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The best fretless bass
- Thread starter Cory rich40
- Start date
Portamento aren't "the best" but they're darn sure good enough for me! If you're worried about QC play before you buy or buy from a seller with a good return policy.
Can't recommend Warmoth highly enough. I commented elsewhere recently I had very limited fretless experience until I found a used Warmoth locally. Holy crap is it good. As a fretted player I rarely put it down. Mwah for days. I have played some Warmoth tele and strat necks in the past and was equally impressed. Customization options on their website are mind blowing!
A fretless USA MusicMan Sterling or Fretless Stingray 5. Best fretlesses EVER. IMHO of course.
Another yes vote for Warwick. I babysat a Warwick fretless unlined Standard Corvette four string for a couple of years when things were shut down. NICE action and playability, and tones for days. I would make an offer on it if it was an active fiver.
If was to get a new fretlass it would be a MTD 535 built to order. But at my age and now only play a couple of times a month mostly for $100/2hrs + tip jar and free beer and food, hard to justify --- not that I can't afford one (or two
)! My buddy has an old '90s Tobias and it is the nicest neck I 've ever felt. And great tones.
I have an unlined fretless '77 Ripper 4 banger bought new and is my baby. She weighs a ton, but not a prob for me!
If was to get a new fretlass it would be a MTD 535 built to order. But at my age and now only play a couple of times a month mostly for $100/2hrs + tip jar and free beer and food, hard to justify --- not that I can't afford one (or two
)! My buddy has an old '90s Tobias and it is the nicest neck I 've ever felt. And great tones.I have an unlined fretless '77 Ripper 4 banger bought new and is my baby. She weighs a ton, but not a prob for me!
If you're in no rush needing one for a band/gig, I'd try out every fretless you can until you find the one. Unless you wanna try and buy online with return policies or don't mind reselling. Other than the buying online part, it's kind of like upright shopping. I tried as many locally as I could then travelled and tried as many as I could for my upright, before finding mine. Or like buying any bass pre-internet lol.
On another note, I can't hold onto any fretless basses, though I grew up on them. My favorites have been my 2 parts basses though, both FSOs. The worst of them all were the stock Fenders. If I were to buy a fretless now, I'd probably seek out a used MTD Kingston 5. My current fretted electrics are MTD Kingston CRB5 and a Bassmods K534.
On another note, I can't hold onto any fretless basses, though I grew up on them. My favorites have been my 2 parts basses though, both FSOs. The worst of them all were the stock Fenders. If I were to buy a fretless now, I'd probably seek out a used MTD Kingston 5. My current fretted electrics are MTD Kingston CRB5 and a Bassmods K534.
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Tricky to choose, so much depends on the neck and fingerboard. If I were buying another fretless I'd want to play it first.
As a fretless BFR owner, I'd say just bite the bullet. It's incredible.
However…
Less than a BFR. Even less if you went with a plain maple neck instead of the flamed neck I chose here.
Can't believe you'd be disappointed.
However…
Less than a BFR. Even less if you went with a plain maple neck instead of the flamed neck I chose here.
Can't believe you'd be disappointed.
The Warwick is looking better and better. Will it give me a modern sound?
I have owned so many fretless basses. Some include Fender, Kramer, Ken Smith, Roscoe, Sadowsky, NS Design and more…..
But the one that is my keeper and favorite is my current one. A rare (in the US) Crews Maniac Sound Jackson5 Fretless. Made in Japan primarily for the Japanese market, this bass is amazing! Sports EMG pickups and preamp and an amazing coated ebony fretboard.
Out of all the fretless basses I have owned this one has the most beautiful tone, growl and mwah!
Low End Lobster did a review of it and I will post it below
But the one that is my keeper and favorite is my current one. A rare (in the US) Crews Maniac Sound Jackson5 Fretless. Made in Japan primarily for the Japanese market, this bass is amazing! Sports EMG pickups and preamp and an amazing coated ebony fretboard.
