What String for FRETLESS!!??

[radmin]

Jaco used rounds. But he coated his board.

I like the round sound on fretless. I would stick to nickel because it is softer than steel. I tried flats and hated them. Never again. They feel sticky and the thud is not for me.

minwax makes a wipe-on Polyeurothene ($5 at Wal-mart) that I wiped on my fretboard. About 5 coats. I'm pleased with the results. If you go that route get the smallest can. I have a ton left over.

 

[fretless Bob]

i would personally go for tone over what will last longest, and my favourite strings are D'Addario's pro steels but i think that their nickels will work really well on fretless if you would rather a slightly softer tone.


Dave

 

[tjclem]

I use a 2 part epoxy system called mirror coat on the boards I coat. It does take quite a bit more time though.

 

[XavidmanX]

I am experimenting with some different types and now I am on Sadowsky Flatwounds. I like the midrange sound I get out of them. I know I love flatwounds as opposed to round, and will probably try some tapewounds next.

 

[vicenzajay]

I like DR Sunbeams (nickel rounds) - great fretless sound and a very nice feeling string.

Jay

 

[Wil Davis]

TI Jazz Flats - very soft, but great sound.

Pyramid Golds - nice sound, great feel, and won't chew up the fingerboard.

- Wil

 

[Philbiker]

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!

I figured I'd follow up with a little more specifics. My 6 string has LaBella Deep Talkin' Bass nylon tapes, my 4 string has Fender brand tapewound strings. I like the Fenders better than the LaBellas (which I love - don't get me wrong), but I don't think Fender offers anything but a four string set.

 

[aesir6]

TI Jazz Flats - very soft, but great sound.

Pyramid Golds - nice sound, great feel, and won't chew up the fingerboard.

- Wil

but those Pyramids will chew up yer wallet

 

[m.oreilly]

roundwounds. tried flats, groundwounds, tapes...any gauge, xlts work fine.

 

[CatfishStudios]

Jaco used rounds. But he coated his board.

Jaco didn't have an unlined ebony board
I just pulled some heavy gauge flats off of my Warwick, and am trying out a set of RotoSound Stainless rounds...the 66 swing bass set... I like them already but they need broken in a bit. Ill let you guys know if my fingerboard turns into hamburger.

 

[MarkusBass]

I like DR Sunbeams (nickel rounds) - great fretless sound and a very nice feeling string.

Jay

Me too! Big fan!

 

[Tele295]

I personally prefer nylon tapewounds on my fretless basses.

Same here. I use La Bellas

 

[REAPER52]

I have T.I flat on my fretted and love them -But on the fretless i have DR Sunbeams and am growing fond of them . But i prefer the feel of the T I's ,very smooth

 

[fender_funk_man]

D'adario ECB 81 Chrome Flats. my personal fav.

 

[MNAirHead]

My prefverence out of all my basses are tapes.. mix of brightness and thud

 

[Munjibunga]

TI Jazz Flats on my Pedulla, and La Bella Tapewounds on my Lakland. The TIs are very aggressive with gobs of mwah, and the tapewounds are bitchen for that upright sound.

 

[Mobile Sprout]

The thing about all these fretless string advice threads... there are a few different ways to do a fretless bass:

Some folks really want an upright-like sound, and for them high action and high tension(or maybe not so high tension..) flats work best. On the other end of the spectrum some people want that super-textured, almost nasal Michael Manring "mwah" sound, and a lot of those people go with low(er) tension rounds and low action. And then there are plenty of people who want something in between these extremes: the "Jaco growl", classic "thump", etc.

All these styles have such different elements in terms of setup and technique that unless each poster specifies what sound (and what style of music) they're after, it's hard to gain much from each individual string recommendation.

 

[lowendfriend]

Try something a little different than the pack.....Sadowsky stainless steel flats...55 bux for a 5 string set so not the cheapest, but also not the most expensive. I have them on a fretted Warwick, but would love to hear 'em on a fretless with mid level action.

 

[G On Bass]

I have had the following on my fretlessesesses.

D'addario Nickel Rounds: Great Mwah and zingy. Sometimes too much. I was also concerned about fingerboard damage in the long run (probably unnecessarily).

Flats: TI Jazz Flats: Very popular, but way too low tension for me. Sustained seemed to be less than others.

Flats: Chromes: Higher tension and more to my liking than the TI's. Great string. I have them on my passive Lakland JO5.

Tapewound strings: LaBellas are what I use now. Tight like roundwounds, smooth feeling like flats with more mwah.

YMMV.

 

[Ryan Mohr]

I'm digging Sadowsky blue label nickels on my SX alder/RW fretless P bass for lots of mwah and growl, but I'm putting on either GHS Pressurewounds, La Bella Tapewounds, or TI Jazz Flats.