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Rounds on a fretless?

bigtiny

bigtiny

In Memoriam
Jun 20, 2010
196
96
Cambridge, MA
#1
Hi all,

I recently purchases a MTD Artist fretless bass. I was rather surprised that it was strung in the factory with rounds. My understanding (maybe mistakenly) is that rounds tend to chew up the fretboard on a fretless.

So, is this just a myth?

bigtiny
 
#2
I always put rounds on mine.....I love the additional high end and mwah they add (in my opinion)

BUT - I have had both of ky necks coated so the scuffing effects the coating NOT the neck.....

you may want to consider it.....if you are interested, PM me and I can givew you the name of a great guy who can do it for you.
 
#3
Rounds are harder on a fingerboard than flats... and they have a different sound.
If you like that sound, use rounds. That's what I do.
In terms of "how much should I worry" - if you play your bass, strung with rounds, a lot, you may need to get the fingerboard levelled after 5 years. That'll cost about $100, about the cost of a few sets of strings.
So IMO, the "danger" and "cost" is overstated. Play the strings that give you the sound you want.
 
#4
It's a common misconception that rounds will mess up a fingerboard. They will wear on a fingerboard more than flats, but the degree to which they do can be extremely minimal. An aggressive fretting hand and a rough set of flats will eat up a fingerboard faster than a light touch with a fairly smooth set of rounds. Most of the typical sound that we associate with fretless (that "mwah") is done by players using rounds.
 
#7
bigtiny said:
Hi all,

I recently purchases a MTD Artist fretless bass. I was rather surprised that it was strung in the factory with rounds. My understanding (maybe mistakenly) is that rounds tend to chew up the fretboard on a fretless.

So, is this just a myth?

bigtiny
Click to expand...

it's the best sound EVER. there is wear and tear on any bass just by playing it. your bass is a tool, use it. :bassist:
 
#13
I use GHS Pressurewounds on my fretless (VFL-equipped Peavey Foundation...I honestly forgot the year) after using Fender tapewounds and DR Nickel Lo-Riders. Pressurewounds have a great in the middle sound to them, while retaining the best characteristics of rounds and flats. They sound great, play great, and are relatively inexpensive (roughly $23 with shipping on eBay).
 
#14
I put rounds on my fretless. This one here has a rosewood fretboard.

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Here's a couple of sound bytes ...

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#15
This does seem to crop up a lot, doesn't it?

I use flatwounds on all of my fretless basses, with the exception of the Barker B1six .... that bass has DR HiBeams, which sound wonderful on the Barker. I don't see any more damage to the fingerboard that that caused by flats.

Here's a fairly new studio clip with the Barker using the DR's :cool:

http://egoode.fileave.com/Kelly/Track01.mp3
 
#16
pointbass said:
This does seem to crop up a lot, doesn't it?
Click to expand...

Like anything else, there doesn't seem to be much agreement either way and the debate hasn't been settled.

A lot depends on the string (some are harsher than others), technique, fingerboard hardness, and (perhaps most importantly) the amount of time spent on that instrument. I tend to notice that most people who primarily play fretless will use rounds on something coated or semisythetic or they simply use flatwounds.

If mwah is the ultimate goal, yes rounds are best, but I find that the semisynthetic fingerboards or something coated will have even more than just bare wood.
 
#17
spade2you said:
Like anything else, there doesn't seem to be much agreement either way and the debate hasn't been settled.

A lot depends on the string (some are harsher than others), technique, fingerboard hardness, and (perhaps most importantly) the amount of time spent on that instrument. I tend to notice that most people who primarily play fretless will use rounds on something coated or semisythetic or they simply use flatwounds.

If mwah is the ultimate goal, yes rounds are best, but I find that the semisynthetic fingerboards or something coated will have even more than just bare wood.
Click to expand...

+1

Like most things in life there are as many choices as there are people. The one you don't mention is the one I use. Namely to use "ground wound" (also called "half-round") strings. These are round wound strings that are ground smooth on the outside.

They are a compromise. They aren't as bright as true rounds but still much brighter than flats while eliminating fingerboard chews.

Works for me.
 
#19
TolerancEJ said:
I haven't tried tapewounds. Does it create a smoother tone?

For that matter, I haven't used the vinyl/plastic coated strings either. What is the effect on a bass's tone with these?
Click to expand...

I had Status nylon tape hotwire strings on my fretted headless
and it made nice smooth AND deep tones
but wasn't great for slap (well at least not for thump)
If you want a more smooth uprighty sound
a set of flats or tapewounds will do the trick
 

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