Out of all the fretless basses I have owned this one has the most beautiful tone, growl and mwah!
Low End Lobster did a review of it and I will post it below
Honestly? I have no idea... My options are very seriously constrained, since;
1. I really need a lined fretless, if I want to do without frets. Being almost-but-not-completely tone-deaf, that's pretty much my only option. And,
2. I'm left handed; very left handed.
So, I'm fishing in a really small pond, for what I want. Fortunately, though I've managed to get my hands on 4 of them. I really like all of them, but as for which one is the "best"? Depends on your definition of "best". So, what are they?
1. '24 Birdsong Fusion. Very custom bass-even for them. 31" scale; heartwood walnut body; ebony fingerboard and scratchplate; one of their custom-wound humbucker pickups. Very well balanced at 8.13 lbs; very easy to play, but... try not to look at it too much. You'll get distracted...
2. '93 Fury Anthem. Fury was a one-man company in Saskatchewan. A sort of mad genius, who made almost everything but strings and tuner posts himself, by himself, in his basement. Mine is... amazing. 32" scale; maple body and neck; Pau Ferro fingerboard. At 8.9 lbs., it's heavier than it looks, but stupid easy to play. Perfectly balanced, too - on my shoulder, anyway. It's only real "flaws"? Pau Ferro, IMO, is almost too soft for an electric fretless's fingerboard. And, even though it's never worn anything but tape wounds, that fingerboard shows a lot of wear. It's only other "Flaw" is that it's always worn tapes - because it was designed to never wear anything else. I put a set of TIJF's on it, shortly after I got it, and... I pray to GOD that I never hear noises like that, ever again. But, with a set of Roto TruBass 88 Tapes? Sounds like what it was designed to do; sound as much like an upright bass as an electric bass can get... The company owner died in 1998; good luck trying to find one....
3. '23 G&L Kiloton lined fretless. A Custom Shop bass, since it's a lefty fretless. It has all the virtues and vices of an American Kiloton, but as a fretless bass with an Ebony fingerboard? Definitely a good playing - and - sounding workhorse bass. You could play anything on it; any where - and any time. Mine wears La Bella LTF-4A low tension flats. Plays like... well, hate to say it, but - "plays like buttah"...
4. '23 Schecter Stiletto Studio 4FL. My only active fretless. I bought my first active bass late in my life, so TBH? Still not convinced that "active" is all that desirable a thing. Still... the Schecter is a very nice bass. At 9.25lbs., it's not light; not all that well balanced, either. But, I have basses that are worse, and still like them anyway. Same with the reach to the upper frets (if it had any); not quite as hard as my Gibson T-Bird, but... not far behind. Came stock with EB Group IV Flats, and I see no need at all to change them... So;
Which of mine do I think is "the Best"? Well, the Birdsong Fusion is the most expensive - and it shows. For some of what I like to play, the Fury Anthem rules them all. For just playing anything I want - even without caring if it's a fretless? I most always reach for the G&L Kiloton. As for the Schecter? Well... not at all sorry I bought it, but it is the "hardest" to play. And, I'm still trying to decide if 2 batteries and (to me) busy controls are a benefit - or not...
I thought this had been settled already
The Steinberger XL-II fretless is the best fretless bass made:
The Steinberger XL-II fretless is the best fretless bass made:
Borrowed and played a 5 string converted fretless back in the 90's for a high school musical. It was weird for me (because it was the first fretless electric bass AND first 5 string I'd ever played) but pulled the whole performance off without a hitch. Sounded great.
Even though I have a Pedulla Buzz which at one point is one of the best fretless bass, my parts bass with an unlined ebony necks weighing 7.5 lbs, pickups, badass bridge and East J tone preamp is the better bass. Looks and pedigree wise the Pedulla wins, flame maple and an Orange burst neck through. But it is heavy about 2+ lbs more . I also prefer non painted necks. On my parts bass, the AllParts neck was perfected by my luthier. I am not an unlined freak but the feel of jus matte ebony feel better than the epoxied board as well.
