NBD: Enfield Lionheart Fretless

[keefbaker]

Ok, so here's the story. I went to the London Bass Guitar show and my original plan was to see if they had a blank board fretless Musicman Stringray, but they didn't. After a few circles i spotted this beauty.
[attachment=215019:2016-03-12 11.46.00.jpg]
I didn't like the red pickguard, but decided to have a listen and play of it anyway. It blew my face off, and the versatility of the thing is amazing so I went ahead and bought it.
It turned out I couldn't just take it home, it had to go back to the factory to be set up anyway so as I had the opportunity, I asked for a black pickguard to be put on it....
And now it's home...
[attachment=215020:2016-03-19 12.55.08.jpg][attachment=215021:2016-03-19 12.55.28.jpg][attachment=215022:2016-03-19 12.55.34.jpg]

And goddamn it does it sound and play amazing. For those who don't know each pickup does humbucker, single coil and split coil, so it can do impressions of J, P, MM, PJ ond various others.

Here's some of my unbelievably crap playing showing just some of the pickup combinations, fingerstyle, pick and slap. EQ/Tone is on neutral throughout, no processing AT ALL on this. The fingerstyle is more rock than funk/jazz because if you want to hear an Enfield doing that there's tons of examples on youtube.

Sorry for:
[indent=1]A- my playing[/indent]
[indent=1]B- my intonation[/indent]
[indent=1]C- any clipping.[/indent]

Anyway, here it is. WOOP!!!!
[url="https://soundcloud.com/keith-baker-199951586/enfield-lionheart-fretless-demo"]https://soundcloud.c...t-fretless-demo[/url]

[Musashimonkey]

Very nice, Sims does some incredible builds. His pick ups are fantastic too! Glad you like it. 😀 A super bass there in all aspects.

[White Cloud]

Beautiful!

[TheGreek]

Good buy Keef...I want SimS p/ups in my next custom build

[Roland Rock]

Very nice. I actually quite like the red

[Dazed]

Nice purchase! I like that stealthy look.

Those pickups sound really good too

[CamdenRob]

Looks awesome... Always been tempted by these, very Wal esq but with a modern twist.

Edited March 19, 2016 by CamdenRob

[Dazed]

Coo they're not cheap those Enfields are they?

Just been mooching around the Sims site. Your soundcloud demo is much more useful than their own demos!

[keefbaker]

Cheers. No, they're not cheap, but they're damn good.

[chriswareham]

Martin is making a new scratch plate and truss rod cover for my latest acquisition, and being an Enfield denizen I was quite taken by the brand name for some of his guitars. Glad my GAS is in check at the moment!

[discreet]

Good score, like the shape. There is definitely something of the later Wals about it. I've hankered after a fretless for years but have never been quite able to leave the security of frets behind... perhaps the time has come now I'm demented - cheese on toast. Nice-sounding pickups...

[Russ]

Great-sounding basses and fantastic pickups. Just can't get over that massive expanse of scratchplate - I can't stand the aesthetic of basses where the front of them is more scratchplate than body. The standard colours are a bit on the drab side too.

[Sibob]

[quote name='Russ' timestamp='1458466973' post='3007726']
Great-sounding basses and fantastic pickups. Just can't get over that massive expanse of scratchplate - I can't stand the aesthetic of basses where the front of them is more scratchplate than body. The standard colours are a bit on the drab side too.
[/quote]

They do custom colours as an extra on the Lionheart (standard) series, but if you don't like the pickguard, go for the Canon series

Si

[Russ]

[quote name='Sibob' timestamp='1458469341' post='3007763']
They do custom colours as an extra on the Lionheart (standard) series, but if you don't like the pickguard, go for the Canon series

Si
[/quote]

The Cannons have that single huge pickup, and are way more expensive! Seems a lot to pay just not to have a huge scratchplate!

[JTUK]

I'm not sure.............
no denying the quality and build but for me they try to be all things to all men...and I don't really get
why you'd want a P, Jazz and MM in one bass.
For the prices... you could probably buy all 3..

But..big fan of Sims in general, just not sure on this bass idea..

[ped]

So the graphite wrap necks - are they stable or is the wrap mainly for looks?

[Kev]

Congrats!

Certainly borrows the Wal shape, albeit seemingly more bloated on the short horn side. Pickups are interesting! LEDs a little unnecessary but plenty of tonal options going on.

[such]

I think it wouldn't be hard to dim the LED a bit. And I totally agree with the colour choices for respective coil configs and their tones.

[keefbaker]

Actually I've found the LEDs really useful. It's a lot easier to remember red for split coil, green for single and blue for humbucker for some reason.

[keefbaker]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1458482740' post='3007917']I don't really get
why you'd want a P, Jazz and MM in one bass.
For the prices... you could probably buy all 3..
[/quote]

It's a lot less heavy and this was £1600 so, only on the second hand market.

Also I don't understand why you WOULDN'T want those options.

[interpol52]

[quote name='keefbaker' timestamp='1458501367' post='3008140']


It's a lot less heavy and this was £1600 so, only on the second hand market.

Also I don't understand why you WOULDN'T want those options.
[/quote]

I agree, great bass. Its sad to see comments like the one you were referring to though, a NBD thread should be a joyous celebration of your new instrument.

You must be over the moon! I was at the bass show and saw these, they looked amazing. Enjoy!

[Chiliwailer]

[quote name='interpol52' timestamp='1458503614' post='3008166']


I agree, great bass. Its sad to see comments like the one you were referring to though, a NBD thread should be a joyous celebration of your new instrument.

[/quote]

+1

[Beedster]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1458482740' post='3007917']
and I don't really get why you'd want a P, Jazz and MM in one bass.
[/quote]

Really....,?

[Wolverinebass]

[quote name='ped' timestamp='1458483245' post='3007927']
So the graphite wrap necks - are they stable or is the wrap mainly for looks?
[/quote]

I tried one with a graphite neck at last year's bass show. When I spoke to Martin Sims, he suggested that it wasn't for looks but for a marginally different sound. I could tell the difference between it and a wood necked version. The impression I got was that he felt that the low end of full graphite necked instruments sounded compressed and there was maybe a bit too much 6kHz. I know what he means by that of course, but it just depends if you like that or not. With the wrap those characteristics were there but a bit more muted.

Besides, after playing your Vigier why would you need another graphite necked bass? I thought it was fantastic!!

[ped]

[quote name='Wolverinebass' timestamp='1458505533' post='3008197']


I tried one with a graphite neck at last year's bass show. When I spoke to Martin Sims, he suggested that it wasn't for looks but for a marginally different sound. I could tell the difference between it and a wood necked version. The impression I got was that he felt that the low end of full graphite necked instruments sounded compressed and there was maybe a bit too much 6kHz. I know what he means by that of course, but it just depends if you like that or not. With the wrap those characteristics were there but a bit more muted.

Besides, after playing your Vigier why would you need another graphite necked bass? I thought it was fantastic!!
[/quote]

Thanks, that makes sense. So I guess there's still a truss rod?

I'm just interested in the tech - not many people manufacturing graphite necks now

Cheers
ped