Fretless bass, first time out.

[ead]

Thanks people. Might put my lined up F/S to see if there are any bites. I'll need to attemp to figure out a fair price first though!

[Mornats]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1331885741' post='1580274']
I'm mortified as I've just re-read what I posted and saw I had omitted a couple of vital letters. I meant to say "...you[b]ng[/b] people..." not "...you people..." My apologies, not intending to personalise the comment in any way. In my defence my Mum was from Whitley Bay.
[/quote]

Haha no worries I was impressed that you'd not been fooled by my Bristol location!

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1331885913' post='1580280']
On the off chance GAS gets the better of me (like I can resist ), what unlined fretless basses should I be looking for in the £200-250 bracket. Most of what I've seen on here and evilbay is well above my potential budget.
[/quote]

I got my SB320 for £200 off evilBay but you don't see many Bass Collections on there, especially not fretless ones.

[Jerry_B]

[quote name='StraightSix' timestamp='1331889265' post='1580333']
Westone basses are available within that price range - here's a Thunder 1A: [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Westone-Thunder-I-A-Fretless-Bass-Guitar-Flat-Wound-Strings-Shipping-Case-/130651889185?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item1e6b759e21"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1e6b759e21[/url]

This is the active, single pickup version of the Thunder III.

Top quality, made in Japan by Matsumoku.

More info here: [url="http://www.westone.info/indexthunderbass.html"]http://www.westone.i...hunderbass.html[/url]
[/quote]

Definitely worth it - amazingly good basses!

[paul_5]

Just finished building my VaJazzle fretless bass - Mighty Mite neck, East pre, EMG PUPs etc... absolutley LOVE it.

[ead]

I've seen a Westone on evilbay that I'm now monitoring. Do they balance well on strap and lap as the top horn looks a lot shorter that on some other basses? How's the weight too?

[fretlessguy]

Welcome Ancient Mariner, to the world of fretless. interestingly, I play fretless at church as well. I own several fretlesses. Some are lined, unlined, five string, and some four stringed. They have flatwounds, tapewounds, round wounds. They are quite habit forming. I have recently bought a Kala ukulele bass in fretless. Astounding...

One thing for sure: They make you use your ears much much more. Playing in tune requires much more attention. In the end, the rewards are great and worth the effort.

Happy Fretlessing.

[Silvia Bluejay]

[quote name='fretlessguy' timestamp='1331952409' post='1581448']
One thing for sure: They make you use your ears much much more. Playing in tune requires much more attention.
[/quote]

I agree. And I'll go even further: playing a fretless - or even an upright - seems to make it slightly easier for me to pick the basslines I set out to find by ear, than when I'm working them out using a fretted.
I don't know why that happens. Perhaps having to make sure that I fret the correct pitch - as well as making sure it's the same pitch I'm hearing in the song - makes my brain engage my musical ear to the max, and makes me more receptive than when I'm using the "lazy" fretted.

[StraightSix]

[quote name='bluejay' timestamp='1331985221' post='1581697']
...than when I'm using the "lazy" fretted.
[/quote]

[StraightSix]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1331942309' post='1581399']
I've seen a Westone on evilbay that I'm now monitoring. Do they balance well on strap and lap as the top horn looks a lot shorter that on some other basses? How's the weight too?
[/quote]

I've not noticed any problems with balance.

These tend to be a fair weight as they are very well made but the body is slightly smaller then 'normal' so nothing to worry about IMO.

[Sambrook]

The Thunder balances very well, but the shorter top horn puts the top end of the neck a bit of a stretch away. That's what I found anyway.

[ead]

The stretch bit is fine, I'm 6'3" with a decent wing span

[GarethFlatlands]

Another convert here, I swapped my EUB which my tiny hands were struggling with for an old de-fretted Yamaha with plastic coated strings. After about a week or so practice with it I used it at a gig and loved it. It's so much more expressive than fretted IMO. I'm considering selling some stuff to release funds for a better one but selection is sadly limited :-(

[bassbluestew]

Am about to take the plunge, picked one up in a music shop a few weeks back for a quick noodle and was amazed by how much easier it was than when I remember trying it in the past. And that was a 5 string too.
Has anyone tried the Epiphone Zenith f'less of the Spector semihollow f'less ?
S

[mentalextra]

[size=5][sub]Im in too. I was encouraged to pick up a bass in the first instance by listening to JJ burnell, but since the passing of Mr Karn (RIP) and his amazing lines, I have found a new love. It is an instrument with a beautiful soulful voice so expressive. I am enjoying learning bass all over again! [/sub][/size]

[merlin]

Hi can I play... been off work now for three weeks ( ill, heart attack) I have 15 basses,they have all been out for a clean ect,the only one that I have not put away is an old Yamaha rb200f
a great bass to play,and its staying out !
[sharedmedia=core:attachments:102379]

[mentalextra]

[quote name='merlin' timestamp='1332516094' post='1589490']
Hi can I play... been off work now for three weeks ( ill, heart attack) I have 15 basses,they have all been out for a clean ect,the only one that I have not put away is an old Yamaha rb200f
a great bass to play,and its staying out !
[/quote]

Mine is identical. Actually was a good bass but I got it to defret. My problem is that where i am comfortable playing is right over the pups, and sometime I catch them!

[The Dark Lord]

Fretless is cool. Had a Warwick Fortress One, that I bought through here, for about a year or so. Just played it like a fretted bass - but kept on the move where I could. Was fine - was also unlined - sounded great.

[Clarky]

Played my first fretless gig last night with new band All The Queen's Ravens, using my Takamine B10. Loved it

[attachment=103324:com_bCvGxcMxbp3TQ.jpg]

[sprocket123]

[quote name='ras52' timestamp='1326124810' post='1492581']
Lined, unlined, who cares? Jaco played lined, did he not? I like lined, it confuses the audience:-)
[/quote]

+1

[sprocket123]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1332627768' post='1591029']
Played my first fretless gig last night with new band All The Queen's Ravens, using my Takamine B10. Loved it

[attachment=103324:com_bCvGxcMxbp3TQ.jpg]
[/quote]

That Takamine s a beauty Clarky

[Clarky]

[quote name='sprocket123' timestamp='1332635233' post='1591100']
That Takamine s a beauty Clarky
[/quote]
Rubbish picture of me playing it!

[attachment=103326:IMG_0279.jpeg]

[sprocket123]

The sound must be special right

[sprocket123]

It s one like taht , that I want a guitar builder to make me , but 6-string , it nails it

[Clarky]

[quote name='sprocket123' timestamp='1332635377' post='1591103']
The sound must be special right
[/quote]
Very DB-like but with more underlying 'beef' for want of a better word. A sound engineer who knew the band said afterwards that it sounded better than the the previous bassist's double bass (and he was a lot better player than me)

[sprocket123]

Cool then , but if you played bad , he wouldn t have said that ,right