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I need to be a little more observant!

Ive heard other TBers say this recently...however, in the past 30 years, thats the only other time I ever heard of rounds on a fretless as a norm...maybe its a newer trend? <shrug>
Not in my case...I’ve owned many fretless basses over the last 25 years, and they’ve all had rounds. Tried flats one or twice and pretty much hated them every time.
 
So I'm browsing, and noticed a Spector Legend Classic 5 string in the used section. Got it down and played it. Boy, was it out of tune. So I got out my phone and used the tuner on it. Sounded better but still kinda weird. I kept noodling around. It was nice. And with the coupon, the price was right. I was considering trying to talk the Mrs into getting it. But something about it felt wierd. I couldn't understand why it would have flats on it. I'm not a fan of flats, but those could be changed.

Then it hit me! It was a fretless! I had been playing it for about twenty minutes before I noticed! That was a deal breaker, but it was a nice bass...
Dude, I'm with you. Something similar happened to me. Not 20 minutes, but I picked up a bass in a shop and played for a while before realizing that it was fretless. Of course, I eventually went back and bought it.

Tuning was a bit off, but I liked the sound and feel of the bass. Wasn't until I realized fretless that I understood why the tuning sounded off.

That experience was what made me brave enough to buy a fretless. I figured that if I was that close without even trying, I couldn't be all that bad if I was aware that I was playing fretless.

Not sure about the noise from all the haters. It wasn't like you said that everything was perfectly normal, you noticed a difference........
 
Thanks jd56hawk, for standing here with me and not making me feel like I'm as stupid as all these fellas seem to think I am. I appreciate it.

BnB
You're welcome.
Don't forget, quite a few people here say it doesn't matter what a bass looks like, it only matters how it feels and sounds, so I'd have to imagine they don't notice some things, too, frets or fretless, maple or rosewood, etc.
 
rounds might put some 'use' marks on the fingerboard. "wear out" from rounds takes years. have you played fretless? with rounds?

I happen to own a fretless bass with maple board. I bought it with flats, did not like the feel of them and changed it to rounds. I took them off about two months later because the fretboard had visible marks and changed to tapewound strings.
 
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You're welcome.
Don't forget, quite a few people here say it doesn't matter what a bass looks like, it only matters how it feels and sounds, so I'd have to imagine they don't notice some things, too, frets or fretless, maple or rosewood, etc.

It doesn't matter how basses look. A fretless sounds and feels dramatically different from the first note you play on it.

I hope anyone who takes more than 2 seconds (of playing) to tell the difference doesn't have a drivers license. That lack of awareness is dangerous.
 
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Everyone needs one of these!

Not nearly as difficult to play as you might think, and the most versatile bass I've ever owned.

P-bass tones (magnetic neck pickup)
60s Jazz bass tones (both magnetic pickups)
Jaco tones (bridge magnetic pup)
Upright tones (piezo pups)

Mmmm. :thumbsup:

Mike
Fretless.jpg
 
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Not in my case...I’ve owned many fretless basses over the last 25 years, and they’ve all had rounds. Tried flats one or twice and pretty much hated them every time.

eating into the fretboard was always the reason why folks said they didnt use them...I dont know tho: Im not a good fretless player and never claim to be -- I use one sparingly in the studio...I sound good for about a minute and then I completely lose it and emulate a dying cow....but I get enough "mwah" to piece together a track :D....... so Im just going by what Ive heard over the years
 

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