Starting the fretless journey: advice needed.

[MisterFingers]

[size=4]Hello,[/size]
[size=4]I'm about to move into fretless terrain and I'd like some advice about what the right approach to take is.[/size]
[size=4]I have played fretlesses, not recently though, but my intonation isn't too bad and I'm sure it'd get better as I go along. First impulse was to start looking for a new 4 string between approx. £500 - 900 - I kind of narrowed it down to a Warwick PS Corvette, a SpectorCore Amberburst, or a Sandberg California TT Passive. (Not so sure now about the Spector, as it looks a bit garish, and the hollow body might be too 'tuned').[/size]
[size=4]A dose of reality then kicked in and I thought it might be better looking for a used decent budget model first and I've found a local used Vintage V940 Bubinga job for £150 - which I've arranged to see this week. Then I joined your excellent forum today and I've seen an Aria SB600 fretless for £350 (as well as beautiful custom job for £700) on the for sale thread. I'm a J-bass sort of guy but I'm not averse to new fingerboards or weight, and I want an electric sound that is different from the J, but still weighty in the bottom end for an upright -ish tone - maybe the 80's Aria is too pokey in the mid, for example?[/size]
[size=4](I will mostly be recording, not gigging, and I have a nice little Eden combo, a Sansamp Bass DI and a couple of Radial DI's as well as access to some great mics).[/size]
[size=4]Anyway, the question is: should I aim my sights higher from day one, as I want to avoid planks, or go with the sensible plan (if you know what I mean). Any advice appreciated guys.[/size]
[size=4]Thanks in advance.[/size]

[ezbass]

I can't recommend the Gary Willis 5 string GWB35 enough. I love mine (seen here stripped back from its usual black)
[IMG]http://i308.photobucket.com/albums/kk344/ezbass/P1080146.jpg[/IMG]

There is one for sale on BC at the moment http://basschat.co.uk/topic/201599-ibanez-gwb35-fretless-inc-sadowsky-case/page__p__2070113__hl__gwb35__fromsearch__1#entry2070113 great price too.

Edited May 19, 2013 by ezbass

[Lord Sausage]

ESP LTD. I got a 5 string version. Well made, play well and sound good. Punch well above their weight!
[url="http://www.thomann.de/gb/esp_ltd_b204sm_fl_natural_satin.htm"]http://www.thomann.de/gb/esp_ltd_b204sm_fl_natural_satin.htm[/url]

[MisterFingers]

That GWB bass looks great, but I'm looking for a 4 string, and my touch is a bit heavier than Gary Willis so that woodblock could be a problem.
The ESP - tempting at that price....... So you think that the Vantage job at £150 is a waste of cash?

[lapolpora]

I would say go for something that's going to be familiar. If you're used to J basses, go for a fretless J. Ditto for number of strings. It's quite a different beast to fretted.

I play Js and Stingrays. My first fretless was a Godin A5. Lovely bass, but I still haven't got used to it. Since I got a fretless Jazz I've been so much more at home and would be happy to go out and gig with it. Any gig but a reading gig - I don't yet have the confidence to play without looking down from time to time.

[ead]

This looks like a really good bass and the switchable p/up option will give you some serious bottom end (I've tried this set up on an ACG fretted bass):

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/187466-acg-graft-range/page__st__60"]http://basschat.co.u...ge/page__st__60[/url] see post #72.

I have one of Alan's fretless 4s and it is an outstanding bass and excellent value too.

I've been through a number of budget fretless basses and a MIJ Jazz fretless and with the benefit of hindsight, and in the knowledge that I would always have a fretless bass around, I should have gone for something further up the food chain straight off.

Edited May 19, 2013 by ead

[RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE]

You'll be more confused than ever after all the replies you receive I would say stick to a Fender, as that's what you are used to. If you could get a fretless Telebass then you'd have the tone you require as well imho. Trouble is, I don't think you can get a fretless Tele .

