Linus27

That was awesome, it was like Gypsy Jazz meets Rock. Loved it.

I noticed what my favourite bass players were using but not necessarily copy them as I was learning. Plus it was also a co-incidence that the basses I liked, my favourite bassists played to some degree.

Ah you have to do it, as long as you don't try and sound like Jaco in the old guy rock band then it will be fine. Especially in a rock band situation, a lot of people probably won't notice its fretless. When I used my fretless Jazz in the 50's Rock N Roll band, nobody really noticed as most of that stuff is walking bass lines but stuff like Stand By Me or My Girl actually really enhanced it with a bit of the fretless tone. I'd say do it, it will probably be great to be fair.

I have played lots of different stuff as I've been playing for 35 years. So started out playing the 80's stadium rock stuff so a bit U2, Simple Minds, The Alarm, Echo and The Bunnymen etc. Then Indie Guitar punk pop and part of the post Britpop scene. Q Magazine gave our album 4 out of 5 and said we were a mix of The Wonder Stuff, Green Day, Ash and Radiohead. Then a folky indie sort of band after that. After that was a sort of acoustic Motown Soul thing. Then 50's and 60's Rock n Roll playing stuff by Elvis, Little Richard, The Beatles, Chuck Berry etc. I now play in a band which is singer acoustic guitar who uses a vocal harmoniser, drummer who is very percussive and myself of fretless playing a lot of melodic or cello like parts. A sort of mix of Sigor Ross meets Damien Rice I guess. I've also done some electric music projects.

Nope. Bass for home and rehearsals is a Fender Precision with a high gloss maple fretless neck. Gigging bass is a Musicman Stingray SR4 with fretless Pau Ferro neck and my back up and other gigging bass if I fancy a change is a Fender Jazz with fretless ebony board and Barts. Recording bass is which ever one sounds the best but usually one of the Fender's. I can happily switch between all three for rehearsals and gigging as they all feel the same to me but I tend to lean towards the Stingray as the neck is the nicest.

I think a lot would agree that an old school class A/B amp tend to give the best bass sound, we all loved the sound of our big old bass rigs. However, times have moved on and lugging these big old rigs around is not so enjoyable, especially the older we get. I do agree the Ashdown ABM is a great option and for me my personal favourite is the Hartke HA5500. I've owned a lot of Class D amps over the years and the two that I really like and have settled on are the Ampeg PF500/800 and the Ashdown MiBass550. I have both but tend to use the Ashdown purely as it's small. Other Class D amps have sounded thin, clinical or run out of puff but the Ampeg and Ashdown have both always sounded amazing and why I kept them.

The Spectracomp is the second pedal on my list after the Cali76. I've constantly read great things about it along with the Cali76 but its a hell of a lot cheaper so I may go for it instead.

My chain is Tuner, then Compressor, then Octave and then Chorus as the final pedal in my chain so the same as you suggest.

I should add that I play fretless Stingray with an acoustic guitarist/singer and drummer who does a lot of percussion. So its just to tighten up my sound as well as bring balance between the high and low notes as I play a hell of a lot of melodies, lead parts and cello like runs.

So I'm toying with the idea of upgrading my Compressor pedal but I'm also toying with the idea of getting a new amp and so, this has got me thinking, do I get an amp head that has built in Compession, for example the EBS Reidmar or Ampeg PF800 and do away with buying a separate Compressor pedal or is a separate Compressor pedal the better option. The Compressor pedal I was thinking of getting is the Cali76. Any thoughts or advice appreciated.

Yep also feeling a little less annoyed about my dead C# on G String 🙂

I've not tried the Elf but I have the Warwick Gnome IPro as my back up amp and I love it. My main amp is a 550w Ashdown Mibass but I've used the Gnome a few times just for a change and it's been absolutely fine and plenty loud enough. Its 300 watts and I run it through my Barefaced Two10.

I loved 80's music and still do but not this song. For me, 80's music was Simple Minds, U2, The Police, A-ha, Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, early Madonna and a few others.

Absolutely no idea, I took them off as soon as I got the bass as they felt and sounded horrible lol

It is lovely although I wish mine had the mute bridge.

Same for me on my fretless Precision then, 6th fret of the G string.

