Just got an SX fretless P

[Kuoxasar]

This is my first fretless bass and also my first P-style bass. What kind of music and playstyle is a bass like this best adapted to? I figured, strung with flats and with the treble cut, it might sound a bit like an upright. But I was wondering how many of you guys have fretless P-styles and what you use them for.

Thank you

 

[René_Julien]

pics?
really... I hear a lot about fretless SX P basses on the forum but I never seen any.
I might get one if I can get a hold of one around here.




Ow... here is my fretless precision bass:

That one and the Roscoe in the picture are my only basses atm. (60% precision use, 40% Roscoe use)

I play progressive metal with it.


Most awesome fretless bass I ever encountered.

 

[yellofury]

SX fretless P/J
I had flats on them from Rondo but I wanted more "mwah" so I threw some Rotosound 66Lds on it. To my ears the roundwounds cut through when needed and I can roll back the tone for a more subtle sound.

You can use that bass for any sound really
You can make pretty convincing fretted sounds by not sliding as much on the fingerboard
and still a second later get a more pronounced fretless mwah.
excuse the crappy playing but the first minute is the above bass


hmm I need to practice my fretless more but my fretted Precision and Jazz gets most of my love these days

 

[JimmyM]

I have a fretless PJ. I use it for practice. I did a couple sessions with it, too. Otherwise I don't use it for anything.

In any event, it's not up to use to tell you what music you should play with it. It's up to you to tell us what music you'll be playing with it. You're the star of this show, dude. Make of it what you will.

 

[yellofury]

I have a fretless PJ. I use it for practice. I did a couple sessions with it, too. Otherwise I don't use it for anything.

In any event, it's not up to use to tell you what music you should play with it. It's up to you to tell us what music you'll be playing with it. You're the star of this show, dude. Make of it what you will.

+1

 

[phxlbrmpf]

I don't have any decent pics of it right now, but I have an SX fretless P with an SD Quarter Pounder and an added bridge humbucker. I used it in my now-deceased progressive rock band and thought it sounded especially awesome for our jazzy parts. Playing walking bass on it has a nice fluidity to the sound and if you pluck near the neck, it really sings. I also used it for a semi-ballad on the home-made album my alternative band is working on right now. That's not to say it doesn't work for rock, though (the mids I get with it are pretty awesome) but I feel that's where it really excels.

I gotta say that I feel the P pickup alone doesn't cut it if you want the "mwah" to be heard when playing with a loud band, though. I usually have both pickups on full because it gives me more highs and plenty enough bass to provide a nice foundation for the band. I'd love to use the bass for my alternative band's rehearsals but I really don't wanna tune it down to C and some of the bass lines I've come up with require all strings of my fiver.

 

[Darkstrike]

I have a Squier P body, with a fretless Squier neck, and a Joe Barden P pickup in it, strung with rounds.

I use it for the big agressive rock P tone, just with lots of mwah.

 

[Paniconthenet]

I had a MIM jazz fretless for a while, played progressive bluegrass with it. I have been eyeing the fretless selection at Rondo, but, I have heard the necks are not always great, so im weary. how does the neck feel? is it a rosewood fretboard or maple?

 

[billoetjen]

My first fretless was a SX P. Bought used from a fellow TB'er. I wanted something to try the fretless experience with. Assembled a Warmoth FL (G4 black korina body, wenge neck with pau ferro board and the best part - Villex pups) in a P/J configuration (reversed P). Sold the SX. It was one of the older ones and QC was mediocre. But it was a great axe to experiment with. Besides for the bridge, my biggest complaint was the maple board. It's a personal taste thing, but I couldn't get used to the feeling of fretting against a glossy varnished board.

I'm actually considering getting a new SX FL P in Lake Placid Blue just because it would go with a tropics themed dinner jazz gig that I'm putting together (don't ask)
I think it would sound killer with LaBella DTB flats and a Villex pup.
By the way, isn't fretless P a great oxymoron?

 

[Kuoxasar]

Hey guys, thanks so much for your responses. Unfortunately, I cannot play my bass right now; the story involves a wrong zip code and swine flu. Basically my housemates at college took delivery on it while I'm under the care of my mother. I'm too sick to drive to get it (but NOT too sick to play )

Believe me, if I could play it, I wouldn't have even made this thread... hahaha I promise a full, comprehensive "New Bass Day" thread when it's in my hands.

You all have some very beautiful basses. @Julien, is it just the angle, or is the Precision much longer than the Roscoe?

You can use that bass for any sound really
You can make pretty convincing fretted sounds by not sliding as much on the fingerboard
and still a second later get a more pronounced fretless mwah.
excuse the crappy playing but the first minute is the above bass

yellofury, that is a GORGEOUS bass. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I can't get sound on this computer, I promise when I can I will give you a listen. It's nice to hear that your playing style can make the fretless more versatile; I've been looking for a nice Squier or SX fretted P but if my new fretless can double then all the better.

In any event, it's not up to use to tell you what music you should play with it. It's up to you to tell us what music you'll be playing with it. You're the star of this show, dude. Make of it what you will.

Thanks man, and believe me, I will be putting this bass in some odd recordings, I was just going for more of a "P basses for punk, J basses for funk" kind of angle... there's always gonna be deviants.