For you Fretless Players....

[Higgie]

Hi guys, I'm putting together my first fretless. I currently have an Arctic White, Ash Warmoth Jazz body, with Nordstrand NJ4SV pickups installed. Just wondering what kind of fingerboard to have, or if I should go Graphite. Also not sure about the Pre. I have J-Retro's in both my DJ4 and 5, but not sure it's the best option for fretless.

What do you guys think?

Cheers,
James.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Higgie

[Bilbo]

20 years with an ebony fretboard and groundwounds and no problems with fretboard wear.

Can't be bad.

[BigRedX]

I have 3 fretless basses I use regularly and my favourite fingerboard is the Pedulla lacquered ebony one.

IMO the choice of pickups, pre-amp and strings all affect the sound more than the fingerboard material.

You're right about the choice of pre-amps I've found that the ACG filter pre gives the best options for dialling in your favourite fretless tone.

You also need to add an "other" option to the neck/fingerboard material so I can vote.

Edited April 29, 2008 by BigRedX

[Beedster]

I'm assuming that from your options you rate ebony and maple as similar. Is that the case?
Chris

[Higgie]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188129' date='Apr 29 2008, 03:54 PM']I'm assuming that from your options you rate ebony and maple as similar. Is that the case?
Chris[/quote]

[b]Chris[/b] - Nope, it's just that both my DJ4 and 5 have maple fretboards so I wanted a change hehehe

[b]BigRedX[/b] - I shall add another option, thanks for the info.

[b]Bilbo[/b] - Thanks for your input. I'll be using roundwound strings I would think, so Ebony does look to be the forerunner to me, at present!

[bass_ferret]

GB actives and that means you gotta buy a GB bass. Well you did ask

[Alpha-Dave]

Acrylic-maple board and ACG pre for me.

[Jase]

Rosewood board with a super glue finish, about six tubes.....very hard wearing it'll be a while before my roundwounds get through it.

Passive Fender.

[Higgie]

Cheers guys - some useful info here What's so good about the ACG Pre?

Any more?

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Higgie' post='188759' date='Apr 30 2008, 12:42 PM']What's so good about the ACG Pre?[/quote]

Have a listen to the sound clips in this thread.

[Beedster]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188129' date='Apr 29 2008, 03:54 PM']I'm assuming that from your options you rate ebony and maple as similar. Is that the case?
Chris[/quote]

I've just realised that you meant ebony board on maple neck, not ebony or maple boards. Thought it was odd you considered them similar
Maple boards are also extremely cool and should be an option above
Chris

[Higgie]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188803' date='Apr 30 2008, 01:49 PM']I've just realised that you meant ebony board on maple neck, not ebony or maple boards. Thought it was odd you considered them similar
Maple boards are also extremely cool and should be an option above
Chris[/quote]

Heh, yeah, that's what I meant! Cheers Chris.

So which P do you prefer, the Ebony or Maple Fretless?

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188803' date='Apr 30 2008, 01:49 PM']I've just realised that you meant ebony board on maple neck, not ebony or maple boards. Thought it was odd you considered them similar
Maple boards are also extremely cool and should be an option above
Chris[/quote]

Feeble attempt there to cover embarrassment at initial misunderstanding!!! Feeble enough to go into politics - Beedster for PM ??

Back to topic - there's something warm,feely and traditional about ebony on maple. if it's good enough for a violin that's hundreds of years old etc.

Rosewood is a bit soft and I've seen lots mark quite easily

graphite is just good full stop but lacks the warm feel.

Maple as a fretless fingerboard makes you look like Sting a few years back so unless you have an ethnic looking mate with a CD in his gob , don't bother!

[Beedster]

[quote name='Higgie' post='188845' date='Apr 30 2008, 02:33 PM']Heh, yeah, that's what I meant! Cheers Chris.

