many -- previously owned a Jaco sig, a couple of various Fender jazz and P fretlesses, and, long ago, a Hagstrom fretless.
I'd love to try a Pentabuzz, or some other 5-string fretless basses.

 

[Brother Goose]

I have a Warwick Streamer PRO M 5 Lined fretless- an amazing bass!

and it's for sale!

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f126/warwick-streamer-pro-m-5-lined-fretless-1059789/

 

[Tom Howland]

I just sold off two.
A 1997-Padulla Penta-Buzz. And a Musicman Stingray / Piezo.
The Padulls was great but I've gone away from playing 5-strings.
The Stingray just was not getting much playing time either.

Now I'm down to two.

1970- Precision / flats. Right now getting the most playing time.
1966-Jazz body / 1971-fretless Precision neck. DR Sunbeams.

 

[pnchad]

all nice too

 

[Ryan L.]

I just have one, a Roscoe Century Custom 5.

 

[bassplayer1960]

Down the road I'd like to get a Precision and stick a fretless Jazz neck on it. It's a different sound to the Jazz and it's one I'd like to have in my arsenal. I'll probably start with a Squier again, since that's ultimately the cheapest route and the best for getting exactly what I want.[/QUOTE]

I would suggest you consider a Carvin PB fretless. Carvin offers many ways to configure them. I recently purchased a fretted Carvin PB 4. It has all the girth and growl of a Fender P but with a thinner and faster Jazz like neck. As I also play a Pedulla Buzz, (and am a bit spoiled!), I find that the Fender P neck feels too chunky and wide. My next purchase may be a fretless Carvin PB4 as I really prefer fretless but need a more standard sounding bass for my rock situations.