kodiakblair Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 (edited) I remember seeing a bass reviewed in the 80's in Guitarist mag. It was British built I think and the builder's name began with a W ? It was fretless but had a small brass plate inlaid at the end of the fingerboard. I think it was to help slapping. Any one remember this ? Found it. Doug Wikes. Now did anyone play one ? Edited July 10, 2014 by kodiakblair Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted July 10, 2014 Share Posted July 10, 2014 I used to sell them. IIRC, the little brass plate covered a pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 Thanks I castle. A fella over on TB was saying his fretless with black beauties was "dull" and he wanted to add a steel plate. Have no idea if it would work but I know a guy used an aluminium fingerboard ,he swore by it. Can't really see what he wants to achieve? He's talking about keeping the "clang" but having more "clatch"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1405055049' post='2498299'] He's talking about keeping the "clang" but having more "clatch"? [/quote] Those two terms sound like the exact things I've always tried to eliminate from my bass sound... Edited July 11, 2014 by CamdenRob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manton Customs Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 [quote name='kodiakblair' timestamp='1405055049' post='2498299'] Thanks I castle. A fella over on TB was saying his fretless with black beauties was "dull" and he wanted to add a steel plate. Have no idea if it would work but I know a guy used an aluminium fingerboard ,he swore by it. Can't really see what he wants to achieve? He's talking about keeping the "clang" but having more "clatch"? [/quote] He's probably after a different slap sound...Either that or he is mistaken and thinks it will alter the overall tone (assuming he meant just a plate at the last fret). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conan Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 (edited) It was called the "slap-plate" and AFAIAA it didn't conceal a pickup - it just gave a more percussive edge to slap played on a fretless bass. They occasionally come up for sale on here - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/134054-withdrawn-wilkes-4-string-fretless-with-slap-plates/"]http://basschat.co.u...th-slap-plates/[/url] They were never very common or popular, for reasons I fail to understand. Maybe there are not that many people who like to slap on a fretless bass? Edit - I stand corrected on the hidden pickup! (Sorry icastle! ). From his own website: [i]"In his pursuit to become the best guitar builder, he also patented several innovative ideas. His slap plates on bass guitars with pick-ups in the neck have since been copied by manufacturers worldwide. Another design was a half-fretted, half-fretless bass, which gave players the option and versatility of two instruments in one."[/i] Edited July 11, 2014 by Conan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 Thanks for the input guys. I'm further confused by what this fella wants to achieve. Comments so far like " I want a fretted sound from this fretless" and " When other people play this bass it sounds good just not when I play it" or " Technique is not the issue here " haven't cleared things up. The phrase " BawBag" springs to mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodiakblair Posted July 11, 2014 Author Share Posted July 11, 2014 The phrase was right. Basically what he has in mind is sound completely different from what he's using the example he gave was " Say I'm playing a Beatle Bass with flats, it sounds great but when I play it I don't want it to sound like a Beatle Bass with flats." I'm waiting on him saying " When I play a fretted P bass I want it to sound like a fretless jazz " In other words a pointless thread, says he might think about changing strings or pickups but " The bass I want hasn't been invented yet" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 11, 2014 Share Posted July 11, 2014 Sounds like the sort of guy that says you can hear the difference between eveready and duracell batteries in active basses.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted July 12, 2014 Share Posted July 12, 2014 I had an old Aria TSB-550 which had been defretted and had a full width brass inlay across the neck at the top fret position. It looked like a professional job that had been done early in the life of the bass, so I guess the idea must have had a bit of popularity at the time. I could never see the point of the brass plate myself, as I never liked the sound of fretless slap, but it was a lovely bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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