Linus27

Can you go into more details on what patches or settings you were using? Would be great to try some of the settings you used 👍

It's not so much the lines as you dont look at them, it's more of a case of where the dots and lines are on the side of the fretboard. On an unlined it's either dots or blank spaces. On a lined its dots and lines on every fret which to my eyes is super messy and confusing.

Unlined here as well. I have no issue with unlined but for me it's easier playing unlined as you either fret on a dot or a space. Lines just make it look cluttered to my eyes and end up bei g a target to aim for rather than using my ear.

Thanks Tim.

So has anyone taken the plunge yet on one of these fretless Jack Casady basses?

To be honest, I think I would be very hard to replace. I play fretless, I play fretless solo's, I play a lot of melody and cello like parts and use an array of pedals to create certain sounds. Not saying I'm not replaceable as everyone is replaceable but as a bassist, there are not many bassists who do what I do so to find someone who plays the way I do would take time. It's an interesting question though as I said to my band a few weeks ago that I'm not sure how much I can commit next year due to my daughter's racing career and if they want to consider a replacement then I understand. They both said they would never be able to find another bassist like me who can do what I do so we just wouldn't bother so we'd cancel the gig, or play it acoustic and just wait for you to be available again. I guess that says it all 😂

I don't actually own a fretted bass and find frets, dots and binding massively distracting. I don't have a pony or a tail but did have long hair and a waistcoat once.

I've just checked and I've been here 17 years 😲 I'd already had 20 years of music under my belt before joining and now I'm at 37 years and still going strong and I'm only 54 😲

Yep, I grew up listening to U2, INXS, Simple Minds and Talk Talk so a lot of similarities. The bass tone on INXS - Listen Like Thieves and the second verse of The Original Sin are amazing, so crunchy.

I've been a long time INXS and GGB fan and for mostly live, he's played a sunburst P-Basses. However, recorded he used a Steinberger bass which he would use occasionally live.

I've gone through a lot of chorus pedals and really struggled to find one with a nice flavour that doesn't change the overall tone of the bass. The TC Corona was nice but super subtle and I just couldn't get it to be effective. The Bass Clone I liked but I found it changed the tone too much and I was constantly fiddles. I'm now running the EBS Unichorus and I like it but I'm still not convinced by it so I might move it on. I'm actually really tempted to try the Harley Benton Classic Chorus after seeing this video.

Oooohhh, I love that, everything about it is perfect 😍

Here are my four little beauties. 1987 Japanese Fender Jazz 62RI with ebony fretless neck and Bartolini's. 2004 Japanese Fender Precision 62RI with rosewood fretless neck and Fender American 62 Vintage pickups. Japanese Fender PJ with Status fretless neck and I believe Nordstrand pickups but I could be wrong. No idea on the date either. 1989 Fender Jazz 6wRI with rosewood fretless neck. They all sound totally different.

I've only had a very quick go on one and I wasn't a fan. Saying that, after playing fretless only for so many years, I find fretted basses tricky these days as the frets and dots seem to just make everything look messy. I actually had to sell my 75RI Jazz as it also had blocks and binding which really confused my head. I also play a lot in the dusty end and a lot of melodic bass lines so that probably doesn't help. I've found playing fretted, I see the notes and the places to fret but with a fretless, you look at the board and see shapes and lines, its a totally different way to look at the fretboard and I'm just used to that way now.

What's the best way to dirty up the back of a neck to make it look more used, any tips?

Unless things take a dramatic turn, I can see my 2025 GAS list being quite small. I'm very happy with my fretless basses and can't really see the need to get anything else or improve on what I have. I'm also very happy with my pedals but there are some I'd still like to try which are, Strymon Cloudburst MXR Script 90 Phaser I do have a bit of a love/hate relationship with my MarkBass LM IV and Barefaced Two10 rig. Some days I'm super happy with it and other days not. I'm actually really tempted to get a Fender Rumble 800 combo as every time I played through one, its sounded mega. So we shall see.

My favourite album is The Unforgettable Fire, closely followed by The Joshua Tree and War. This performance is incredible for a song they have really struggled to nail live.

He did play fretless on the video for Night and Day but its probably just for looks rather than actual.

I agree, it does a little but I just watched a live recording of it and it seems like its either the Edge playing those little slide parts or its a backing track.