Delberthot

1st would be my current Thunderbird. I've had about 70 others so let me think: My sunburst '51 reissue Precision. the only bass I've ever hated having to sell but I couldn't live with the lack of contouring Lava Pearl SR5. I have no idea why I sold that one. Ibanez SR1016. Owned by a forum member last time I checked. I'd buy it back if I had the cash. lovely looking and playing bass That's about it. I haven't had my Fernandes fretless long enough to decide if it should go on this list and my Ibanez Blazer isn't here yet

This and this

[quote name='kevbass' post='1224350' date='May 8 2011, 06:43 PM']Speaking of Tokai's I've nearly pulled the trigger on this a couple of times (I'm a sucker for white jazz basses) [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tokai-Jazz-Sound-White-Jazz-Bass-Guitar-MIJ-80s-/320692441164?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aaac2504c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Tokai-Jazz-Sound-Whi...=item4aaac2504c[/url][/quote] That looks mighty like the Fernandes [url="http://www.fernandes.co.jp/others/catalog/1987/045.html"]JBR-45[/url]

When I accepted the offer on my Trace combo the other week, it was on the basis of cash on collection so I wouldn't get charged again for the sale cos it was quite a bit lower than the BIN price but still a hell of a lot more than I paid for it the week before

Damn straight - a very cheap way to find out if the ironing board bass is for you or not

You should be able to see mine in this picture. About £17 on Ebay from Flightcasewarehouse. Been used for hundreds of gigs. Can easily take 4 Boss pedals or 3 and my Korg Tuner [url="http://img694.imageshack.us/i/dsc06060large.jpg/"][/url]

[quote name='hubrad' post='1223815' date='May 8 2011, 12:44 AM']As a long-term fretless-only type, if you want to play rock on a FL you need to look at an ebony board and possibly active pups.. I prefer ash body as well, but that's me![/quote] I would have to agree with the active pickups. I tried using a Squier VM Jazz fretless at a rock gig a couple of years ago and it stank big time. My one has EMGs and it makes a huge difference to the sound. I think its an ash body as well but rosewood fingerboard. I'm using Roto flats as I mentioned previously as they're the brightest flats I've used and they won't chew up the fingerboard [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=77550&hl=fernandes+fretless"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...nandes+fretless[/url]

[quote name='dood' post='1223589' date='May 7 2011, 07:43 PM'] Well, that took a millisecond to choose![/quote] Oh yes! Without a shadow of a doubt, the man responsible for me playing bass today. I don't play anything like him but I love his playing and sound. I could've chosen Flea, Chris Squier or any of the other influences in my life but JD is the man as far as I am concerned. I would like to meet Jack Bruce as well and possibly Sting to see if I could prise his '57 single coil Precision out of his hands.

[quote name='LawrenceH' post='1219006' date='May 3 2011, 07:03 PM']When doing sound I used to persuade bands using small guitar combos to use my amp stand to tilt the amps at their ears wherever possible. This normally meant they'd drop the amp volume right down AND be happier with the stage sound, giving a much better balance out front - it always went down well with those that could be cajoled into trying it. The midrange frequencies which give clarity to a sound are very directional from a 12". I do the same thing with my own small bass combo and it really helps.[/quote] I've lost count of the number of times I've posted this pic and I really must get a more up to date one with the Laney cab. Means I'm never louder than I need to be These days I usually have it to the side of the stage so my adoring fans can see my fingers going 20 to the dozen and I can bust some moves

Played a wedding tonight - older crowd, the bride and groom looked to be in their 50s roughly. Got asked to learn a few songs for tonight: We've only Just begun by the Car Painters, Sunshine of my Life by Stevie Wonder and New York New York cos that's where they were going on their honeymoon. Got a request for a Michael Buble song, I cannot stand the guy's voice, sounds like he's fresh out of a boy band. Ended up doing Everything which I normally have the dots but I had to play it from memory. Highlight of the night was Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac on the fretless. I intended to do the whole gig on the fretless but the lines on the top are really faint and with the lights going I couldn't see sh*t so ended up using the Thunderbird for most of the night except the first and last few songs. Its the first time I've played fretless in ages but loved it. Funny gig cos there must have only been about 60 tops and most of them were at the other bar and others left early so it wasn't really that good but at least we got to finish at half 11 when they had a disco I've got the action on the Thunderbird really low but I underestimated how hard I play so there was a lot of rattling going on. I'll need to raise it a bit before next week. Looking forward to using the new (old) Ibanez Blazer next week. I think I'll try it with rounds on it - both my other basses have roto flats. I still have a set of my favourite Hartke rounds left so I think I'll use them

