Silvia Bluejay

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1326623039' post='1499533'] The only tip I can offer is that I found I played open strings more frequently rather than fretting(!)/fingering the note on a lower string, as this gave my ear a reference point for intonation. I did this less as my confidence grew, but still did it occasionally. G. [/quote] That's what you tend to do on upright/double bass, so I'm familiar with the trick . But It's far less necessary on the fretless after a bit of practice.

Brilliant.

The one I have appears to need a bit of adjusting at the bridge saddles too, but I'll wait a while. I also like to lower the G string so that it's closer - within limits, of course - to the fingerboard than the other strings, as I find it easier to play like that. That's something I'll do in a few weeks' time as well.

I may or may not get a top, but I'll be there, and I'll soon start pestering everybody in a new thread so that we decide where, when and how to have a Basschat meetup at the show and/or after it

Thanks Paul, I may try that too. But in general, I'm finding it easier to get into the swing of fretless playing than I did when I started on the upright, as my hand has already memorised the fingering positions on the 5-stringer.

[quote name='Rick's Fine '52' timestamp='1326582942' post='1499266'] I'd get some frets fitted, it'll sound like a proper bass then! [/quote]

Just had a session which included some work on the fretless and I'm sounding a lot better already, after following the advice you guys gave me both on position and musical ear. Thank you all so much. PS Geoff, apologies for misspelling your name. Edited.

LOL so that they might end up paying me for having bought the bass

Got yet another email from Thomann's Customer Care, requesting more photos, this afternoon. Impressed as it's Saturday. I've now sent them more shots of the bass with the scratch, plus pics of the boxes, which are in tip top condition as I opened them with much care, in case the bass had to be returned in them (sigh). Anyway, I'm working on the photos I took this morning - not just of the scratch, but of my beautiful baby in general! - and will post some of them here as soon as I have selected the best ones.

Thank you Noel and Geoff! Luckily my musical ear is now reasonably trained, also thanks to playing the upright, so it should mostly be a matter of practicing on the fretless until I sound acceptable

LOL I know what you mean! As I said in my first post, adjusting the bridge saddles was what i thought about doing in the first place. Will try all suggestions and let you know how I get along Thank you FR!

Excellent. Thank you all!

The reason why I said that the dots indicate the notes is because I put my fretted and my fretless 5-stringers side by side and looked at the dots on each. The fretless has dots where the fretted has the actual bit of metal. So yes, probably silly of me not to think that I should press a little behind each dot, as you can't help doing when the actual fret is there. But you're right, it's best to just get the hang of it by ear - after all, I'm taming the upright, therefore I shouldn't allow a humble fretless to have the better on me

Ha, good point. Will try that. Thanks.

If I understand correctly - from comparing with a fretted bass - the side dots on a fretless indicate exactly where to press your fingertip in order to obtain the corresponding note. That's as opposed to the dots on a fretted which are bang in the middle of the relevant fret. The two dots that indicate the octave appear to (more or less) be in the same place on both basses, and I need to press my fingertip between them in order to obtain the note. If the above is correct, then it appears I'm at least partly wrong in blaming myself for not getting the right intonation while playing. If I use a chromatic tuner and play each note correctly as marked, it reveals that nearly every note marked, on almost all strings, is sharp - in some cases waay too sharp, despite the open strings having been tuned to perfection. So my musical ear hasn't suddenly abandoned me, after all. My question - can I do what I would do on a fretted bass, and set the strings up correctly via the springs at the bridge? Or is there some trick I'm missing? Incidentally, since this is a new bass, it's probably advisable for me to wait a few weeks or so until it has 'acclimatised' to the UK and my neck of the woods and my flat. But I'm asking you infinitely helpful and patient folks in advance Thank you, as always.

LOL I promise I'll take some close-ups as soon as I manage to persuade the camera out of its sulk, so that we can all enjoy the sight of my new baby's fingerboard H, no worries, it's still a bargain, and I love it - although I'm still seemingly unable to play it (it's my first non-upright fretless and my intonation is all over the place!) . I'm pursuing the issue out of principle, mostly. Thomann haven't replied to my email with the photo attachment. That probably means I won't hear from them until Monday.

Will publish some as soon as my effing camera stops being temperamental - it's currently on the blink, and the other one I have is pretty sh*t and wouldn't do justice to the bass! I love taking macro photos of the nice bits of my new babies, but you need a decent lens...

Well, I guess you're right then, as the fingerboard is different from that of my fretted 5-stringer. It's darker and smoother, but I thought that might simply be due to a different piece of (the same type of) wood and different machinery being used. Looks cool, definitely

Thank you all for following this and being by my side! I hope Thomann will do the right thing. After all, it'd work out much cheaper for them to give me a partial refund or a voucher than to ship a new bass from Germany and collect the old one. Ou7shined, yes, correct, it's rosewood.

Thomann replied to my email this morning, requesting a photo of the scratch and also of the packaging. I only emailed them the photo I posted at the start of this thread, and confirmed to them that the packaging was fine inside and out - surely no point taking a pic of open boxes and ready-to-be-discarded plastic sleeves...? I'm waiting for further developments.

Heh.

I received a set of Thomastik flatwounds together with the bass (I ordered them alongside it). I meant to put them on the fretted 5, but I'll see; if Thomann give me a discount voucher I may buy another set. PS I am a light player.

I'm still trying to find my way around it! I'm so used to the double bass that I need to look at the fingerboard here - which I rarely do when I play the fretted 5-stringer. But I love it

It was very well packaged. so it must have happened in the warehouse. And yes, the bass is fine everywhere else, so the scratch must have been due to contact with some object rather than rough handling. I'll keep you all posted with their reply.

Golden doubloons, actually