Should I restring my fretless for a concert?

[EliasA]

I am playing a jazz concert with the big band next month. I am keeping my three-month-old roundwounds and playing close to the neck with a rolled-off tone for double bass sounds. There is one song on the set where a punchy bass tone (reason for the rounds) is needed. Should I quit the rounds, or keep aging them?

 

[Geri O]

For me, I keep aging them. I think you can roll the tone back up for the punch you need. Also, try playing the part closer to the bridge, maybe?

I take off used round wound from my fretted basses and use them for my fretless and if I need to change strings.

And I dread that change, honestly. But if the strings on the fretless won't stay in tune or intonate properly (which is a most vague proposition with a fretless bass, but it can be done), then I change them to a more-recent set of used strings. And they eventually go thumpy-dead, then it's time to change them. We're talking many months and longer if I don't use the fretless much for a while.

 

[EliasA]

T

For me, I keep aging them. I think you can roll the tone back up for the punch you need. Also, try playing the part closer to the bridge, maybe?

I take off used round wound from my fretted basses and use them for my fretless and if I need to change strings.

And I dread that change, honestly. But if the strings on the fretless won't stay in tune or intonate properly (which is a most vague proposition with a fretless bass, but it can be done), then I change them to a more-recent set of used strings. And they eventually go thumpy-dead, then it's time to change them. We're talking many months and longer if I don't use the fretless much for a while.

Thanks so much for replying, it's my 100th-odd day of reading but first posting. What I have been doing is moving my hand and the tone, and it's working. It will sound better as the strings age. BTW, my bass is an Ibanez SR370E fretless, in case you were curious. Thanks for the help!

 

[hasbeen]

For me, I keep aging them. I think you can roll the tone back up for the punch you need. Also, try playing the part closer to the bridge, maybe?

I take off used round wound from my fretted basses and use them for my fretless and if I need to change strings.

And I dread that change, honestly. But if the strings on the fretless won't stay in tune or intonate properly (which is a most vague proposition with a fretless bass, but it can be done), then I change them to a more-recent set of used strings. And they eventually go thumpy-dead, then it's time to change them. We're talking many months and longer if I don't use the fretless much for a while.

Hah!! I do the same thing. I change strings on my main fretted bass around every 12 hours of play. I set them aside to put on one of my fretless basses.

The two basses on my avatar are a 6 string Zon fretless and a 6 string Ken Smith fretted. The Zon always gets the Smith's hand me downs.

 

[EliasA]

Cool! Glad to know this is normal, it'll work out great.

 

[Geri O]

I am playing a jazz concert with the big band next month. I am keeping my three-month-old roundwounds and playing close to the neck with a rolled-off tone for double bass sounds. There is one song on the set where a punchy bass tone (reason for the rounds) is needed. Should I quit the rounds, or keep aging them?

Done that concert yet?

 

[EliasA]

Done that concert yet?

Nah, it's May 1st. I just think ahead because it's what I'm practicing for. I'll update you when it happens.

 

[Geri O]

Nah, it's May 1st. I just think ahead because it's what I'm practicing for. I'll update you when it happens.

Excellent! And thanx!

I look forward to hearing about it!

Good luck!

 

[blr2]

When I gigged, I always changed rounds a day before a gig (we did no mere than two gigs a month with my last band). I'd do a rehearsal the day before, sound check and then the gig itself on a fresh set. I felt like I owe it to the public that paid to see us.

 

[EliasA]

Excellent! And thanx!

I look forward to hearing about it!

Good luck!

Wow! That was amazing! We played four songs, we being 4 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone, two euphonia, four trombones, five C trumpets, two alternating drummers/conga boys, one shaker boy, two alternating pianists, and me and my friend the upright! I have never turned an amp up that high. I will send clips as soon as I can. But yeah, I think I sounded okay. I didn't have an opportunity to practice at the venue beforehand, so I was adjusting my mids and treble on the fly. But it was great.

 

[Geri O]

Wow! That was amazing! We played four songs, we being 4 altos, 2 tenors, 1 baritone, two euphonia, four trombones, five C trumpets, two alternating drummers/conga boys, one shaker boy, two alternating pianists, and me and my friend the upright! I have never turned an amp up that high. I will send clips as soon as I can. But yeah, I think I sounded okay. I didn't have an opportunity to practice at the venue beforehand, so I was adjusting my mids and treble on the fly. But it was great.

Glad you were able to report on the concert. Aren't those kind of events cool!

 

[EliasA]

Yeah! We were at the local ritzy hotel (Hilton) in their "ballroom" which had a stage, though we were on the ground right in front of the people with the empty stage behind us. I was surprisingly not shaken by having dozens of people pointing cameras at me, as I get when I sing with the choir, but rather my fingers were exhausted from playing for an hour straight. I need to build endurance for the three-hour gigs that are going to be my future!

 

[EliasA]

Glad you were able to report on the concert. Aren't those kind of events cool!

Have a look at the concert!

 

[Geri O]

Have a look at the concert!

Wow, the director threw a Bill Chase tune at you guys??

Love it!!

This so reminds me of the days with my Jazz trumpeter/bandirector father and playing that tune in stage band. Ahhh, geez, this was 1975. In stage band, we did a couple of Chase tunes (that Bill Chase personally gave the arrangements to my dad when Chase appeared in our town for a concert) and a bunch of the usual stage band-style stuff (Maynard Ferguson and Don Ellis tossed at us to scare us...... It was so great. I sorely miss those days, 50 years later!).

You guys keep at it!