Agree with the recommendation for a look at the NS Design CR4 Radius. I'm not even shopping for a fretless, but if I spotted one of those at a shop, I'd absolutely HAVE to try it out.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Opinions on the 'most' Versatile Fretless?
- Thread starter Tyler Wilkins
- Start date
- Jul 7, 2010
- 3,383
- 2,311
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist for: Duncan Pickups; Line6, Hipshot, GHS Strings, Somnium Guitars
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. I've got a fretted L-2000, and I'd say that it's my most tonally versatile bass. Mind you, I don't own any "boutique" basses so I'm limited to the typical Fender/EBMM/Peavey/Ric tones.
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
I was ready to make some recommendations, without having thought about the Godin... and that stopped me dead in my tracks. I owned one of those for a few days, and think you'd be very happy. That bass covers it all, and then some. The reason I only owned mine a short while was because I got an insane deal on one on Amazon, but it came with a pickup issue. They exchanged it, and the next one also had an issue. I came to the conclusion that the insane deal had to do with that they all had issues of some sort, that's why they were selling them so cheap. In hindsight, I wish I'd have kept it. The problems were fixable.
Its a great bass. Sounds, feels and looks awesome. The ability to hook it up to a synth give is endless possibilities.
Aside from that... I've owned a handful of fretlesses, and despite how they look on paper, some aren't quite as versatile as they seem. I had a fretless Warwick Streamer Jazzman that one would think was loaded with versatility, and somehow it was almost a 1 trick pony. No matter how I EQed it, it pretty much sounded the same.
Musicman 2 pickup basses are the opposite. There is a LOT more range in their tone controls, and you get far more versatility than I've found just about any other bass I've played with the same electronics. 2 pickup Bongos, Sterlings and Stingrays can do just about anything you want them too.
I also owned a fretless Sire for a short while, and regarding bang for buck and versatility - their active basses cover a LOT of territory. I got rid of mine because it felt like it weighed around 11 pounds, and because for some reason I couldn't get used to the electronics layout. I had a really rough time getting the same sound twice (the variable mid made it tough for me), but I loved the sounds the bass was capable of.
I've got a Carvin LB70p that has the J Neck/MM bridge pickups and piezo bridge. Between the pickups, the eq, and hand placement, it can get a huge range of sounds.
With this in mind, I would add another vote for the Portamento (SRF700/705).
My reasons are that it is one of the few basses designed from the ground up as a fretless instrument. The neck has proper dimensions with a thicker fingerboard compared to the more typical standard neck sans frets. The pickup system is probably the most cohesive integration of Magnetic and Piezo of any I've ever played. The pickups all sound great solo but I thought the blends were very 'musical' and natural - often mag and piezo can sound 'synthetic' together, but not here, IMHO. Finally, at the time when I played them - about 3 years ago - the fingerboards were probably the best-finished 'factory' fingerboards available outside of 'boutiques', but I can't speak for the latest crop of TF Precisions, which seem to get good press...
YMMV...
I own a Sire V7 Fretless and it's an amazing bass for the budget price.
I can speak to the TF P bass..
. My criticism of course being said with full love of it and my jaco jazz bass, both of which I wouldn't trade for the world:It does have the typical problems of the typical P bass "conversion", meaning without frets: the slightly unnaturally low bridge saddle settings, where the low break angle lets the saddles wiggle a bit, and the goofy problem up at the nut. Where, to get the string height close enough to the board, you have to carve somewhat of a groove into the wood on the headstock side to accomodate the slant of the string down to the tuning pegs.
The Jaco Artist has the same set of problems.
I just think of it as part of the "charm" of a fretless jazz or precision,
, both of which were designed to be fretted basses from the get-go.the Ibanez is definitely a better design as a fretless bass....
L
All I can add is that a fretless electric with a piezo option is unbelievably versatile.
Don't know if you can still order them with piezo option, but my Carvin Icon 5 fretless is the most versatile, and best, fretless I've ever owned.
5 string, hard as nails board (so it's coated, basically), 3 band eq with variable mid frequency, passive mode, 2 J99A pickups (single coil jazz pickups, really good ones), piezo bridge, pan between pickups, pan between piezo and mag pickups.
It's crazy good. And being carvin/keisel, you can order their basses with various neck profiles, woods, finishes, options... etc.
I highly recommend carvin/keisel from personal experience.
5 string, hard as nails board (so it's coated, basically), 3 band eq with variable mid frequency, passive mode, 2 J99A pickups (single coil jazz pickups, really good ones), piezo bridge, pan between pickups, pan between piezo and mag pickups.
It's crazy good. And being carvin/keisel, you can order their basses with various neck profiles, woods, finishes, options... etc.
I highly recommend carvin/keisel from personal experience.
a jaco style fretless and good right hand technique will get you a lot of versatility.
i've never found neck or P pickups to have any real useful sounds from a fretless. the sound is just so mushy, it disappears in the mix. for me at least.
60's position bridge pickup and a passive tone control can give you a lot more than you'd think, especially is you use your right hand to create different articulations.
i've never found neck or P pickups to have any real useful sounds from a fretless. the sound is just so mushy, it disappears in the mix. for me at least.
60's position bridge pickup and a passive tone control can give you a lot more than you'd think, especially is you use your right hand to create different articulations.
I'll second the Carvin/Kiesel LB70-P
I had one for 10 years, great instrument and a bargain. Between the J style neck pickup, MM style bridge pickup, and the Piezo circuit in the bridge... the soundscape was endless. I could grab anything from the Jaco nasal to a very close approximation of an upright (and I own an upright) with the Piezo unit.
The only reason I sold mine was that I went all 5-string and just wasn't playing it anymore.
<edit> just remembered this existed. The bass is long since sold, but good demo (not me playing)
Kiesel isn't showing the P-Series electronics option on his site anymore, but I'd bet if you call he still offers it
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I had one for 10 years, great instrument and a bargain. Between the J style neck pickup, MM style bridge pickup, and the Piezo circuit in the bridge... the soundscape was endless. I could grab anything from the Jaco nasal to a very close approximation of an upright (and I own an upright) with the Piezo unit.
The only reason I sold mine was that I went all 5-string and just wasn't playing it anymore.
<edit> just remembered this existed. The bass is long since sold, but good demo (not me playing)
Kiesel isn't showing the P-Series electronics option on his site anymore, but I'd bet if you call he still offers it
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I would also say the Carvin/Kiesel is a great option. I had 3 Carvins, all unlined FL with ebony boards - a Bunny Brunel 4, a 6 and Bromberg 5. I can't say enough good about them, I could just go on forever about them. I only don't own them anymore due to an accidental loss of them last summer.
L
L
My L2000 is swamp ash...7.3 lbs!This is the splitting image of my old L2K (may she R.I.P.). When I get another one, I'm hoping swamp ash will still be available and I can get another "mapleglo" just like this one...
L
I have been insisting for years that used carvin basses are the best bang for the buck.
the fretless ones with their "hard as nails" epoxy are fantastic.
I do, however, strongly encourage all carvin owners to replace all the electronics. I finally did so and can't believe I was using such trash for so long.
I only call it trash in comparison to how my bass sounds now, with nordstrand pickups and preamp... nearly anything is better than those carvin pickups. specifically, on 6 strings the neck pickups did not pick up the outer strings that well, and the bridge pickups are seriously lacking in low end.
excellent choice regardless, because the pickup upgrade can be done at a later date. (or, if you like them, keep em!)
