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N(tm)BD - fretless edition
- Thread starter pcake
- Start date
it plays fine - no issues with the E string.
the live-in luthier(also known as my husband) is going to put it on the workbench this weekend and give it a thorough going-over.
wow, what a score! you did good, @pcake --- that ax looks wonderful --- and that puts you squarely in the 'basses without borders' club!
i know you're gonna love the fretless experience!congratulations on your new fretless instrument!
i'm loving it so far
I applaud your bravery. With my fretted basses, I have a 1 in 12 chance of hitting the note I want, with my fretless, my odds go down considerably!
LOLOLOL
- Jul 7, 2010
- 3,383
- 2,311
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
You hit the jackpot, A fretless you actually want AND a husband that's a luthier. Congrats on the new bass. Had a few SX basses and after good setups they played better that many others I had.
I find I enjoy playing fretless more on than fretted most of the time. Even setting the tone differences aside, the process of fingering notes on a smooth blank plank is just different. More challenging yet more expressive and more rewarding. I'm aware that the majority of the time the audience hears no difference, but to me as a player, the fretless is just more joy.
Congratulations pcake! Fretless opens up another wonderful facet of music. Hope you enjoy it!
i've played fretless basses at stores and jams, but i never owned one. i recently thought if i could find an inexpensive short scale with lines, i'd grab it. i started a thread asking for recommendations
5StringBlues
and then this happened
frustum
the rest is history. the bass arrived in like-new condition with plastic film still on the pickups. the sound is deep and rich, and it plays very nicely. it has a couple stripped areas that will be easy to fill and are probably from the manufacturer. it's my first SX (i played a long scale fretted at a GC), my first bass with bare wood showing through finish, my first time playing a short scale and my first time playing a short scale fretless. so far, it's better than expected on every level
here's pics from the original owner's listing
View attachment 5202571 View attachment 5202572
and a couple dark pics my husband shot in the hall
View attachment 5202573 View attachment 5202574
many thanks to fellow TBers who made this happen - to https://www.talkbass.com/threads/cheap-short-scale-fretless.1622776/, who brought this to my attention, and to the seller, https://www.talkbass.com/threads/sx-ursa-3-jr-short-scale-fretless-bass.1622782/, who packed the bass so very well and shipped it the same day!
Turnaround
Commercial User
And it will make you a better person. Not necessarily a good person, but better.
I applaud your bravery. With my fretted basses, I have a 1 in 12 chance of hitting the note I want, with my fretless, my odds go down considerably!
My odds are about the same as yours, lug. Having the lines makes all the difference; I can position my aging, arthritis-stiffened fingers at the same spot as a fretted, and I don't have to worry about strings buzzing on metal. The Ursa is great; if you want a sub-$300 fretless experience, I'd say go for it.
Jon
Don't ever let anyone talk you down for using a "Cheapo" Laura Lee of Khruangbin rocks the SX basses out too! Just have fun and enjoy! And learn THESE SONGS while you're at it!
no one here - or anywhere else - has ever commented negatively on any cheap bass i played. and if someone did, i'd just laugh at them. i'm way to old to care what someone else thinks of me, my instruments or how much money i spent. come to think of it, even when i was young, i wouldn't have cared.
Congratulations! That looks like a great bass. Enjoy!i've played fretless basses at stores and jams, but i never owned one. i recently thought if i could find an inexpensive short scale with lines, i'd grab it. i started a thread asking for recommendations
5StringBlues
and then this happened
frustum
the rest is history. the bass arrived in like-new condition with plastic film still on the pickups. the sound is deep and rich, and it plays very nicely. it has a couple stripped areas that will be easy to fill and are probably from the manufacturer. it's my first SX (i played a long scale fretted at a GC), my first bass with bare wood showing through finish, my first time playing a short scale and my first time playing a short scale fretless. so far, it's better than expected on every level
here's pics from the original owner's listing
View attachment 5202571 View attachment 5202572
and a couple dark pics my husband shot in the hall
View attachment 5202573 View attachment 5202574
many thanks to fellow TBers who made this happen - to https://www.talkbass.com/threads/cheap-short-scale-fretless.1622776/, who brought this to my attention, and to the seller, https://www.talkbass.com/threads/sx-ursa-3-jr-short-scale-fretless-bass.1622782/, who packed the bass so very well and shipped it the same day!
Looks good.
My concern is that if it is your only short scale, you may have some issues with mussle memory not adjusting right away.
I expect you will adapt, but changing scale and going fretless at the same time adds an extra layer of stuff to learn.
Enjoy!
My concern is that if it is your only short scale, you may have some issues with mussle memory not adjusting right away.
I expect you will adapt, but changing scale and going fretless at the same time adds an extra layer of stuff to learn.
Enjoy!