In the early 1990, I did borrow a German Corvette bass fretless. Felt nice but I remember them to be heavy and the MEC electronics was not that great compared to the Bartolini in my Pedulla and modified Kramer, plis they did not balance well. Only the made in Germany was its saving grace that justified its price.
In the early 1990, I did borrow a German Corvette bass fretless. Felt nice but I remember them to be heavy and the MEC electronics was not that great compared to the Bartolini in my Pedulla and modified Kramer, plis they did not balance well. Only the made in Germany was its saving grace that justified its price.
The Sires are nice basses, especially for the price. I have a fretless V7, and it played really well right out of the box.
But I am a tinkerer, and I didn't like the control layout. It is just too cramped and awkward IMO, and the 60hz hum when soloing either pickup was annoying me, so I replaced the pickups and preamp, which means spending a little more cash on top of the bass itself.
I did get it from Thomann before all of the import prices went up though, so it was still a bargain.
But I am a tinkerer, and I didn't like the control layout. It is just too cramped and awkward IMO, and the 60hz hum when soloing either pickup was annoying me, so I replaced the pickups and preamp, which means spending a little more cash on top of the bass itself.
I did get it from Thomann before all of the import prices went up though, so it was still a bargain.
I also love this fretless 5 that was made by a TB'er
Before the JTone and Barts. Parts bass
Upgraded a few weeks ago. The sound in my head, Classic Barts, JTone
Before the JTone and Barts. Parts bass
Upgraded a few weeks ago. The sound in my head, Classic Barts, JTone
edwinhurwitz
Supporting Member
The best fretless I've played was the fretless neck on a double neck Alembic. It was perfect. But, not mine, heavy, and expensive.
Here's a shot:
The best one I've owned was made by David King. Definitely not an off the shelf instrument. Super comfortable, very lightweight, and excellent tone. If I had to do it over, though, I would have gotten an ebony fingerboard.
Here's a shot:
The best one I've owned was made by David King. Definitely not an off the shelf instrument. Super comfortable, very lightweight, and excellent tone. If I had to do it over, though, I would have gotten an ebony fingerboard.
I purchased a fretless Marleaux Contra 5 on here earlier this year, and it is the smoothest playing instrument I think I've ever used. Like, frustratingly so. I have some other (really nice) instruments that just pale in comparison.
Obviously I play a fretless SR4 - if I had a SUB just lying around, and even knowing that I would end up with a lined board, I would probably go the defret route. At least I could get the lines colour-matched to the rosewood.
If that wasn't an option I would probably go with the Portamento. I've played a few over the years and theyv'e all been very good. I like the extended range of the fingerboard, I liked the feel of the necks and the AeroSilk piezo system is, IMHO, one of the better ones both on it's own and in how it blends with the magnetic pickups.
I have a fretless Corvette that sounds good but I don't really play it much because the ergonomics don't work for me: the super-light Ash body is great as an idea but it means the thing overall is head-heavy. If you decide on a Corvette make sure the body is heavy enough to counter neck-dive. But keep in mind that even the $$ version won't sound like a StingRay, if that is what you want.
The SIRE play well but I really can't get on with the preamps. For all the options and apparent flexibility I've never been able to find any satisfactory settings. Not only that, I've tried a lot of SIRE at all price points and in every case I've noticed that the stack knobs are sticky - turn the top and the bottom goes with it; turn the bottom and the top also moves. Also, I don't like lined, bound and gloss-coated fingerboards, but that is just a personal preference.
Can't comment on those.
Extremely light, the pre is quite versatile, has a true bypass passive switch (can play with no battery in it). The tuners are a great design, it was a quick task to get it set up the way I want. I'm surprised how happy I am with it.
