Recommend cheap tapes for a cheap fretless?

[Horseflesh]

I just came home with a $75 fretless bass thanks to Craigslist. It is an old Washburn XB-100, and it is currently wearing rounds. I know flats or tapes are preferred for fretless though, right?

I already have rounds and flats on other instruments, so I am pretty interested in trying tapes on the ol' Washburn. Are there any good and cheap options befitting a beater bass? (Bonus points if the come in garish colors. This is actually for my wife and she would dig that!)

We are not chasing a real specific tone, just trying to get closer to that upright sound... and trying to save wear and tear on the fretboard of course.

 

[michael_t]

Are there any good and cheap options befitting a beater bass?

We are not chasing a real specific tone, just trying to get closer to that upright sound...

What's your definition of "cheap"?

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

SETS - TAPEWOUND

 

[Horseflesh]

What's your definition of "cheap"?

Fair question, $30 would do!

 

[Horseflesh]

I did order those btw @michael_t, I did not find a better price on something similar.

 

[michael_t]

I did order those btw @michael_t, I did not find a better price on something similar.

Make sure to report back and let us know how they do for your wife.

 

[Horseflesh]

The GHS tapes are in ... they are pretty cool and she likes them better than rounds. But, funny thing... right after I ordered the tapes for this cheap Washburn bass, we found another cheap fretless on Craigslist... an SX medium scale, with DR Legend strings, for $70. She much prefers the glassy feel of the DR Legends.

Sound-wise, the DR Legends and GHS tapes are both pleasantly thumpy, but if you don't roll off the high end deliberately there's still some brightness, which sounds good to me. Maybe that abates when they are more broken in.

While the tapes lost the competition, I am still glad to have them. I don't keep buying cheap basses to set them up all the same way!

 

[subdude67]

I recently bought a set of the new Warwick tape wounds, mainly because they are significantly cheaper than any other brand and that always makes me curious

Interesting strings, very different sound and feel from any other tapes I have tried. Most definitely tapes in sound but more high end and you can see and feel the windings underneath.

 

[SteveCS]

I just came home with a $75 fretless
...

Welcome to the smooth side!!

 

[HaphAsSard]

I recently bought a set of the new Warwick tape wounds, mainly because they are significantly cheaper than any other brand and that always makes me curious

Interesting strings, very different sound and feel from any other tapes I have tried. Most definitely tapes in sound but more high end and you can see and feel the windings underneath.

Did you put it on an acoustic or an electric? If the latter, how's output?

 

[subdude67]

Did you put it on an acoustic or an electric? If the latter, how's output?

I strung my P bass with them after retiring a set of GHS tapes that were on for 8 years. The output seems pretty much the same but they are brighter and feel rougher than the GHS, I keep expecting to hear finger noise, it's weird. But they are decent strings on their own, just a different flavour.

 

[JRA]

I know flats or tapes are preferred for fretless though, right?

i didn't get that memo!

since your wife is doing the heavy lifting on the fretless: she should have what she likes in terms of string type.

i'm just here to explode the myth that a certain string type is more appropriate on a fretless = no string type is more appropriate on any fretless except that which is preferred by the player!


disclosure: i only use rounds. i like rounds. all of my fretlesses love rounds!

 

[Horseflesh]

i'm just here to explode the myth that a certain string type is more appropriate on a fretless = no string type is more appropriate on any fretless except that which is preferred by the player!


disclosure: i only use rounds. i like rounds. all of my fretlesses love rounds!

Fair 'nuff. In her case, the smoother the better. We're both super new and feel is currently way more important to both of us than tone.

She liked the EB Cobalt flats on my bass, she liked the tapes on the beater Washburn, but she LOVED the sci-fi smooth DR Legends on the SX ... if there was a way to go stringless she would probably like that even more!