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Rounds or Flats on a fretless??

#21
I torn here...

I just got a Warwick Streamer Jazzman with flats on it and I really really want to put rounds on, but don't want to mess with the neck. What exactly is entailed in resurfacing a fretboard if it ever winds up needing it? Is it expensive? Does it alter the neck in any way? I love the action on this bass and it's comletely buzz free. Want more top end though. Want more mwahhhh.

Plugging in here.
 
#23
Joe Nerve said:
I torn here...

I just got a Warwick Streamer Jazzman with flats on it and I really really want to put rounds on, but don't want to mess with the neck. What exactly is entailed in resurfacing a fretboard if it ever winds up needing it? Is it expensive? Does it alter the neck in any way? I love the action on this bass and it's comletely buzz free. Want more top end though. Want more mwahhhh.

Plugging in here.
Click to expand...

Depends. Usually when the fingerboard has too many worn spots, ya just sand it down enough for it to be level with the worn spots, which doesn't take away that much wood. Once this process occurs a few times, then you'll need to replace the fingerboard.
 
#24
Joe Nerve said:
I torn here...

I just got a Warwick Streamer Jazzman with flats on it and I really really want to put rounds on, but don't want to mess with the neck. What exactly is entailed in resurfacing a fretboard if it ever winds up needing it? Is it expensive? Does it alter the neck in any way? I love the action on this bass and it's comletely buzz free. Want more top end though. Want more mwahhhh.

Plugging in here.
Click to expand...

Hey Joe, greetings from Brooklyn!

Warwick uses Ebony for their fretless fingerboards, which is a very hard wood, so it shouldn't show wear & tear too quickly. Just remember to use nickel rounds & not stainless steel.

Here are the fretless care instructions from Pedulla. Their basses are a bit different from Warwicks, but it's worth a read. A layer of poly would probably give you more top end & you could just apply a note coat once wear & tear began to show. Just a thought.

FINGERBOARD CARE
The coating on a Buzz fretless ebony fingerboard is polyester. We suggest using a nickel wound string as it is less abrasive on the finish. After playing, clean it by wiping it down with a soft, clean, dry, cloth. You will find that the finish will scratch or mark. Never fear, this is normal and will not affect the playability of the bass. With normal wear and tear, this finish will usually last 2 to 6 yrs, at which time it will simply need recoating. It is time to re-coat when the finish actually wears through to the fingerboard.

If you have a Rapture or Thunderbolt with a maple fingerboard, it is coated with a hard polyester finish. There is no need to apply oils or wax. To clean, simply wipe down with a soft, clean, dry cloth after each playing.
Use a fine Scotch Brite pad to remove build-up of grime.

For all other models, with uncoated fingerboards: Each time you change your strings you should clean the fingerboard (with a fine Scotch Brite pad or a cloth, no steel wool or Brillo) and apply a fine coat of oil (tung oil mixtures are best). Let dry a few minutes, then wipe all excess oil from the fingerboard. This helps maintain the stability of the neck by slowing moisture travel to and from the surface of the fingerboard.
Click to expand...
 
#28
dear collegues,
my choice for frettless bass strings for studio and live since the mid eighties are:
Dr. Tomastik ( infeld wien, austria).
usualy this company makes strings for orchester classical instruments.
they are very smooth have a wonderfull singing tone and give you the right feel to play that you need for expressive frettless phrasings.
the wearing is minimal, so i play one set for almost a year.
the marks on the neck are o.k. , but dont forget: you are always wearing something, whether the neck or your frets. when its too much you give the bass to a master craftsmen and he fixes it for you.
p.s. flatwounds or halfswounds have are -sick- playingwise..... try the dr. tomastik and you will be happy...........
 
#29
I have a hard time getting used to Tomastiks. They're much lighter than other strings and "roll" under my fingers, which is an odd sensation & not something my rough hands are used to. I ended up switching back, I didn't find the tonal difference between them & other flats to be great enough, but maybe I just lacked patience...
 
