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Looking to add a fretless to the stable

P

pecBass

Jan 22, 2013
570
997
DFW
#1
I have been playing with a group the last year and a half with my 4 string ibanez SR with the dual ber. pickups. I really enjoy he sound, sustain as well as the slim neck and over all weight.

I enjoy playing light jazz pop and Christian praise and worship. I am considering adding a fretless and due to how much I like my 25th anniv ibanez, I will prop consider a similar one in fretless in a 5 string.

any other suggestions with a similar neck and sustain?

Do many of you play tapes on fretless? I like the sound of the flats i use on my fretted.

thanks!
 
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#2
If i'd be doing it all over again, I'd make my fretless the same as my main fretted bass. To have the same neckprofile, balance, note placement under the lefthand etc. on each bass makes playing them interchangeably easier. I have tried tapes on the fretless and they can be great - I just opted for something different with a more forward tone. I'd experiment with strings as much as possible - they make all the difference in the world, and most 'tone problems' for which people tend to buy another bass can be solved with a different type/brand of strings.
 
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#6
I don't know what your budget is but the best feeling and sounding fretless 5 string bass I've ever played is the Pedulla Pentabuzz. Fantastic neck and unbelievable tone and mwah. The looks are a love it or hate it thing but the finishes are beautiful. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
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#7
rodl2005 said:
So you'd recommend the Eastwood EUB-1?? How's the neck? Chunky? Pretty normal? Is it fairly versatile or does it just do the one thumpy tone? Weight? ?
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It is unlined and semi-hollow; the F-holes go all the way through the body (yes, you read it correctly). The neck is reminiscent of a Jazz Bass. It is versatile sounding, quite light, has lots of mwah and it is a real attention getter.
 
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#9
GBassNorth said:
I don't know what your budget is but the best feeling and sounding fretless 5 string bass I've ever played is the Pedulla Pentabuzz. Fantastic neck and unbelievable tone and mwah. The looks are a love it or hate it thing but the finishes are beautiful. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Looks great, but a tad out of my price range - probably looking at the $1K range.
 
#11
pecBass said:
Mark, any idea how the GWB35 compares to the SR line? thanks
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I can't say for sure because I have no experience with the rest of the SR line. I will say the GWB35 has one of the thinnest and fastest necks I've played.

GWB35.jpg
 
#12
GBassNorth said:
I don't know what your budget is but the best feeling and sounding fretless 5 string bass I've ever played is the Pedulla Pentabuzz. Fantastic neck and unbelievable tone and mwah. The looks are a love it or hate it thing but the finishes are beautiful. [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Oh, it's absolutely a "love it" thing. Except, for me, I have no use for 5ers. Make it a 4-banger, or even better, a HexaBuzz!
 
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#15
I just added a Mexican Fender Jazz Fretless to my lineup. I've put some tapewounds on it, and it plays like magic. I'm considering swapping to tapewounds on my P-bass, or at least flatwounds, because I just adore the feel of them under my fingers. It feels like I can get a whole bunch of tones I didn't even realize existed with this new bass and with the new strings. Definitely a worthwhile addition, and it actually gets played more than I thought it would. It's lined, but that's helpful for me since I'm not an expert and my ears aren't the best. Still, I really enjoy it.

I think I'm going to go with tapewounds for fretless, flatwounds for P-bass and roundwounds for my 5-string Warwick.
 
#17
I started playing fretless at the beginning of the year. I'm not sure why folks think that lined necks are a help. When are you ever even able to look at the fretboard as you're playing? Both of my fretless basses are unlined, and I've never had an issue figuring out where I need to be.

I'd highly suggest looking for a used Carvin fretless.
 
#18
Titania said:
I started playing fretless at the beginning of the year. I'm not sure why folks think that lined necks are a help. When are you ever even able to look at the fretboard as you're playing? Both of my fretless basses are unlined, and I've never had an issue figuring out where I need to be.

I'd highly suggest looking for a used Carvin fretless.
Click to expand...
Well lines helped me--although the goal is to play more with my ears than my eyes.
 

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