One Franken-fretless. MIM body, replacement epoxied neck and Dimarzio passive pups. It gets the classic "Jaco" sound which is what I would think most people want -- or at least have the option. I have several other basses for varying purposes but I don't feel the need for several "Fretless" sounds.
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How many fretless basses?
- Thread starter Matthew_84
- Start date
Just one fretless. It's my first fretless. I went with active/passive with epoxy over the board -- so I could get as much tonal flexibility as I could.
Four:
Kala UBass
NS 4 Upright
Precision (passive)
Martin BC-16GTE (fretless is/was special order)
All have tapewound strings except for the Kala which has Aquila Thunderguts.
Kala gets played a lot, Precision hardly ever.
Kala UBass
NS 4 Upright
Precision (passive)
Martin BC-16GTE (fretless is/was special order)
All have tapewound strings except for the Kala which has Aquila Thunderguts.
Kala gets played a lot, Precision hardly ever.
I only really have a fretless to "have one," it's not something that I'd ever reach for first unless someone asked for it, so I just have the one - a Stambaugh 5-string bolt-on with ebony board, roundwounds, one bridge pickup and piezos. It's something I feel like I should have in the quiver, and the bass is super versatile, but it's not really "my voice."
I do also have an NXT5, so I'd really only go for the piezos in the Stambaugh over in in a live situation when I couldn't bring the upright.
I do also have an NXT5, so I'd really only go for the piezos in the Stambaugh over in in a live situation when I couldn't bring the upright.
EBMM Stingray 5 Fretless is my only one...
Although someday in my dreams I'd love to have a Zon Sonus Elite 5 or a Pedulla PentaBuzz
Although someday in my dreams I'd love to have a Zon Sonus Elite 5 or a Pedulla PentaBuzz
I have one, a 5 string, 35" scale that started life as a fretted 34" Washburn. After I bought my second 5 string fretted, I took the Washburn, removed the fingerboard, and put on a piece of bubinga turning it into a fretless. I moved the bridge and neck out 1/2" and made it a 35" scale bass. I have active bass, mid and treble on the neck EMG Jazz pickup, and a mid boost for the bridge pickup. I finished the bubinga board (12" radius" with Defthane, a very hard, bartop polyurethane. Eventually I replace the plywood body with a nice mahogony body I built, and finished the body and headstock (with mahogony veneer) in a deep cherry red finish.
So the only thing original on the bass is the maple of the neck and the tuners. It is very, very versatile, and is one of my favorite basses. At church for the last 8 years I played there (several times a week) I played it 85% of the time. It does everything I want in a fretless, plus it looks and plays great. I don't play it a lot these days, but I may start using it with my current band.
So the only thing original on the bass is the maple of the neck and the tuners. It is very, very versatile, and is one of my favorite basses. At church for the last 8 years I played there (several times a week) I played it 85% of the time. It does everything I want in a fretless, plus it looks and plays great. I don't play it a lot these days, but I may start using it with my current band.
I have two fretless basses, which is half of my stable. Both are 5 string, 34.5 scale, 19mm bridge spacing, and unlined with side dots built by Martin Keith Guitars.
The first one has a chambered mahogany body, ebony board, piezos, two Citron humbuckers, and a DTAR Eclipse preamp. This is a big and pretty sounding bass with a lot of air that lends itself to acoustic performance, or more open mixes. With flats, it does a great upright sound. I don't gig this one much, but it's the one most often I reach for at home.
The second one has a poplar body, pau ferro board, two Duncan single coils, and an Audere 4 band. This is the "do anything" bass because it does well in a dense rock setting or a jazz one. I currently have rounds on this one, and it sings. I use this one about 40% with my current band (two distorted electric guitars playing through tube amps, loudish drummer).
The first one has a chambered mahogany body, ebony board, piezos, two Citron humbuckers, and a DTAR Eclipse preamp. This is a big and pretty sounding bass with a lot of air that lends itself to acoustic performance, or more open mixes. With flats, it does a great upright sound. I don't gig this one much, but it's the one most often I reach for at home.
The second one has a poplar body, pau ferro board, two Duncan single coils, and an Audere 4 band. This is the "do anything" bass because it does well in a dense rock setting or a jazz one. I currently have rounds on this one, and it sings. I use this one about 40% with my current band (two distorted electric guitars playing through tube amps, loudish drummer).
I have two of them. First, a Peavey Cirrus US Custom unlined 5 string and secondly a Bass Mods K5 Pro that I had bought as a backup but it is now my main one as I prefer it's tone more Jacoish then modern.
I currently only own one, but feel like I need a second. I've got a Rob Allen MB-2 which totally nails the organic, semi-acoustic upright bass vibe. But I feel like I need something that's more geared towards the Jaco/Mark Egan/Mick Karn thick squiggly conspicuously electric sounding fretless...eg, something with a coated fingerboard and roundwound strings. Yin to the Rob Allen's Yang.
just one fretless, but I'm in the market for a second (nicer) one. Mine is a defretted Ibanez GSR200 with an epoxied fingerboard and nickel roundwounds, I'm thinking about getting something like an epiphone zenith or a fender a/3 if I can find one
I have two (out of 6 total), currently. A Squire VM that I bought with a GC giftcard, which led me to building a Warmoth.
