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NBD - ESP LTD B-205SM-FL Fretless

BobWestbrook

BobWestbrook

Mr.
Mar 13, 2006
2,843
74
North Poconos
#1
Official Info: http://www.espguitars.com/basses/ltd-standard-deluxe/b-205smfl.html

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I'm really enjoying this bass! It came with roundwound Cleartone strings, which sounded good, but not the tone or feel I'm going for. I put on Labella tapewound strings, and that's more like it!

There is a lot of tone versatility, and it's easy to be expressive while playing. The neck feels good to me, and so far I'm very happy. This feels and sounds much better than a $400 bass to me.

And the spalted top is gorgeous, as you can see!
 
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#6
Bob ==

Did you "shine it up" somehow prior to taking your photos? Those pics are nicely lit, and maybe it's just the lighting that makes the body and fingerboard wood surfaces look kinda glossy...

As you know, the B-20x series come with a satin finish, and both of mine (fretted and fretless 5s) have a more matte, less shiny appearance.

I agree with your impressions of these LTD instruments. I've tried out basses in local shops costing three times what I paid for mine. The more expensive instruments may feel, play and/or sound a bit different, but I haven't found any that were obviously better (but then, I'm still kinda noobish). Frankly, I think you can get used to playing any decent bass, and once you're used to it, everything else feels odd.

I'm done checking out other basses. I have what I need, and Lucky Me, I've gotten used to playing a pair of good basses that cost just $350 each. :bassist::D:bassist:
 
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#7
No special shining up - as a former pro photographer, I know how important the proper lighting is for good pictures. It is a satin finish.

Yeah, I'm very happy with it. Prior to this, the fretless I had was a MTD CRB 5 string. That was also a very good bass with a great neck and great tone, but the single P pickup was not versatile enough for my purposes. With this bass, I can get a range of different tones. And it's a lot of fun to play!
 
#8
Your photo experience shows. The second photo down from the top (with neck pointing to right) is a beaut. The sheen on the scallop along the upper bout and strap horn would sell a lot more basses than the standard LTD promo pics do. :D

Ditto regarding tonal versatility and overall playability. I thought playing fretless was going to be a real struggle. Man, I'm all over this thing - a suprisingly natural experience, and like you say...it's actually FUN.

I like those MTD CRB basses, too. The zero-fret / Buzz Feiten features are excellent. I haven't played a CRB, but ruled them out because of the single passive split P-bass pickup. Seemed too limiting, as you say. Also, the CRBs are beyond my budget.

Thanks to the versatile features of my fretted and fretless B-205sm basses, I really don't think I need any other basses until/unless my skills and awareness develop to the point where I'm no longer satisfied with these. I think I'm safe for good long while...
 
#9
I am very happy with this bass! It's my first fretless; I've been searching for that "Jaco" sound, this has it. I can't believe that a bass of this quality is selling for only $399! It not only is a breeze to play, but looks right purty. I switched to LaBella flats, E to C, and it still growls just fine. Somebody on another posting thought that, being string- through, it needed extra-long strings, but by sending the exact ball to nut measurements to Just Bass strings, I wound up with long scale, and a perfect fit. The only slight negative is that I would prefer an Active/Passive option; the active is a little hot for some of my gear. If you have been thinking about adding a fretless 4 or 5 string to your arsenal, but don't want to spend big bucks, this is the bass for you. (No, I do not work for ESP, and am not being paid to shill their products!)
 
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#10
I have this five string monster too. I put chromes on mine and it cuts through my goregrind and death metal projects just fine (along with the help of my Avatar 212 and Henry JR linked to an SM900 ran in stereo) - it sounds great in a standalone setting and a band setting. The onboard EQ isn't the best, but the best isn't exactly needed all the time. It does a great job cutting the boomier frequencies when I need a quick fix during a song.

Always try before you buy though. This thing is great for me, but my hands are accostumed to the LTD necks and string spacings.
 
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#16
Seriously thinking about one of these. They're $479 now but that still seems ok to me. I have 2 questions; why is it so hard to find instruments without active pickups? I'm perfectly happy with passive and hate batteries. Also,are there any sound/sustain dead spots on the necks of these basses? I have a Peavey T40 and an old Yamaha semi-accoustic that both have annoying dead spots. I guess a third question would be can you get rid of dead spots? Thanks.
 
#17
I have since sold this one, and am now playing a Brice fretless short scale 5 string. The Brice basses have an active-passive pop=up volume knob. Brice basses can be found at Rondo music online. You might also be able to get a pop-up knob and figure out how to install it so that you can bypass the battery circuit.
 
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