How many fretless basses?

[AndroWal]

Wal Mark II 5-String
Wal Mark III 5-String
Zon TJ5
Fender Jazz Bass 1976 - After market fretless neck
Custom 4-string NT with Ken Smith Pick-ups

 

[Roy Vogt]

Here's an old promo picture from Simplicity. To my right are my Modulus Fretless 6, my Hotwire/Magnus 6 and my older green Carvin LB76F.

 

[cm3ohana]

I just got a Carvin SB4000 lined fretless with an ebony fretboard, active/passive electronics, Carvin J99A jazz pickups with rounds. It's got enough mwah to last me two lifetimes. I tried it with TI Jazz flats but prefer the rounds. I'll keep the flats for another bass.

Previously, I had a Squire VM fretless with the ebonal fretboard. I upgraded the pickups to Barts and a Badass II bridge and my favorite rounds, DR Sunbeams. I didn't play it enough to make it worthwhile to keep so I sold it. Then GAS set in and here I am with a Carvin. Love the SB4000. It's definitely a keeper.

 

[Mystic Michael]

If you seriously scope out fretless basses, and/or if you cruise the fretless threads on TalkBass long enough, you eventually begin to see a pattern of several makes that are generally regarded as among the very best - and for good reason. They are:

Pedulla
F Bass
Zon
Rob Allen

There are of course a number of other manufacturers that consistently produce a very good to excellent product (i.e. at the mid-priced level, Carvin is of exceptional quality). But overall, this handful of brands seems to dominate.

MM

 

[hsech]

I just own one. A Carvin AC40F with tape wounds.

 

[mfh]

One. A Pedulla Pentabuzz with Pedulla nickel round wounds.

 

[winterburn69]

I have a Squier VM Jazz.

I'd like a black Stingray with a Status-Graphite line neck.

And one day when I get one, I'll sell that Squier so fast the headstock decal will fly off.

 

[SteveC]

If you seriously scope out fretless basses, and/or if you cruise the fretless threads on TalkBass long enough, you eventually begin to see a pattern of several makes that are generally regarded as among the very best - and for good reason. They are:

Pedulla
F Bass
Zon
Rob Allen

I would add Roscoe to that list. Amazing fretless basses. The Rob Allen is amazing but a bit of a different animal than the others mentioned.

 

[TrevorOfDoom]

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.

how much would it take to convince you to let the P go? (i've been GASsing for a fretless P since I foolishly let my last one go)

 

[oldfretless]

76 Fender P (bought new in 76) always has had Rotosounds
Pedulla 5 -Rotosounds
Rob Allen LaBella tapes
2 DB's and it's obvious all are completely different. The p was $300 with case in '76

 

[Wil_Couch]

I have two (almost)

1. EUB, 5 string
2. Electric, 5 string

Both made by me. The electric is still under construction, though...

 

[mtb777]

4 out of 5 basses at my house are fretless.

 

[JTE]

Three, because they sound different. The mongrel one is a koa Jazz shaped body, Jazz Bass Special neck with the factory fretless rosewood replaced at some point with a thick slab of ebony. Duncan 1/4 Pounder P/J thru a Duncan Steve Bailey per. Now it has a set if GHS Precision Flats, but from when I first got it (as a stock J S fretless) in '87 until three years ago it had rounds either D'Addario XL or DR Sunbeams.

I have a Lakland 4-94 Deluxe that wears DR Sunbeams. It's a close mate to my fretted Deluxe 4-94, and the sound is exactly what I want a fretless to sound like.

The third is my Ashbory. 'cause it sounds cool!

John

 

[TomB]

4 without frets:

A Warmoth neck / Florence ash body jazz bass, unlined birdseye maple neck, Lane Poor pickups with Bart preamp, Badass bridge, sings well;

Thanks to Chef I picked up an '80 fretless G&L L-1000 neck this year, made within months of my '80 L-1000, so now that's a great-sounding alternative on a bass I know like the back of my hand;

My other 2 are uprights: Eminence portable bass #14, and a 1930's carved-top Mittenwald; both are great friends, but not working as much at the moment as they have at times over the years.

 

[frtlsbss]

I have several as well:

Carvin LB75F unlined, all koa, most versatile
G&L L-1505F lined - a real honker
Ibanez GWB105 lined - outstanding mwah

Would like to add a piezo bridge to the carvin

All currently have DR black beauties, although tape wounds on the g&l have proven effective in folk and blues.

 

[Tampabass]

I've never owned more than one fretless at a time -- now darn happy with my Fender Tony Franklin Fretless P. I don't have $$ to own more at the moment, but if I did I suppose it'd be fun to have a fretless 5 of some type, maybe a Lakland 55-94 or Pentabuzz 5.

 

[basspraiser]

I have 3:

Carlo 55-HH (double Hanson humbuckers and lh3 pre-amp) fretless - Bubinga top and bubinga fretboard with ebony blocks and lines. I have it because it feels and sounds GREAT!

Lakland Skyline JO5 fretless (purchased a fretless neck for this one - still have a "keeper" rosewood neck for it in storage)....nothing else sounds like a J bass fretless! (besides...this one has flats). this is passive and has an acrylic coated ebony board.

Rick Turner REN5 fretless. This bass is a mwah monster (more pronounced mwah than any other fretless I have ever owned)....I use it when I want maximum mwah and/or when we do all acoustic sets.

 

[joebar]

I have a pedulla pentabuzz with rounds-great bass
I want maybe a roscoe fretless and some nylon strings for a mellower tone...I dunno
definitely see a need for two

 

[jim777]

I have 2 jazz basses, on with a lined rosewood board that's passive, and one with a Moses neck that's got an Audere.

Would rather have a Pentabuzz though

 

[mark beem]

Down to one.

Until I get my Pedulla!