Hellzero

I think we've done the job. Now it's up to you Greg. Yamaha is a step further than other makers as they own their own forests where the right timbers are growing avoiding buying them from suspicious sellers. A very clever approach.

Read and watch the Fodera setup process explained here, you'll learn a lot to understand the physics of your bass and the way to set it up by yourself : http://www.fodera.com/how-to-set-up-your-fodera/

Yes, there is also the neck tilting, precise bridge adjustment, tightening of all screws, electronics cleaning and the always forgotten strings mounting which is so important. For what you want, the differential fret dressing (called B BOW by Le Fay) is the best solution, but very few luthiers know what it is and how to do it. And thanks to this, the compound radius becomes redundant. There you'll find some explanations about that differential dressing that should be done under simulated fret tension to allow the lowest possible action : http://www.lefay.de/english/typ_tech.html

Did you ever try slapping with flats ? The OP wants to slap à la Mark King, so flatwounds are certainly the worst choice... Please read from the beginning before answering.

Sicario, music written by the late Jóhann Jóhannsson. Very organic and powerful with that Purcell, Grieg and of course Varèse approach. This guy was a genius who passed away too soon at 48 years old.

Add some distortion, very low action, a Demeter preamp and a Wal and you'll get it ... and you'll loose £5000 GBP.

Thanks. It's indeed a close to flat radius. I went for a 20" radius because I prefer the flatter radiuses, but not totally flat ones. The strings are the La Bella SuperSteps SS45-CB and the C is untapered. These La Bella are in fact exposed cores, not tapered ones, so they are ultra precise with the right amount of harmonics and allow you to hear the fundamental of the notes. The Fodera Anthony Jackson Signature strings are very good too, but they only suit through body 35 inches basses are 36 inches basses. That said the Galli Exposed Core ECN6 are really growly (nickel) and have my favour for the moment. The problem with exposed cores is that you can't cheat as they are unforgiving for your playing as well as for the bass quality itself. Put them on a plank and it will sound like a plank. Add some Q-Tuner first generation pickups and it can become awful. Some links : http://www.labella.com/strings/category/super-steps/ http://shop.fodera.com/fodera-strings/anthony-jackson-signature-set/ http://www.gallistrings.com/en/strings/bass/exposed-core

If you want your bass feel like wool, buy a sheep one. Stop kidding, as you said you are not a bass tech, go to a real luthier and get him your bass set up to your taste. He will certainly make a new nut, adjust the relief of your neck, dress the frets and maybe he could also slightly reshape the radius to have it compounded. Also, to lower the tension, you have to adjust the neck tilting to have the flattest possible angle between the top of your bride saddles and the attachment of your strings (the ball end at the bridge).

My homemade 6 strings fretless with the extraordinary Q-Tuner pickups first generation coupled to the very musical and transparent Musician Sound Design 3 bands preamp. 3 pieces flamed maple neck with black Gabon ebony fretboard bolt on a 2 pieces basswood body with bookmatched spalted walnut top. Byl was my nickname when I was young. It's now fretted and fitted with an aluminum Hipshot 18 mm strings spacing bridge instead of the brass Hipshot 19 mm strings spacing one.

And here my Stradi Symphony Bass Fretless 5 #6 with 2110 years old swamp oak top !

I like it a lot too, but the price tag for an unknown builder is just delirious.

Sadly for Ashdown, it's called ROI, and here stupid return on investment. When you start building crap in China or elsewhere, that's what you get : a real bad reputation and people not wanting to buy any of your product. I remember the glory days of the Klystron, a fantastic amp head or combo, but even when one comes for sale people are suspicious. It's something I can understand as I've seen several amps almost self consuming.

Enjoy :

He didn't play it. This must have been a great show with Jean-Luc PONTY on violin and Biréli LAGRÈNE on guitar (he is also a terrific fretless bass player and can play just like Jaco who has been touring with him : funny, no ?).

He is quite tall indeed. Did he play Big noise from Winnetka (he whistles the theme) ? I discovered him through the album Now, and immediately liked what he was doing. And now ( ) I have his 8 albums and my wife and I go out to see him when he is playing around, so twice only to date, sadly.

One of my fretlesses : 15 mm from string to string at the bridge, 9 mm at the nut, one piece hard rock canadian maple neckthrough with Para rosewood (Dalbergia Spruceana) fretboard, bubinga wings, 2 Bartolini's Quad Coils wired in parallel and passive with volume, balance and tone. It's a 31 positions unlined fretless 6 strings bass, so you can even do some Michael Manring with it. So what's that for ? The rarest LEDUC : the MP 631 SF (MP for Masterpiece).

Yes, he is one of the 365 children he has. Thanks to his father he fell in love with classical jazz music and the bass instruments when he was a child, going to lots and lots of concerts with his dad. He learned bass and double bass with Bunny Brunel, a friend of Clint.

Seen him twice : terrific fretless bass player, terrific fretted bass player, terrific double bass player, terrific musician. But you have to like more classical jazz. My wife and I really love the music he is making. "Time Pieces" is my favourite album to date.

Pictures taken just a few minutes ago.

Enjoy (action is a bit more than 1.5 mm at 12th position under the C string to a bit more than 2 mm at 12th position under the B string) :

Don't look any further, I've got what you need : 15 mm from string to string at the bridge, 9 mm at the nut, hard rock canadian maple neckthrough with Para rosewood (Dalbergia Spruceana) fretboard, bubinga wings, 2 Bartolini's Quad Coils wired in parallel and passive with volume, balance, tone. It's a 31 positions unlined fretless 6 strings bass, so you can even do some Michael Manring with it. So what's that for ? The rarest Leduc : the MP 631 SF (MP for Masterpiece). Do you want to see it ?