bythesea Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Well I knew it would happen (and fortunately for me so did my wife so she is somewhat prepared...) I have come back to the bass after a number (more than I am willing to admit) of years away just playing acoustic guitar. What attracted me was the idea of a EUB, and I now have a Stagg which I am having fun with. However, that is not going to be enough and I [s]want[/s] need to get a BG. I was originally going to write this last night and ask for suggestions about what I should get within the parameters I had thought of, but following a chat with my other half and doing some searching on the web I have a bit more of an idea of the sound I am looking for. So, last night started with her asking me what would be my ideal bass. I immediately replied "fretless Wal". Now, before I go any further I know that presently that isn't possible, but she did ask me why that one. Took me a while to think about this, as my musical tastes are very eclectic and I always seem to be listening to something new. Eventually I narrowed the reason down to one person - Mick Karn. Tin Drum by Japan just blew me away the first time I heard it, and I subsequently had a couple of his solo albums. As years have passed my circumstances have changed and I no longer had those albums (and hadn't since the end of the 80s). I googled Mick Karn and found what he is doing now - and he still has pretty much the same sound. Some of the tracks I heard blew me away all over again (so have ordered a couple of his later albums). Anyway, I have a bag full of photography gear that isn't getting used, so have decided to ebay it and spend the proceeds on a bass and amp. So my question is this. Given that my ideal sound is that fretless Wal sound, what should I be looking at in terms of bass and amp? The amp doesn't have to be too powerful as I am not planning on playing anywhere except home and with friends in the near future, and the bass needs to be fretless and either 4 or 5 string. My budget will be around £1.5k and it doesn't have to be new. All suggestions welcomed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 [url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/Gallery/123/"]Fretless ACG[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldGit Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 WAL fretless neck on Ebay right now BIN £395 [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wal-Fretless-Four-String-Neck_W0QQitemZ170329284944QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item170329284944"]WAL f/l neck on Ebay[/url] That plus a custom body.. sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaggy Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote name='BigRedX' post='482564' date='May 7 2009, 11:05 PM'][url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/Gallery/123/"]Fretless ACG[/url][/quote] That’s very cool indeed – haven’t seen those before. Much of Mick Karn’s Japan recordings done with a Travis Bean (I wondered for years what the hell it was until BigRedX put me straight), which as much as anything shows how much of his sound is in the fingers rather than the bass; slides, slurs, very eccentric timing, and a dollop of production. You hear many of his playing techniques in flamenco and Middle Eastern music. I get a sound very, very close from my Ovation Magnum fretless thru a Trace head and a wee bit of compression and chorus – reckon you’d get the same on any of the quality “woodier” fretless basses (see [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=42147&hl=fretless)"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;hl=fretless)[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Jack Posted May 8, 2009 Share Posted May 8, 2009 As luck would have it, I STILL haven't got around to selling my 1974 Rickenbacker 4001 Fretless: [url="http://tinypic.com/useralbum.php?ua=45It2s124q%2BUMAGAPJsDaw%3D%3D"]http://tinypic.com/useralbum.php?ua=45It2s...AGAPJsDaw%3D%3D[/url] It ticks most of your boxes BUT bear in mind that Ric's have a closer string spacing at the bridge than most. Haven't played a Wal, but I'm guessing the string spacing is more Fender than Ric. If you want to come up to London to have a play, let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea Posted May 8, 2009 Author Share Posted May 8, 2009 [quote][url="http://www.acguitars.co.uk/Gallery/123/"]Fretless ACG[/url][/quote] Oh they are nice - I have been meaning to visit Scotland for a while... [quote]WAL fretless neck on Ebay right now BIN £395[/quote] Knowing me this would never get finished [quote]I get a sound very, very close from my Ovation Magnum fretless thru a Trace head and a wee bit of compression and chorus – reckon you’d get the same on any of the quality “woodier” fretless basses[/quote] Thanks for that link - shall have a read of that thread. Glad to hear I can get close to that sound without having to get a Wal (yet). And I know you are right about the fingers - it can't be long till doctors start cloning bass players fingers for transplanting! [quote]As luck would have it, I STILL haven't got around to selling my 1974 Rickenbacker 4001 Fretless[/quote] Nice bass - unfortunately I have never really appreciated the look of a Rick, though this one is better than most. I think I will take the time and make the most of this GAS - go and try a lot of instruments and a lot of amps - and keep an eye on the for sale section. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thisnameistaken Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 [quote name='bythesea' post='482531' date='May 7 2009, 10:31 PM']last night started with her asking me what would be my ideal bass. I immediately replied "fretless Wal".