The Squire VM is self-exclamatory, though I did mod it with a pickguard. That bass is what led me to doing a fretless Warmoth build.
The Warmoth bass has a walnut body finished in tung oil, wenge neck with an unlined ebony finger board. Active Seymour Duncan J pickups along with an active SD Steve Bailey EQ, all black hardware. I set it up and was really surprised by myself. All over the neck, the action is no more than a credit card from the fingerboard all the way to the heel.
The Squire VM is self-exclamatory, though I did mod it with a pickguard. That bass is what led me to doing a fretless Warmoth build.
The Warmoth bass has a walnut body finished in tung oil, wenge neck with an unlined ebony finger board. Active Seymour Duncan J pickups along with an active SD Steve Bailey EQ, all black hardware. I set it up and was really surprised by myself. All over the neck, the action is no more than a credit card from the fingerboard all the way to the heel.
Right now I have a NS Design NXT that I play mostly arco and I have a Carvin LB76F 6 strings bass.
I sold a Carvin Bunny Brunel BB70PF which had a piezo. I think I'll buy another Carvin 6 strings in the future with the piezo again.
EDIT : obviously my NS has flatwound made by labella ( helicore ) on the Carvin BB70PF I had elexir for a long time then I switched to D'addario chrome. On the LB76 I had flatwound then Labella Tapewound and now ( for at least 4 years now ) elexir.
I always choose the lightest strings on juststrings.com
I sold a Carvin Bunny Brunel BB70PF which had a piezo. I think I'll buy another Carvin 6 strings in the future with the piezo again.
EDIT : obviously my NS has flatwound made by labella ( helicore ) on the Carvin BB70PF I had elexir for a long time then I switched to D'addario chrome. On the LB76 I had flatwound then Labella Tapewound and now ( for at least 4 years now ) elexir.
I always choose the lightest strings on juststrings.com
I have only ever owned one fretless at a time, as it has always been a specialty sound for certain types of music/situations. I use it mostly for acoustic combos, and more melodic slower ballad type tunes. Presently I have an older stock lined Lakland 55-02, and I'm very happy with it.
Two. One is the result of the first fretless I got. It started life as a brand-new factory fretless Jazz Bass Special I got for Christmas in 1987. It had the typical JBS nasal midrange annoying honk so I started trying to alleviate that out of if. First I yanked the nasty Fuji Gen Gaki pickups out of it and replaced them with Duncan 1/4 Pounders. I also replaced the bridge with a Scahller roller bridge. The PUPs helped some, the bridge was made no difference in sound, but it was a slightly more stable bridge so it stayed. Then I replaced the goofy JBS electronics with the Duncan/Steve Bailey fretless active EQ system. Then I replaced the rosewood board with a thick chunk of ebony, and that started making a real difference in the sound. Eventually I replaced the POS basswood body with a chunk of mahogany. That made it a great sounding bass, but it's also kinda heavy.
A few years ago I came across a Lakland Deluxe 4-94 with a factory fretless ebony board that I could trade my Classic 4-94 for. So I now also have a Deluxe 4-94 with an amber-finished quilted maple top that's very very similar to the quilting and color on my fretted Deluxe 4-94.
The Lakland's my main fretless bass because it's got a hugely wide range of easy to get to and very useful sounds without a lot of fiddling around, it's stable, and it always sounds great no matter what rig I'm using. Plus the fretted 4-94 is my main fretted bass so the FOH gets a very consistent signal if I'm going into the PA.
The mongrel fretless now has a set of GHS Precision flats on her, and she's happy to be home retired. Fun to play, but not standing up!
John
A few years ago I came across a Lakland Deluxe 4-94 with a factory fretless ebony board that I could trade my Classic 4-94 for. So I now also have a Deluxe 4-94 with an amber-finished quilted maple top that's very very similar to the quilting and color on my fretted Deluxe 4-94.
The Lakland's my main fretless bass because it's got a hugely wide range of easy to get to and very useful sounds without a lot of fiddling around, it's stable, and it always sounds great no matter what rig I'm using. Plus the fretted 4-94 is my main fretted bass so the FOH gets a very consistent signal if I'm going into the PA.
The mongrel fretless now has a set of GHS Precision flats on her, and she's happy to be home retired. Fun to play, but not standing up!
John
As of now i only have a Jazz, but i plan to expand my arsenal indefinitely. I think the first one will be an active 5 string.
I only have one, a passive, single coil, Standard Jazz Fretless. I'm still playing it on a learner's permit so one is all I need. Most likely one is all I will ever need because I feel it will be something I will play on occasion rather than exclusively. But I might upgrade it or replace it with something nicer some day. Or not. Even though it is a road worn bass I bought used it is quite nice.
Ken
Ken
4
4 string Fender Tony Franklin
5 string Lakland 55-60 skyline
4 string Breedlove ABG
5 string NS Design NXT
4 string Fender Tony Franklin
5 string Lakland 55-60 skyline
4 string Breedlove ABG
5 string NS Design NXT
