What String for FRETLESS!!??

[fourztringz]

Nickel or Steel, Fatwounds, Rounds? any string suggestion for better sounding fretless and also safer for the board(neck) since it dont have frets

 

[vashts80]

I use stainless steel DR Lo-Riders. Any strings are going to slowly eat into the fingerboard, whether they're flats or rounds.

 

[ebe9]

Flatwounds are your best bet for a fretless.

D'Adarrio Chromes are a pretty good bet. They are very bright for flatwounds and have a good tone and feel to them

 

[brandonwong]

I like the labellas taper-core.
Doesn't feel as tight and rather loose feeling like on my double bass.

 

[bassteban]

What's your aim? Electric, growling mwah? Upright-esque thump? What kind of bass? What's the fingerboard made of? Is it coated? My fretless has a coated mac ebony 'board & Ken Smith nickel rounds. I was after the complete opposite end of the tonal spectrum from upright, & this combination does it well. I may go full sacrilege mode stainless steel next time.

 

[Philbiker]

Nickel or Steel, Fatwounds, Rounds? any string suggestion for better sounding fretless and also safer for the board(neck) since it dont have frets

I personally prefer nylon tapewounds on my fretless basses. You might hate them.

 

[dcr]

Thomastic Jazz Flats are a favorite around here, I'll wager. Very low tension that take some getting used to, but very classically "upright-sounding".




dcr

 

[markjazzbassist]

i use d'addario chromes flatwounds and recently have been using d'addario half-rounds on it. the half-rounds give it the growl of a roundwound string, with the smoothness of a flatwound, so it won't rip up your fretboard.

 

[BassyBill]

Dean Markley fretmasters sound really good (but they're not cheap!). Rounds, but burnished over the fingerboard sections to make them slightly smoother. May help with wear, but I don't have a problem with that anyway; the damage rounds can do to your board is over estimated, imo, unless you use a lot of lateral vibrato.

 

[billbern]

I was TI Jazz Flats guy on my Fretless basses, still have them on my 4001FL. I wanted a more aggressive sound, put a set of Ken Smith Compressors and I love these things. I've tried Elixers, Nickel rounds, Carvin Flats, TI Jazz flats, Ken Smith Slicks, but these Compressors are the best of all worlds for me.

Bill

 

[Vorago]

What's your finish?


If it's epoxy, I'd go with Nickelwounds, damn, they rule!

Nice and punchy and still enough mwah with the right pup config and technique.

 

[Puru]

i use d'addario chromes flatwounds and recently have been using d'addario half-rounds on it. the half-rounds give it the growl of a roundwound string, with the smoothness of a flatwound, so it won't rip up your fretboard.

I haven't compared many different strings, but I like the half-rounds, they have a nice feel to them also (45-100s).

 

[Tom Howland]

I like these.
T I Flats- Even sound, low tension, well balanced.

Ken Smith Compressors- semi-smooth, brighter than flats, but nice low end.

GHS Flats- More tension than T I flats, but similar.
95-49 set.

DR Low Riders Nickel- great roundwound string 100-40.

 

[Nick Ioannucci]

rotosound, either jazz 77's or swing bass 66's pick one, 77=flat 66=round

 

[NecroticImbecil]

Best sound? Stainless Rounds. Best for the life of the board? Tapewound flats.

 

[Poop-Loops]

I put on some Ken Smith Rock Masters (I think) a few days ago, they sound nice.

For me strings are more about feel than tone. I really can't tell the difference between one string and another, but if it eats my fingers, I can't play it as well.

 

[tjclem]

The La bella Deep talkin flats and the TI flats are my favorite flats. I put the La Bella's on the basses I send out with flats on them.....t

 

[Fuzzbass]

I personally prefer nylon tapewounds on my fretless basses. You might hate them.

Same here.

Haven't owned a fretless in awhile, but I love fretlesses strung with tapes. Heck, I just got some tapes (LaBella Deep Talkin') for my fretted basses!

 

[Fuzzbass]

P.S. Yeah, nylon tapes are safer for your board, and I personally love how they sound. That said: I strongly urge you to get whatever strings you think sound best, even if they're stainless steel rounds. Fretboard damage doesn't happen overnight, and even if it does, it can be repaired. Have fun!

 

[spc]

I love the Rotosound swing bass set... I like the D'addario stainless set as well. And I think I liked the set of Ken Smith Burners that I tried. The TI strings are amazing, loved them when I tried them, they feel and play amazing, but then went back to stainless steel rounds.
How can you not love roundwounds on a fretless?