[/quote] I bet there are a lot of women in the UK who know the phrase "fretless Wal" better than they have any reason to. My girlfriend knows my dream bass is a Wal too, I'm just too cheap to pay for one. Sounds like you're after a very obvious fretless tone. Maybe look at Warwicks - Nick Beggs was playing fretless Warwicks in the late '80s and getting lovely woody, purring noises. But then so was Pino Palladino in the early '80s on a Stingray. I think you'll probably find the tone you want quicker than you'd imagine if you just go out and play some basses, then it's really a matter of whether you're happy with the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 [quote name='thisnameistaken' post='483522' date='May 9 2009, 03:40 AM']Sounds like you're after a very obvious fretless tone. Maybe look at Warwicks - Nick Beggs was playing fretless Warwicks in the late '80s and getting lovely woody, purring noises. But then so was Pino Palladino in the early '80s on a Stingray. I think you'll probably find the tone you want quicker than you'd imagine if you just go out and play some basses, then it's really a matter of whether you're happy with the neck.[/quote] I think a Warwick would be a top choice too. All the FL Warwicks I've played have been lovely, great feel and growly woody tones. There's a cracking s/h Thumb FL4 in the Bass Gallery at the moment. It's in great nick and it sounds wonderful. They're selling it on commission for someone for £1200. I couldn't stretch to that so I ended up with something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bythesea Posted May 9, 2009 Author Share Posted May 9, 2009 [quote name='silddx' post='483600' date='May 9 2009, 10:25 AM']I think a Warwick would be a top choice too. All the FL Warwicks I've played have been lovely, great feel and growly woody tones. There's a cracking s/h Thumb FL4 in the Bass Gallery at the moment. It's in great nick and it sounds wonderful. They're selling it on commission for someone for £1200. I couldn't stretch to that so I ended up with something else.[/quote] I saw what you ended up with and I love it! If only that link had been a week or two later I now have www.kopo.fr bookmarked. Thanks for the suggestions, I think I will enjoy the GAS and take my time trying some out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) As others have said get out there and play as many basses as you can. I was on a quest to find a really good fretless a couple of years back and I played literally everything I can across that didn't have frets to find what I like and what i didn't. As a Mick Karn fan also I have to say that Warwicks didn't do it for me at all until you got into the silly money territory - my custom- built Sei cost less than either of the 2 Warwicks that I actually liked. As well as ACG which I linked in my first post you should also try a Pedulla Buzz and any Marleaux fretless before making any purchasing decissions. Edited May 9, 2009 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warwickhunt Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 If you work from the assumption that a lot of your tone is in your fingers then you really can open up your search to cover a lot more bases/basses It may not be your cup of tea but the guy who just bought my Warwick SSI fretless has a Warwick Pro M fretless (one of the earlier Pro M series) now going spare, I've no idea if it suits your needs or is something that even interests but I'm speaking to him later today so I'll get some details any way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urban Bassman Posted May 9, 2009 Share Posted May 9, 2009 (edited) [quote name='bythesea' post='482531' date='May 7 2009, 10:31 PM']Well I knew it would happen (and fortunately for me so did my wife so she is somewhat prepared...) I have come back to the bass after a number (more than I am willing to admit) of years away just playing acoustic guitar. What attracted me was the idea of a EUB, and I now have a Stagg which I am having fun with. However, that is not going to be enough and I [s]want[/s] need to get a BG. I was originally going to write this last night and ask for suggestions about what I should get within the parameters I had thought of, but following a chat with my other half and doing some searching on the web I have a bit more of an idea of the sound I am looking for. So, last night started with her asking me what would be my ideal bass. I immediately replied "fretless Wal". Now, before I go any further I know that presently that isn't possible, but she did ask me why that one. Took me a while to think about this, as my musical tastes are very eclectic and I always seem to be listening to something new. Eventually I narrowed the reason down to one person - Mick Karn. Tin Drum by Japan just blew me away the first time I heard it, and I subsequently had a couple of his solo albums. As years have passed my circumstances have changed and I no longer had those albums (and hadn't since the end of the 80s). I googled Mick Karn and found what he is doing now - and he still has pretty much the same sound. Some of the tracks I heard blew me away all over again (so have ordered a couple of his later albums). Anyway, I have a bag full of photography gear that isn't getting used, so have decided to ebay it and spend the proceeds on a bass and amp. So my question is this. Given that my ideal sound is that fretless Wal sound, what should I be looking at in terms of bass and amp? The amp doesn't have to be too powerful as I am not planning on playing anywhere except home and with friends in the near future, and the bass needs to be fretless and either 4 or 5 string. My budget will be around £1.5k and it doesn't have to be new. All suggestions welcomed.[/quote] I would suggest that you look at a second hand Overwater Progress. I had a four string fretless Progress III for a while and it was fabulous, beautifully made and you can get all the great fretless "mmwhaa" sounds out of it too. They are over £2K new but I reckon you could find a good used one for about £1K. Good luck In fact there is one on the for sale board right now! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=48366&hl=overwater"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...mp;hl=overwater[/url] Edited May 9, 2009 by urban Bassman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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