[MisterFingers]

[quote name='ead' timestamp='1368988949' post='2083758']
This looks like a really good bass and the switchable p/up option will give you some serious bottom end (I've tried this set up on an ACG fretted bass):

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/187466-acg-graft-range/page__st__60"]http://basschat.co.u...ge/page__st__60[/url] see post #72.

I have one of Alan's fretless 4s and it is an outstanding bass and excellent value too.

I've been through a number of budget fretless basses and a MIJ Jazz fretless and with the benefit of hindsight, and in the knowledge that I would always have a fretless bass around, I should have gone for something further up the food chain straight off.
[/quote]

Thanks for the link to ACG EAD - I heard mention of a luthier in the Borders so this must be the man. I love the look of the J-style fretlesses, but much prefer the natural wood bodies - but I'm guessing they're all beauts to play. If I decide to go for a quality instrument I'd rather go for an ACG than the models I mentioned above. This isn't doing my GAS any good at all though.

[BetaFunk]

There's a beautiful Overwater Aspiration Elite Fretless in the For Sale section


http://basschat.co.uk/topic/208028-overwater-aspiration-elite-fretless/

Edited May 19, 2013 by BetaFunk

[ead]

[quote name='MisterFingers' timestamp='1368996548' post='2083850']
Thanks for the link to ACG EAD - I heard mention of a luthier in the Borders so this must be the man. I love the look of the J-style fretlesses, but much prefer the natural wood bodies - but I'm guessing they're all beauts to play. If I decide to go for a quality instrument I'd rather go for an ACG than the models I mentioned above. This isn't doing my GAS any good at all though.
[/quote]

I saw you were in Glasgow so not too far to travel down to Moffat. You can have pretty much anything you like. The Graft range standard spec is minimum lacquer finish so lots of lovely wood naturalness to be had there.

Here's mine (#120 in the ACG website gallery).

[attachment=135123:ACG final 221212 01.jpg]

Edited May 19, 2013 by ead

[MisterFingers]

I thought that might be your J type fretless in the gallery- total envy mate!
(BTW I know Moffat quite well but never knew there was a luthiers off the High St.!)
Tough decisions here.

[ead]

The actual 'shop' is a little out of town I think Alan just uses the address you will have seen for some storage. Well worth a visit Alan is really helpful.

Whatever you go for see if you can find one to try first. The stealth black one looks well worth a noodle and he has the holly and purpleheart bass 'in stock' too. You also need to bear in mind that I'm an ACG convert so my opinions may not not be totally unbiased .

[MisterFingers]

Thanks for all the advice guys - I've pulled the trigger on a member's Overwater Elite F/less - I can't justify an ACG custom job at the mo' but maybe down the line....?

[ead]

Excellent, nice basses those Tanglewaters.

[BassNL]

[quote name='MisterFingers' timestamp='1368977158' post='2083599'][size=4]I want an electric sound that is different from the J, but still weighty in the bottom end for an upright -ish tone[/size][/quote]

Bit late, but here goes anyway. I have had a Spectorcore as a backup fretless. With the combination of the HZ pickup and the piezo bridge you can dial in a very upright-ish tone. I was quite surprised with that, hadn't expected a Spector to sound like that. The semi-hollow is not an issue with resonance or whatever, these are not true acoustic basses, rather "chambered". Closer to solid body than to full acoustic. Well made, good value, all IMO. I'd still like to own a 5str Spectorcore some day for that upright-like tone. No complaining here though, as I now have an ACG fretless 5 string J-type. Highly recommended, and Alan is a top bloke.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='lapolpora' timestamp='1368984067' post='2083674']
I would say go for something that's going to be familiar. If you're used to J basses, go for a fretless J. Ditto for number of strings. It's quite a different beast to fretted.

[/quote]

This is a good place to start. Not the way I did it, mind, but I can see the benefits in getting something with a neck you recognise, so you can concentrate on technique and getting those notes right, rather than thinking "where is the first position again?".