Pulling the dadgum trigger, need advice.

[Sixgunn]

I have two fretless basses and both are strung with steel rounds. No fretboard damage of any significance and the sound cannot be beat

 

[two fingers]

Between "pulling the trigger" and "biting the bullet" I thought this was another gun thread and got excited!


Oh, and, Chromes all day long.

 

[angrychair]

half rounds are basically roundwounds ground flat

 

[Steve Dallman]

I used to have a fretless Fender P bass...late 70's. I didn't want to damage the maple fingerboard, so I tried a set of Fender filament wound roundwounds. They wrapped a black filament around rounds. They looked and felt like nylon flats, but sounded like rounds. Perfect.

Then I switched to a 5 string. I built mine and used bubinga for the fingerboard. I didn't want to use rounds, so I used Labella tapewounds for years, but wished for a more round sound. I tried many othe flats, and ground and half wounds, but kept going back to the Labellas.

A few months ago, I tried Ernie Ball Cobalt flats. Brightest and most complex flats I've ever tried. They'll do the job. I plan on keeping them. Closer to round tone, but still flat. We'll see how they last. The Labellas sounded the same for years.

 

[kopio]

I use DR Fatbeams on my fretless....but then again it's a Squier....it has an ebonal fretboard. It's become my favorite bass. I threw an Audere 3 band preamp in it and upgraded to Bartolini split coils and it sounds amazing. I personally like the sound I get from the ebanol...and I never have to worry about rutting it out.

If you want the mwah sound to it's fullest, you've got to use round wounds...You can still get some mwah with others, but not quite the same. If you want the Jaco vibe/sound go for stainless rounds.

 

[Fingerpickingood]

The G&L has a treated ebony fretboard. I've decided to stick with rounds. Gotta have zzzing.

 

[ThePresident777]

I'm biting the bullet and dropping (to me) a substantial amount of cash on a high-end used fretless. I know there are TB members who can buy and sell me, but I'm a blue collar fella, so... Anywho, it's currently strung with rounds. I don't know what brand, gauge, etc. I worry about this, because I've witnessed a fair amount of vitriol regarding rounds on a fretless. Should I get flats? What brand? What gauge? (It's a fiver). What the heck are half rounds? Tape wounds? HELP!!!

Tape wounds have a nylon wrap. They have a very mellow sound and low tension. I guess they would be the safest coice for your fret board. You may as well buy a pack and try them because everything else has more tension. If it turns out you love the sound and feel of tape wounds then you'll be home. Otherwise, you can go up from there.

Flat wounds have a stainless steal ribbon wrap and in general have more tension than round wounds. The LaBella 1954s are the highest tension strings I have tried, Rotosound Jazz 77 second, D'Addario Chromes third, and Ernie Ball fourth after they break in.

 

[superheavydeathmetal]

I have played this particular one quite extensively, as it has been sitting in my local GC for the past four months. I REALLY, REALLY LOVE this bass. I've been GASsing for a fretless for quite some time.

Go get it! Work out the details later. There is plenty of knowledge here to guide you along.

 

[SongySan]

Get a set of TI Jazz Flats. Yes, they're expensive, but you'll save money in the long run. They have the best feel and tone of any strings I've used.