So which P do you prefer, the Ebony or Maple Fretless?[/quote]

They're very different and I use them for different feels/sounds. I've heavy rounds on the ebony which provide a classic and quite powerful fretless tone. I've TI Jazz Flats on the maple which, with a really really low action, provide a real jazzy and smooth upright sound. I'm sure if I swapped strings between the two, each would sound pretty similar to their counterpart, but I feel the ebony board will survive the heavy rounds and harder playing than would the the maple, on which I tend to play mellow stuff very softly
Chris

[Beedster]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='188851' date='Apr 30 2008, 02:40 PM']Feeble attempt there to cover embarrassment at initial misunderstanding!!! Feeble enough to go into politics - Beedster for PM ??

Back to topic - there's something warm,feely and traditional about ebony on maple. if it's good enough for a violin that's hundreds of years old etc.

Rosewood is a bit soft and I've seen lots mark quite easily

graphite is just good full stop but lacks the warm feel.

Maple as a fretless fingerboard makes you look like Sting a few years back so unless you have an ethnic looking mate with a CD in his gob , don't bother![/quote]

LOL
You're right about ebony Doc. Funnily enough though, noit sure your comments on maple are quite right. That is, when I whip out my maple Precision fretless I don't look like Sting at all, just like the idiot in the photo to the left. Should I take it back to the shop and complain that it's not doing its job properly?

[Dr.Dave]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188857' date='Apr 30 2008, 02:44 PM']LOL
You're right about ebony Doc. Funnily enough though, noit sure your comments on maple are quite right. That is, when I whip out my maple Precision fretless I don't look like Sting at all, just like the idiot in the photo to the left. Should I take it back to the shop and complain that it's not doing its job properly?[/quote]

You any good at this tantric sex lark?? If so , maybe the rest of the Sting effect will follow!

[Beedster]

[quote name='Dr.Dave' post='188861' date='Apr 30 2008, 02:51 PM']You any good at this tantric sex lark?? If so , maybe the rest of the Sting effect will follow![/quote]

Need you ask I really hope the Sting effect doesn't happen for me 'cos I'll have trouble varying my accent between somewhere West of Lloyd Grossman to somewhere North East of Jimmy Nail depending on whether I want to come across as intellectual ponce or hard man in any particular interview

[Beedster]

PS Higgie, don't you hate it when a couple of clowns hijack your thread

[Kiwi]

I put other in the neck option as I like the idea of a graphite neck with an ebony fingerboard and an epoxy/poly coating. The harder the better for fingerboards but phenolic is a bit too clattery unless using groundwounds.

[Higgie]

[quote name='Beedster' post='188869' date='Apr 30 2008, 02:55 PM']PS Higgie, don't you hate it when a couple of clowns hijack your thread [/quote]

Yeah, bloody gits....

Thanks for the info Dr. Dave, and Chris, as I'll be using roundwounds, I'm quite heavily swaying towards Ebony, and you've helped put me a bit further towards it!

Cheers for your input CK, but how much would a Graphite neck with an Ebony fingerboard cost?

Edited April 30, 2008 by Higgie

[BigRedX]

Weird - for some reason the "link" to the ACG sound clips didn't link...

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=3919"]Anyway here it is[/url] most of the clips are in the first post.

[Higgie]

BigRedX - Cheers for the link. It does sound like a very versatile Pre. Intriguing. It's quite alot of money though, will have to see about it when I get some spare cash.

Thanks again everyone for your input.

[Higgie]

Bump!

[lozbass]

I'd certainly go for the maple/ebony combination with rounds...it's what I have on my Jazz. When I had the bass set up by Martin at the Gallery, I was initially a bit concerned by his suggestion of roundwounds. They do mark the board, but Martin's advice was that the 'channel' simply adds to the characteristic mwahh - he also suggested that if I don't like the look I can just get a re-shoot.

[Higgie]

Thanks for the info guys

I think I will go for a good hard ebony/maple neck. Still not sure pre-amp wise, but I figure that will be the last thing I put in anyway, so that will give me time to think.

As it's a fretless J, I'm wondering if I should have a P pickup routed in, between the Jazz pickups, and some kind of switch so I could have fretless P and fretless J tones

It's a tempting idea, but then I'd have no excuse to buy/put together a fretless P