I've been looking at the chinese fretless too.
Was there something noticeably wrong with yours?
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Was there something noticeably wrong with yours?
LennyJG
Good point!
Jaco played in the band Las Olas Brass a soul cover band back in Ft Lauderdale with his fretless. If he can do it, we all can try.
LennyJ
Hey fretless crew, I've looked at the couple threads on the NS Designs CR Radius fretless basses, but curious if anyone has experience beyond what's been posted?
New users?
They look and sound so cool.
There's this vid and then one with Bathiki and Ned himself. Any others?
New users?
They look and sound so cool.
There's this vid and then one with Bathiki and Ned himself. Any others?
Chinese Sadowsky's are hit or miss. They ALL need the VTC upgrade circuit. I have purchased many older units and done multiple upgrades to sort them out. Once done they were exceptional. But at the price point they're at for new models, it's expected that the instrument would be flawless.
Not saying a fretless wouldn't work in my cover band situation. Just saying I'm too lazy to make it work.
Sounds almost too fretless. Too much mwah for my taste. Beautiful and intriguing instruments though.
On my theoretical quest for an all-in-one this is top of list. It does what my fretless jb and my RA can do in one instrument, albeit sure not precisely/exactly, but this is the best combo of a mag jazz type (but humbucking) with a piezo type fretless I've seen.
This is def a "don't need but would love to play for a month" bass in my world.
My Rob Allen Mouse 30 was the best "upright" bass I had. I wish I still had it. For standards and when you wanted to sound like a mic'ed upright bass you couldn't beat that.
For other fretless sounds, I love my Roscoe. Mwah when I want it but not when I don't.
If I only played fretless, I'd want those 2 basses.
For other fretless sounds, I love my Roscoe. Mwah when I want it but not when I don't.
If I only played fretless, I'd want those 2 basses.
Yeah looks like a great do all. I also like the fretboard markings.
I took my strings off and started sanding on the neck. Started at 320 with a radius block and worked clear up to 20,000. How does this look?
I went ahead and ordered Graphtech Ratio tuners for it. Whatever the original tuners are, the Graphtech tuners are an exact fit. I put them on and it was a simple process. Even the screw holes aligned perfectly.
I put on the Thomastik Infield Accousticore strings. Not sure that is going to work out in the long run. They are supposed to be the Bomb on a lightwave bass. I can't believe how much they stretched bringing them up to pitch. Still doing the setup so I haven't put the truss rod cover back on. I had to turn the truss rod to neutral. These strings don't have nearly as much tension as the LaBella Black tapes that I had on there before.
I let it settle in for a day or so, but the Thomastik Infield Accousticore strings don't have much tension. Lightwave truss rods are not dual action. I'm not sure these strings will work out on this bass.
I went ahead and ordered Graphtech Ratio tuners for it. Whatever the original tuners are, the Graphtech tuners are an exact fit. I put them on and it was a simple process. Even the screw holes aligned perfectly.
I put on the Thomastik Infield Accousticore strings. Not sure that is going to work out in the long run. They are supposed to be the Bomb on a lightwave bass. I can't believe how much they stretched bringing them up to pitch. Still doing the setup so I haven't put the truss rod cover back on. I had to turn the truss rod to neutral. These strings don't have nearly as much tension as the LaBella Black tapes that I had on there before.
I let it settle in for a day or so, but the Thomastik Infield Accousticore strings don't have much tension. Lightwave truss rods are not dual action. I'm not sure these strings will work out on this bass.
Picked up this Spector NS-4 last week. I took the flatwounds off and installed DR Sunbeams. Looks and sounds great! Bass is in amazing shape for being 25 years old.
I always use rounds on my fretless basses - except my Rob Allen. That was a different beast.
- Dec 21, 2007
- 15,236
- 45,146
- Disclosures
- Lark in the Morning Instructional Videos; Audix Microphones
If I had a cent for every cent I've been off I'd be a centillionaire.
Or a centurian. Me, I'm just a centar.
Upon reflection I'm polyfretlous, and identify as centipede, vibratosaurus, glissanderthal, and trillionaire.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,098
- 46,094
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
New body for my Marco Bass MV4, reclaimed from a shop fire:
The bass lost 3/4 lb., last body was ash block, maple front wings, cedar back wings. This one is ash block, ash front wings, Doug fir back wings. 7.7 lbs. including the mating right angle XLR connector, which is hefty.
The bass lost 3/4 lb., last body was ash block, maple front wings, cedar back wings. This one is ash block, ash front wings, Doug fir back wings. 7.7 lbs. including the mating right angle XLR connector, which is hefty.
