• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Fretless Club

Status
Not open for further replies.
#461
sorry all, im gonna have to withdraw my membership. i was going to get the eastwood eub-1, but when i played it along with a few other fretless designs at the store, i didn't see what the big deal was. sorry
 
#462
Hey guys i can now join the club after finishing the fretless conversion of my '92 BC Rich Innovator :hyper: i bought this bass specifically for this purpose after not being able to find a reasonable fretless in my area and refusing to buy one before i was able to play it. I found it in a local shop dirty as hell, with the typical logo on the body worn off and the dirtiest sounding pots i have ever heard. i picked it up because it has a full 24 fret neck and the headstock caught my eye. after playing around with it and really liking the feel of the neck(except for the poly finish) i picked it up cheap and went to work on her. well she turned out better then i had hoped(this being my first conversion) and I am now in love with fretless. after i converted her i sanded off all the poly on the back of the neck, dyed the maple black, and oiled it up, replaced the nut with a custom bone nut with extra wide string spacing and threw on some flatwound Chromes :bassist: man does she sing!

bigred.jpg


Pros: the sound and tone you can get out of a fretless is truly amazing, adds a ton of possibilities to any bass line, just feels amazing, makes you play with precision.

Cons: makes you play with precision :D(just depends on who you talk to), i would be lost without lines even though in dim light i can hardly see them, hard to find a good fretless at a reasonable price. and a con just on this bass is that the passive electronics are rather bland and not very flexible but i think that i might just be spoiled from playing my Cirrus for the last 6 years:confused:

all in all i would recommend a fretless to any bass player that doesn't mind practicing a lil to get used to it. believe me it's worth it.
 
#465
Since i got my Hohner J bass FL 2 weeks ago it's all i've been playing i can't get over how nice fretless bass sounds.

This is my question though,what amp settings work best for fretless bass theese are my settings that i use with my Ampeg BA115 combo.

Bass on full
Teble on half
Mid on half
Tone selector on 3
Voloume varies

The bass is the bridge pickup only,& the tone control off.Iread somewhere that this type of setting was what Jaco used.
 
#468
aikakone said:
This instrument is beautiful. Are the lines where the frets used to be red on purpose to match the finish or is that just an optical illusion?
Click to expand...

thank you aikakone, i worked hard on this beauty. the lines were filled with wood epoxy that i dyed a dark red to match what the body will look like after the refinishing i have planned for it. I dont dislike the color it is now, but a darker not so in your face red is more my taste.

on another note, bassjigga your alembic is giving me horrible GAS and causing me to drool uncontrollably, is that zebra wood?

and about the tone question from shawn, i think bassbus nailed it, experiment with everything you can until you find YOUR perfect sound, everyone's is different because we all have different tastes. personally I've found that i go heavy on the bass and mids with a little pinch of highs but i also don't really stick with one tone, i play in a blues/classic rock band and then a melodic/technical death metal group and i find i need different tones sometimes from one song to the next so I'm constantly trying to find the perfect tone to fit each song. so try try and try again till your happy with it.

so who assigns member numbers around here anyway?? :confused:
 
#469
Yep. My first bass was fretless. Happily so. Bought in 1994, and I think mine's a 1991-1992 model, based on serial number. It's the best thing I ever bought, and most cherished possession.
 

Attachments

  • Bass.jpg
    Bass.jpg
    16.4 KB · Views: 77
#478
JaySeeDoubleYou said:
Fretless owners stand up and be counted! (Literally, I will be assigning member#s)

Share your pics, any pertanent details about your bass, and your thoughts on it (pros/cons)

The rules: Anything Fretless counts, even upright basses.
Click to expand...

ok here is my upright. i have a michael kelly 5 fretless acoustic dragonfly but i will have to get some pics of it. sign me up as a member por favor. :bassist:
 
#480
ruk said:
So here is my 77 Fender Precision. Can I join in?
Click to expand...

attachment.jpg


Ooohh!! :crying: That is one beauty of a bass! Reminds me of the Tony Franklin Signature Fretless, which I will get one day (Black with Red Tort pickguard, aftermarket inlayed lines or perpetual lack of tuning... :smug: )

I will be taking pictures of my fretless Spector one of these days when the Sun is out to proove it exists. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back