#32
For the past 3 years I have had rounds on my Fretless Jazz bass... Sound>Looks obviously so I would go with rounds all the way. That is if you like the round wound sound better...

There are some lines, but like some else said they don't get much worse after a certain point and do not effect the sound at all.
 
#33
I have a Warwick LX5 that (to me) sounds better with roundwounds than flats. I haven't tried a set of chromes on it yet. Currently it has a set of DR black coated strings; they're very slinky and look very good.
 
#34
spade2you said:
Depends. Usually when the fingerboard has too many worn spots, ya just sand it down enough for it to be level with the worn spots, which doesn't take away that much wood. Once this process occurs a few times, then you'll need to replace the fingerboard.
Click to expand...

Ditto... go for the sound you want regardless of IF it digs into the fingerboard. It probably takes 3 or more years before you'll think about needing to redress a fingerboard.

Roundwounds are my preferred fretless sound. I play nothing but fretless too. Flats are dead sounding in my opinion. I'd rather play a tone I like than worry that the strings are scratching the board.
 
#36
Woogles said:
Maybe try stainless steel rounds because i heard that they were smoothers. Not 100% sure tho.
Click to expand...

Not in my experience. I avoid stainless rounds due to their abrasive feel and greater tendancy to cause fingerboard wear. Nickle rounds are much smoother.

To the OP: I've played fretless exclusively for over fifteen years, and to my ear, rounds are the ticket on a fretless, but it depends on the sound you're after.

Rounds are articulate and growly, with lots of that famous fretless "mwah," excellent sustain, and bell-like harmonics. IMO, they offer fretless players a far greater range of tonal versatility and expressiveness. You can use muting techniques and EQ to dull rounds, but nothing will add real articulation and endless sustain to muddy, thumpy flats, but I'm generally not a fan of "old school" bass tone, so YMMV.

Re: Board wear and rounds. If your technique is good, and your fingerboard is made from an appropriate hardwood, it's basically a non-issue, but too much left hand pressure and/or string bending will eat up the board prematurely.
 
#37
The age old question!!! You have to ask yourself what brought you to the fretless in the 1st pace? Do you listen to Jaco? Richard Bona? Alain Caron? Mick Karn? That is the roundwound sound. Full, bright , complex with equal parts punch and mmmwwwaaahhh! If it is the upright thing you crave then flats or tapewound will help get you there. I am from the roundwound camp myself and like many, initially worried about my fretboard. I tried half rounds and groundwounds but foud them to have more in common with the flats. I have been playing fretless now for 14 years all with rounds an have never looked back. Don't even worry about those little marks they make on the fretboard. It's going to take you years to wear that baby out unless it is your only bass and you play it all the time and even then...
Bottom line, "Get the tone you want"
 
#38
Joe Nerve said:
I torn here...

What exactly is entailed in resurfacing a fretboard if it ever winds up needing it? Is it expensive? Does it alter the neck in any way? I love the action on this bass and it's comletely buzz free. Want more top end though. Want more mwahhhh.

Plugging in here.
Click to expand...
I've resufaced quite a few fingerboards and it takes about 3 to 4 hours time, dissassembly, sanding, reassembly, new nut, reintonation, etc.

Expensive is not in the picture. It is what it is. I generally charge accordingly by hour and can get a player back in synch with their neck (playabilty) so they don't notice any difference at all in their original playability. So, an estimated $300 and it's back in your hands, including shipping. This is all based upon salvagability of an existing neck/fingerboard.
 
#40
Gordon of Eden said:
Yes!!! They [DR Low Riders] are fantastic. I keep trying other things and always come back to them.
Click to expand...

I like em too, but once I tried DR Sunbeams I never looked back. They're the same as DR nickle Low Riders, but they have a round, rather than hex, core and seem tonally richer, a bit warmer, and more complex sounding with no loss of articulation. The only caveat being that they have less tension, so they're not ideal with shorter scale lengths or floppy B-strings.
 

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