since they are going to be between the A 7 D strings I'd be more inclined to go with stickers on the surface. You'd probably still feel them a bit but they wouldn't get in the way of the strings and completely reversible should you want to return it to stock.

Cocaine's a hell of a drug

I'm just home from tonight's gig and the first in ages using a fretless. The first thing I always notice is that when I am fingering the notes, my hand appears to be further up the neck than when playing fretted as I generally play right in the middle of the frets and I have to be careful not to mistake the 5th fret marker for the 7th. You don't really need a lined as you would normally be looking down at the edge of the board where the dot markers are anyway so don't see the lines. Setup is crucial if you want to play rock and still retain a punchy tone: really low action gives you the classic mwah but sounds quite lazy if you know what I mean so raising the action a touch will allow you to get a punchy sound while still retaining the fretless tone. It is possible to use a fretless all night but it is hard work until you get used to it - try and practice while not looking at the fingerboard and build up your memory of what is where rather than staring at the dots all night. I've used a 12 string bass for an entire gig so a fretless is relatively normal compared to that It is possible to slap on a fretless but it doesn't have the same sound as a fretted and it is possible to slap on a fretless with flatwounds on it cos i did a bit of that tonight Strings are going to play a big part in getting the sound you want as well - I no longer get on with roundwounds but have found Roto flats still give me a bright, punchy sound with the added benefit of not creating snail tails on the fingerboard. I'm still finding my feet with the fretless cos its been a wee while since I last had one but I am really enjoying it cos its just that bit different to playing fretted all the time. There's lots of cool stuff you can do that you can't do on a fretted bass

I downloaded it from Youtube ages ago but haven't been able to find it since.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1222087' date='May 6 2011, 11:31 AM']He's got Oscar Alston on Bass,who played on all Rick James' albums,s[/quote] ah, finally got a good chance to see his style cos I have a vid I'd downloaded from youtube of Superfreak live. Thought he was double thumbing at a time when Victor was still wearing short trousers but it appears a pick was used.

Aye, go for it. My drummer and I have never played in an originals band before so decided to join one. Get the chance to write out own parts. Its really exciting knowing that what you record is entirely your own work. I've never thought about it before as I've always been good at rewriting the parts for existing songs

[quote name='Johnston' post='1220997' date='May 5 2011, 01:22 PM']And Billie jean until the hands locked up.[/quote] I sometime play that after a while by sliding betwen the notes to save my hands from cramping plus it looks cooler - probably easier to understand if you were to see it The latest one I've learnt is Stool Pidgeon by Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Apparently August Darnell who is Kid Creole played all the basslines. Sounds like a P with flats on it. Totally nailed it with my Fernandes fretless with Roto flats

Oh lordy - Another one Bites the Dust by Queen when I was 12 on my first bass which was a Marlin Slammer - £99 catalogue bass with peeling chrome but it looked like the red precision with maple board that JD used on One Vision. Defretted it after seeing the picture of JD using a maple fretless P on the Live Killers album then binned it for a Riverhead Jupiter. I had actually learned the guitar solo to Its A Hard Life on an acoustic a few months prior to this and I so nearly turned to the dark side of the force before redeeming myself by learning every tune on the Live at Wembley Concert from 1986

I thought I'd tried all the flats and had almost given up getting something I liked until I tried Rotos. I now have them on my Epi T-bird and Fernandes fretless. I also had them on my Epi Les Paul. I now simply can't stand the roughness of rounds now. They feel wrong to me now and the Rotos are bright enough to still give me my own trademark punchy sound. I don't think I could even consider rounds now

is it just me or would the fretless neck have been better on top so you can see what you are doing?