Hellzero

I really started playing bass on a fretless some 35 years ago and I'm mainly a fretless player. I've been playing 4 to 8 strings fretlesses lined or unlined and it doesn't really matter to me, even if I prefer unlined as you'll always play with your ears and not with your eyes. Remember that you MUST set up the intonation on a fretless bass too. And that's were all the bullsh*t about the finger placement comes from. In fact, if your fretless bass intonation has been dead precisely set up, using the tip of your fingernail to be exactly at the first, or even better, the second octave, then you'll have to put your finger the way @fleabag explained. If it's been set up without taking into account this precisely way of doing it, then you'll end up putting your fingers where it's in ... tune. The explanations of @lownote12 are great, but just missing two points concerning the mwah as it comes also from the straightness and hardness of the fingerboard. It's funny, because yesterday evening, I was giving a little try (had a bike crash last Sunday and my left shoulder is in very poor condition since then and it will take at least 3 months to fully recover) to my basses and said to my wife : "Why the f*ck am I wasting my time with fretted basses, when I'm definitely a fretless player ?" Always told you was the answer. 🤣 Use a Peterson tuner when playing and check your intonation while playing to be sure you're perfectly in tune, then your ears will learn. Also use open strings when playing as you can retune your notes instantly (beware of natural harmonics...) Adding a chorus is also a fretless trick. Your vibrato must be horizontal, by moving slightly your finger, and not by bending the string : it's one way to see if you're in front of a "real" fretless player. And as I like to say : no frets, no limits ! Have fun and use your ears !

Another good deal was a Wal MkI 4 fretless bought for 1250 Euros, sold it twice and bought it back twice then I let it go in the wild. I also made loads of money during the 90's with vintage Fender's basses, guitars and amps. In fact, since the deal of the century with the L series 1965 Stratocaster and the 1972 Precision Bass, the money I'm using for my musical instruments is the same.

My best deal ever was a Fender Stratocaster L series from 1965 and a Fender Precision Bass from 1972 for ... 600 Euros. Yes, for the both of them as I had to buy both or there was no deal. No they weren't stolen instruments, simply a guy who was getting married and needed some cash very quickly. He didn't play anymore for years and both instruments needed some TLC as they had been painted in white with ... a brush over the original paint.

Are you an eagle ?

Looking at the battery connector, it has suffered from some battery leakage. Clean it with this tool that you can buy elsewhere (it's a glass fiber brush) : https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/122200385603

Give Binky to @Hellzero !

Careful with @ped ego... 🤣

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Caig-DeOxit-Contact-Cleaner-Spray/dp/B00A2365BI

Deoxit, nothing is better.

Same price as a Fodera Anthony Jackson Presentation II Titanium 6.

I thought Ned Steinberger was a designer...

This, if you want to get rid of all noises, including bad earthing : https://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Aero_DBuzz.html Otherwise, as mentioned earlier, anything with Neutrik connectors and good quality cable like Cordial, Van Damme, Mogami and the likes.

Steven Wilson has also played with Mick Karn (not Kahn @ambient ) on the Bestial Cluster album. He's also known as the barefoot player. 😉 His music is often described as depressive by the press, but as he said when performing live, there must be loads of depressed people around as his concerts are always crowded if not sold out... He's also a gifted sound wizard having remastered more albums than most sound engineers, including King Crimson's ones. Yes, the British best kept secret indeed, must be 001 in fact. 😎 Check this out with former Japan members, the JBK project : And watch his feet...

😂 Can't wait to see the new tour... And hear the new album.