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Size of a Cow - The Wonderstuff

Aged 18 I got a fretless to upgrade from my Tanglewood beginners P bass. I used it as my sole bass all through my first gigging band and for some years later. I still have it almost 25 years later and it still gets gigged occasionally. I had a Warwick Korean made fretless for a while which sounded fantastic but I sold it when my 80s band folded, but it would have been nice to keep it as it had the most outrageous "mwaaaaahhh". I now own two fretlesses as I have the Harley Benton fretless jazz. This is also gigged occasionally and comes along as a backup quite often. While the music I play (covers) are not fretless bass recordings I always find a way to tastefully (???) add in some fretless when the mood takes me. I used it more as a "seasoning" than a main ingredient, it keeps me thinking and stops me getting bored.

I used to use my fretless for a few songs at every gig way back when. I rarely use it now, but once took it to a bluesfire gig and ended up playing a whole set using it. As Dad says, you can play most stuff perfectly well on fretless.

I just bought a TGI case for my Squier Jazz as I needed a case with decent protection but didn't want to spend more on the case than I did on the bass which was a cheap project bass purchase. I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived with regards build quality. You can tuck the straps away in the back sleeve if only carrying with the handle. Front pocket is larger than it looks. The only niggle is the velcro strap to hold the neck is a little long but it does fasten. Worth a look in my opinion but I can't attest to it's durability yet. https://www.gear4music.com/Guitar-and-Bass/TGI-4836-Extreme-Series-Bass-Guitar-Gig-Bag/2WP4?_gl=1*tpfb0g*_up*MQ..*_ga*MjA4Nzg4MDE5Mi4xNzUyNTAwNDU2*_ga_0WF1R5QW3K*czE3NTI1MDA0NTYkbzEkZzAkdDE3NTI1MDA0NTYkajYwJGwwJGgxMjc1ODMwMDk5JGRMd1RsYUx2MXc0dFJFcE41VUU0VUtCd1lRZGt6UU5CQUxR With regards your other Gator options. I have had a Gator hard case for my main bass for 20 years or so and will stand by Gator quality so if you do choose a Gator case, you won't be disappointed.

Many years ago, I had two and they sounded quite different. The fact that one was fretted and the other was fretless had nothing to do with it, obviously.

So the next question is - what's a better option - a 20ish year old Q4 or a newish Performer? 🤔

Now That The Buffalo’s Gone - Buffy Sainte-Marie

The Bunker tension-free neck comes to mind. Ibanez had them make the USRG and USATK series with this neck tech, and Bunker has been building guitars and basses with this neck since the 1970's. They use a construction method where a steel rod holds all the string tension, while a wooden "shell" around it makes for a traditional feeling and playing instrument:

A Flying V that's had its airworthiness certificate rescinded with extreme prejudice.

I'm intrigued by the idea of some kind of modular setup - the neck itself could be full graphite, and you could have a P, a J, and a couple of 5- and 6-string options with different widths, but then have neck pocket adapters enabling these necks to be bolted onto a range of bodies, and some way to make switchable headstocks or just go headless. The headstock and neck pocket adapter needn't be full carbon fibre, but could use some other strong but easier to mould composite that doesn't require all the same tooling and setup as making bespoke carbon fibre components. Something where the moulds could just be 3D-printed or easily CNC'd. Not sure about the feasibility of any of this, but it might be something worth exploring.

I can't really comment on the cases you have listed but for me the obvious choice would be a Hiscox liteflite case, you'll not get a new one in your budget but they're not hard to find secondhand and on a weight vs protection ratio I don't think there is anything better, personally i've got 12 of them and many were bought secondhand, some for as litlle as £30 a wanted ad on here would probably find you one, alternatively i've had good luck on facebook marketplace and ebay, as you're in London you've got a good chance of finding one. Matt

Ah right. cool. I found them all to be quite varied but like you, only one really works for me. It's a shame there isn't an iOS app I could use to change these over when away from the house.

I used a fretless Sei Original 5 for my main bass for several years - switched back to fretted for the current rock covers band but do use fretless now and again when I feel like it, and take the fretless out as a backup bass. May switch back to fretless. I decided to use fretless for the originals band as it seems to fit better than fretted, trying using a 6-string fretless which seems to be working quite well.

They make a great sounding fretless.

Bilbo....welcome back...you have been missed!!

No, because you have just added a load of additional latency.

NICE!

I have played a fretless, on and off, for about 40 years. There have been times when I haven't owned one but now have 2, with my SUB Stingray about to be converted to fretless, with a new fingerboard. That'll make it 3.

Jimmy bought my Smooth Hound wireless. Jimmy paid quickly. Jimmy corresponded well. Be more like Jimmy! 🤣 Thank you Jimmy, smooth transaction indeed. 👍

My fretless is a bass I defretted myself as an experiment. The neck was unstable, it still is. The electronics were noisy, they still are. It's in the loft, so doesn't get played. I've been tempted several times to get a proper one, but not pulled the trigger on anything yet.

I was gifted an active six-string fretless by Our Eldest, several years ago now, but it has been 'confiscated' by Our Youngest. It has replaced his Cort five-string, and has been in regular use as his sole instrument ever since. He struggles, now, to use any of my four-string basses. I'm not sure that I agree that there are songs that 'don't suit' a fretless; he uses it exclusively for everything, and has quite a varied repertoire.