Best Fretless 5

[pmjos]

I'm interested in views of the best fretless fives out there.

Looking for lots of wah and growl and naturally a firm bottom

[BassBus]

Budget? I could recommend a Status S2/S3 fretless but that will set you back a lot. There's always a Fodera which would set you back even more. I also have an ESP LTD which came in a trade on here and that is wonderful.

[ForestPoetry]

I've been quite pleased with my Ibanez Portamento. I'd say it was the best fretless 5 on the market for under £1000. The only thing I'd change is the rosewood board....I like ebony more. The Spector Legend Classics look very good too. Not played one.

I owned an LTD B205 fretless for about a week. Nice bass, but the electronics really let it down. Returned it, got the Portamento and haven't thought twice since then.

[ras52]

[quote name='ForestPoetry' timestamp='1458751482' post='3010528']
I've been quite pleased with my Ibanez Portamento. I'd say it was the best fretless 5 on the market for under £1000. The only thing I'd change is the rosewood board....I like ebony more.
[/quote]

I've played one of these - the SRF705? - and it is indeed a marvellous beast. I've currently got a GWB35 which is not bowling me over... and a 4-string Roscoe Century Standard, which I love to bits, so I imagine the 5-string version is similarly wonderful.

[ezbass]

There are lots out there. As BassBus asked, budget is key. I had an Ibanez GWB35 that was very nice, but they make a more expensive version with 'better' woods and hardware (it's all subjective of course), the GWB1005. Then there is the Pedulla Pentabuzz. And then there is... the list could be quite extensive.

[hubrad]

I have two Overwaters, which are both fantastic. Also they're radically different from each other.
Which is the 'best', even from those two? Depends on the context, really. . one fits into a rock band, while the other goes beautifully with acoustic vibe.

[ambient]

The best budget is without doubt the Ibanez Gary Willis bass.

[Grahambythesea]

I agree about the Status, my brother has one which I borrow. The Ibanez Gary Willis is good too and I can highly recommend the Spector Spectorcore which I have which has the added bonus of a Fishman Piezo bridge. My other fav is the old Yamahe TRB and you can pick them up quite reasonably now, one was on Preloved afew months ago for £650.

[Pinball]

MM Stingray, it's not the first thing people would think of but it just works really well. Get some status half rounds on there and its awesome. I traded a whole load of gear for a used one I found in a shop and never regretted it for a moment. A great recorded sound

[White Cloud]

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1458750588' post='3010518']
Looking for lots of wah and growl and naturally a firm bottom
[/quote]
Aren't we all

[cybertect]

[quote name='Pinball' timestamp='1458764201' post='3010709']
MM Stingray, it's not the first thing people would think of but it just works really well. Get some status half rounds on there and its awesome. I traded a whole load of gear for a used one I found in a shop and never regretted it for a moment. A great recorded sound
[/quote]

I bought a Stingray 5 Hp FL with an unlined pau ferro board last year (upgrading from a fretless VM Jazz).

I love it. Absolutely no regrets.

The other guys in my band still complement me on the sound it makes.

[bassbora]

Warwick Thumb NT has always worked extremely well for me

[pmjos]

OK that's cool. how about pushing the price range out and up a bit? what's the one that you'd go for if you weren't on a tight budget?

[keefbaker]

Overwater or Fodera, ACG too. I love my fretless Enfield too, you could get them to make you one.

[keefbaker]

Although if money was no object next fretless I'd buy would be the remington steele from Le Fay.

[ezbass]

Ooh, I forgot, Rob Allen basses.

[TrevorR]

[quote name='pmjos' timestamp='1458750588' post='3010518']
... lots of wah and growl and naturally a firm bottom
[/quote]

As no one else has mentioned it yet, that description sounds like the classic combo of a walnut bodied, ebony boarded Wal 5 string bass. No shortage of "mmmwah" or defined bottom end there...
You'll need to start saving the pennies though...

Edited March 24, 2016 by TrevorR

[Skol303]

[quote name='bassbora' timestamp='1458769803' post='3010810']
Warwick Thumb NT has always worked extremely well for me
[/quote]

^ [i]Mwah-[/i]vellous basses

[Dazed]

Thumbs up for warwick streamer stage 1 fiver here. Growl? Yessir!

[pmjos]

i'm not hearing Zon here? is there a reason?

[frankzelf]

[url="http://s918.photobucket.com/user/frankzelf/media/IMG_20140713_014738_zpsx4ynqcxc.jpg.html"][/url]
This. Wal mkII walnut facings with an ebony fretboard

[ead]

I should declare an interest, but I think that fretless ACGs are particularly tasty. I don't know what witchcraft is involved in their construction but it works for me. In fact I've just agreed the spec for #3 ACG fretless.

A few nice ones on here too at very good value prices (none of them mine I hasten to add).

[Kiwi]

I have a Pedulla Pentabuzz and it knocks everything else mentioned here so far into a cocked hat with perhaps the exception of a Wal which sounds woodier and, with a matt finish, FEELS nicer to play. The key thing about the Pentabuzz is the mid response and ridiculous amounts of sustain (due to the super stiff construction). Cranked on stage, the Pentabuzz will feedback like it has a sustainer on board if you stand within range of 2x12 or larger pointed at the bass while going at full tilt. If you play lightly the poly fingerboard coating won't need replacing for many many years. (I got mine in 2005 and the board is barely marked).

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKAE2o4oA2Q[/media]

I've played Warwick Thumb fretlesses after seeing one being played by [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvgXF_8-gds"]Tears for Fears at Knebworth[/url] and loved the sound they got but in reality found them a bit unresponsive in character. I found the Ibanez GW boxy sounding and lacking in sustain. Stingrays are nice if a little raw sounding and it's important to find one without deadspots - I suspect that Pino's has an ebony fingerboard as it looks too dark for pau ferro. Status basses are very nice but again its important to find one that isn't too bright sounding so bolt on necks are a safer bet (but there are always exceptions - like the one I own). If you are looking for a more traditional sounding instrument, go for single coils, if you like an assertive sounding parp from the bridge pickup go for a bass with humbuckers.

Also worth considering is the Godin A5 - very reasonably priced and huge sounding for the size, thanks to sympathetic brass rods in the chambered body. There is a slight tendancy for the headstock to dive but a [i]really[/i] nice sustain and easy on the back. If I played fretless more often, I would have an A5 too for more upright sounds.

[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNYc8Pg5yXA[/media]

[chris_b]

The best fretless bass I ever played was a Rob Allen MB2. Simply the best fretless sound I've heard on an electric bass.

The Godin or Rob Turner Renaissance basses are pretty good too but IMO the Rob Allen is the best.

[CamdenRob]

Impossible to advise without a budget to aim for... but as others have said Wal, Rob Allen etc. are exceptional fretless basses and worth a try if you're looking for the ultimate.

ACG can offer you an instrument of a comparable quality to anything else out there at a very competitive cost and with the multicoil pickups as an option, IMO you'd have to spend over twice as much to get any more bass for your money... and any "improvement" at that end of the market is purely subjective anyway.