What is considered the best fretless bass?

[Linus27]

Probably not a right or wrong answer to this question due to personnel preferences, but however, what is considered the best fretless bass? Musicman Stingray, Fender Jazz, Status or even something older like an Ibanez Musician or Aria Pro? Any thoughts?

Maybe a better question would be what are the best fretless basses?

[Ou7shined]

Alan at ACG does a lovely line in fretless and the ACG/East preamp is killer in a fretless.

[molan]

Pedulla Buzz often comes up whenever people mention fretless basses - I've never played one but I hear nothing but good things about them

[BigRedX]

+1 on the Pedulla. Mine's fantastic. Only my custom-made Sei Flamboyant is better.

[Brother Jones]

Best fretless I ever played was an Aria SB1000 in a pawn shop in Leeds in 1989. The mwah was [i]incredible[/i].

I think there's even more variation within particular models of bass than there is with fretted basses. The tone, sound and playability are a very subtle blend which in many cases is quite specific to the bass itself. Some Stingrays are quite nice, while others just don't do it for me. Some Jazz bridge pups have the tone, and others don't.

Wals are really, really good fretlesses if your pockets are very deep. Mind you, even some Wals are dogs (sacrilege!)

[Fat Rich]

[quote name='Linus27' post='934186' date='Aug 23 2010, 09:18 PM']Probably not a right or wrong answer to this question due to personnel preferences, but however, what is considered the best fretless bass? Musicman Stingray, Fender Jazz, Status or even something older like an Ibanez Musician or Aria Pro? Any thoughts?

Maybe a better question would be what are the best fretless basses?[/quote]

What you said!

I had a lovely Aria SB of some kind, not sure why I sold it on because it was a great bass.
Then I got an '89 Jap Fender Jazz which has been my main fretless up until a couple of weeks ago (although some Fenders are better than others)....

For me now, the best fretless is a Status S2 Classic 5 string, but I specified a rosewood fingerboard because I find the phenolic fingerboards a bit clicky (probably due to my poor technique!) It does everything from Jaco-esque bridge pickup growl to various hollow sounding upright bass sounds plus everything in between. Can't stop playing it at the moment.

Edited August 23, 2010 by Fat Rich

[chris_b]

The best fretless bass? Most of the fretless basses around are fretted instruments without the frets.

My idea of the best fretless bass is one specially made for the job. Any of the 3 Rob Allen models, Mouse, MB-2 or Deep 5, would be my choice. Unfortunately I can't afford a new one and no one currently selling on Talkbass will ship to the UK!

[Beedster]

My '71 P/J is the best fretless I've owned for all around versatility, my old Ric 4003 was the best for what it did, whilst the Wals. Stingrays and Statii I've owned never did it for me

Preference rules really

C

[witterth]

I wanted to say the stingray, but I know its the Wal really, thats the "Rolls Royce" really of all fretless basses
in my opinion, that is.

[OliverBlackman]

Warwick...........The sound of wood

[The Burpster]

I'm hoping my one off HG Thor Fretless neck on one of my EB IVs is the best ever fretless, however its been (and still is) a long old expensive haul to get there.

[guybrush threepwood]

I absolutely love my fretless jazz bass, but ultimately it's all down to personal taste; it does the Jaco thing very well, but obviously doesn't sound like a Wal, for example. However, in my opinion, it's the best fretless I've played because I love the feel and sound of a good jazz.

[51m0n]

Bit surprised that no one has mentioned the Zon Sonus yet.....


(or the Hyperbass - ducks for cover!)

[Bilbo]

My Wal Custom. Not any Wal, just [b]my[/b] Wal :wub:

[Urban Bassman]

Whilst I don't consider myself to be a fretless player or expert on the subject. I have had two fretless basses in the past, the first was a StringRay5 fretless which was a great bass to play and more recently I had a Overwater Progress III 4 string fretless that was fabulous, didn't have it for long though because as I say I'm not a fretless player. However if I had the money and inclination I would go for a Wal. When I think of fretless playing I usually go back to Percy Jones and John Giblin and their Wal Basses in their Brand X days, that for me defined what fretless playing is about and how it should sound - in my opinion of course

[Linus27]

Thanks for the input everyone. I had forgotten about Wal basses. My favourite bass player, Derek Forbes used to play a fretless Wal and many other 80's bassists played fretless Wal's. Such a shame they are so expensive.

[Kiwi]

Definitely a Pentabuzz unless you're looking for something a little mellower sounding in which case a Godin Acoustibass/A5 takes some beating.

[purpleblob]

Best fretless - Wal, game over end of discussion

Okay, so I admit I have a Wal fretless on order, so I would say that wouldn't I .

[Bilbo]

[quote name='purpleblob' post='934520' date='Aug 24 2010, 10:17 AM']Okay, so I admit I have a Wal fretless on order, so I would say that wouldn't I .[/quote]

Plus its true!!

I first got into Wal's through the Jones/Giblin/Brand X route also. Played several and found them consistently good. They are expensive but they are undoubtedly one of the best (subjectively and objectively).

I got mine in 1986 and the only fretless I have considered since is a 5-string Wal (didn't bother as I am not that big a fan of low b's). Still sounds brilliant after 24 years - I paid £740 for it - that's £30 a year. I have earned thousands with it. The price is entirely defensible. It is also now worth 3 or 4 times what I paid for it. Can't say that about Warwicks!

[BottomEndian]

[quote name='Ou7shined' post='934195' date='Aug 23 2010, 09:25 PM']Alan at ACG does a lovely line in fretless and the ACG/East preamp is killer in a fretless.[/quote]
Hell yes. Can't wait for my next one to be finished. I'm also a big fan of the Music Man fretless sound.

The EQ on my SR5 fretless seems to have its emphasis in just the right frequency range for fretless. Brings through the mwaaah beautifully. And obviously the ACG filter-based preamp is capable of being tweaked to wherever you want the emphasis to fall. It can go from icy fretless rasp, through Jaco-style honk and growling low-mids down to fretless dub territory.

[BigRedX]

The ACG filter pre-amp does really complement the fretless sound. I'm lucky enough to have 2 from the days when it was still possible to buy them separately; one fitted in my Pedulla and the other in my Sei.

If you're looking for something a bit different fretless-wise it would also be worth checking out anything fitted with Lightwave pickups.

[Darkstrike]

Pedulla, Zon, Roscoe(I have a fretless one that I utterly love) & Rob Allen are the ones that usually come up IME, of course it all depends on the sound you're after.

[xgsjx]

Never played one, but this looks like a serious contender to me...



Ritter Roya

[Chris2112]

Wal are an obvious one, and I'd rank my fretless Alembic Epic up there with the best of them. Flawless construction, incredible playability, ergonomically pleasing - it's an absolutely brilliant bass. It has what I like in fretless basses: burpy, middy sound which is pleasing "poppy" and pronounced without being thin or harsh and effortlessly low action meaning it plays itself and produces expressive vibrato with the greatest of ease and plenty of room between the strings at the bridge end for Jaco style 16th note finger funk lines.

Every time I sit down with that bass I am pleasantly reminded of how good an instrument it is, and much like my Kubicki it's a pleasure to own. I'm very proud of that one, it's been through a few good studio jams now.

[51m0n]

[quote name='xgsjx' post='935470' date='Aug 24 2010, 10:32 PM']Never played one, but this looks like a serious contender to me...



Ritter Roya[/quote]

That is properly pornographic and no mistake, mind you I'd feel a bit of a t*t getting it out for a jam at the dog'n'duck

Edited August 24, 2010 by 51m0n