I really can't remember if I've posted this in here or not so here is my gorgeous Stingray SR4 with fretless Pau Ferro fretboard.

Thanks for the replies everyone, really appreciate it and interesting reading. Glad I'm also not the only one who has noticed this issue. I guess it's a case of working around the dead spots. @Machines I tried what you suggested and yes indeed, the note sustained for much longer when I rested the head stock against the door frame. You could really feel through the bass the additional vibrations running through the neck and body. Thank you.

Ok cool, I get you, will try that tonight.

Oooh I like the sound of this. So do I hold it against the door frame so that the tip of the headstock it touching the door frame?

Is it me or do pretty much all fretless basses have dead spots? I have an Ernie Ball Musicman Stingray with a fretless Pau Ferro neck and the C# (6th fret on the G String) never has the same sustain as other notes on the G String and tends to die out really quickly. Plus one of two notes much higher up on the G string, for example the A also tends to suffer. Other notes however sustain and mwah for ages. I also have a fretless Fender Precision with a lacquered maple neck and again, the C# (6th fret on the G String) suffers with the same lack of sustain where as other notes sustain and sing beautifully. My Fender Jazz that has an Ebony fretless board also tends to suffer with certain notes on the G sting totally lacking sustain where as other notes sustain and sing beautifully. Is this a common issue with fretless basses?

A couple from me, all on fretless from various gigs over the last few months. A bit bass light but you get the idea

I've been very lucky to experience both ends of the spectrum. From starting out at 17 in 1987, lugging around big old bass rigs, driving the length and breadth of the country to gig, to having roadies, tour managers, drivers, A&R men and even a chef and makeup artist to do literally everything for me. I've done thousands of gigs over the 35 years of playing, from the nastiest, smallest, crapiest pubs known to man, to the weird and wonderful like bowling alleys, a barbers, a steam train and a passenger simulator plane, to stadiums, music halls, festivals, theatres and Radio 1 roadshows. I've loved every minute of it and being in a band, with mates, sharing the highs and lows and being in a musical gang is the best thing in the world. It's not easy, far from easy but with the right attitude of all in it together and a healthy work ethic of everyone pulling their weight then it's the best thing in the world. However, now I'm in my early fifties, the shine is starting to come off a little. Pre-Covid, I was playing over 100 gigs a year, playing 50's Rock 'n' Roll in working mens clubs, festivals and some pubs and despite the money being good and in most cases, an audience expecting us, the lugging of gear, setting up, dressing up, performing, packing away and getting home in the early hours did get tiring. I loved it but the longer it went on, the more I was finding I was wishing I wasn't out gigging that night and was staying at home relaxing and watching a film. For the last year I've been playing in an acoustic 3 piece playing a mix of originals and covers and only doing a couple of local gigs a month in pubs or music venues. It's been really refreshing and enjoyable and very musically creative but I do still get moments when I wish I was not going out gigging but then I end up really enjoying the gig and glad I did have the opportunity to go out and play. One thing that has really helped is slimming my gear down and making it efficient to carry. I have a Barefaced Two10 which is super light and can be carried with one hand. I have my pedal bag that can go over my shoulder, a flight case with leads and stands, a bag with my amp and back up amp and then my two basses. So I can do everything in 3 trips, even 2 if I wanted and it's all lightweight. If has made such a difference. Saying all of that, I have played for 35 years and in 3 years I'll be 55 and I've kind of pencilled in that this might be a good age to call it quits. I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to want to play in pubs, lug gear about, get home late in the hope that it was an amazing gig when the reality was a disinterested audience who just wanted to hear Wonderwall or Sex on Fire. I feel it's more of a young mans game these days and I'm quickly leaving that demographic. Family commitments are also increasing with my daughter getting heavily involved in motorsport and I feel like there are other thing to see and do in life, for example road trips around the Swiss and Austrian mountain passes in an old sportscar. Either way, people should enjoy what they do, be it gigging, home recording, studio work, streaming etc. I'm of the generation that gigging is what you did so it's all I know so I have no regrets but whatever you do to express yourself and be creative, if you enjoy it then keep on doing it. Life is too short at the end of the day.

Stingray for finger style. Precision for slap and pick.