uk_lefty

A few months back I asked Andertons whether they'd be getting a lefty Sire fretless in, it was listed on their website as "available at short notice" or words to that effect. I asked when and their reply may as well have been "maybe November, don't know really mate, come back later" which didn't fill me with confidence.

Ta. Was depping for a band with an awesome bassist. I play with the guitarist in my covers band and I just told him "I can't play like him, can I do something completely different?" and they were cool with me playing fretless where they usually have funky triplety finger and thumb style.

I nod vigorously and sometimes swing my bass around a bit but if I get overexcited and try something more extravagant the bass is no longer being played but is being shamed as a musical component. So I try not to let it go too far.

By virtue of owning it for nearly 18 years this is my most played bass. I love it. Its been through everything with me. It looks a bit out of place, and can sound out of place too if not careful. I've had better quality basses, but there's something about this that means it's the first I want to play. If I'm recording something this is the bass I use. The Kramer Striker fretless 5. A budget bass from the early 2000s but has a nice grittiness to the tone and with flats on it sounds perfect to me. It still gets gigged too.

Surely your HB collection doesn't include a lefty yet? Don't deny yourself, only one life... Etc.

Calm down everyone! It is the fretless lefty I've been discussing for the entire thread. So just a lefty version of the fretless jazz they already do in right handed.

News just in... Thomann have this bass as "on request" because its a new model and they don't yet have an expected delivery date. They told me they'll update their page when they have a delivery date. So it's not so much "on request" as "coming soon". Lost in translation I think.

Thanks, appreciate it. I'm waiting on a reply from Thomann so I can understand the terms and conditions around the "on request" instruments. It could be non refundable in which case I might not take the risk, depends how selling off some other stuff goes...

I change around so often my playing style and dynamic, I just go through phases of liking different things. Have had a Fender. 73mm pick out today as it happens! Why not just change around for how you feel at the time and don't worry about it? Try different things, see where you end up settling, or where it takes you next. I don't think I can ever be a "pick player" but I like to noodle about using one and bring it on for some songs every now and then.

At my desk... Sorry couldn't resist a sh!t joke. St Albans area.

Oh my... That does it for me. 😍

Top knowledge.

I've sent them an email with all the relevant questions. Do all requests get fulfilled? How long is the wait... Etc.

Great! Thank you

Thanks everyone. I'd prefer not to be changing components but then again im not shy to do that if the bass is a keeper. It's more the feel, which I think has been resolved. I always fancied a fretless jazz and their Jaco type one looks the part. I've raised nearly enough from selling other gear but also have a bass to possibly shift too, shall decide this weekend. Its just with it being a special order I don't want to mess anyone about and buy it thinking I'll return it if I don't like it. For 140 quid I'm not expecting it to rival my USA Stingray or MIJ Jazz but I also don't want to buy it and be disappointed. I think I have a good impression of what the quality will be like now, thanks all.

Thanks. That's the kind of comparison I'm looking for. I just want it to be better than a Westfield to be honest, though I know some people like them and even gig them I found them to feel really cheap... Low quality is not necessarily the wrong word but they didn't have the feel of a 90s MIM Fender (poor quality for MIM Fender) so while someone may rave about them it's probably because they can't get past paying just 50 quid for one second hand. That is a beaut if a bass you linked to.

Hi everyone, I have a request please. I'm interested in a bass that Harley Benton do on request only (fretless lefty jazz). Thing is I don't know what to expect. I've heard Harleys are great / great value, but that can mean so many different things. But what do they compare to? I've listed out the below in my view of order of quality... Would be good to know where you place Harley Benton against those. Westfield Squier Affinity Squier CV MIM Fender Sire MIJ Fender

I think Aria did this on the SB series, so in the early 80s. I've seen a special run one with frets 1-7 in and fretless down to the dusty end. Personally I just take two basses and have a different effect on my multi fx depending on the bass I use. Or, I just don't wobble the notes on my fretless I'd I don't want that sound, that's the cheapest, easiest and least fun solution 😊

Agree with all of the above. Also, my guitar sounds carp through my bass effects, probably the built in EQ emphasis (he says as if he knows anything about the technical bits). Individual pedal wise I know some guitar pedals are used to good effect by bassists but it's horses for courses. It depends what other gear you use and how you play. For example, some bass pedals that sounded awesome with my passive p bass were terrible with my active jazz bass, amps can have a big influence on sound too. Unfortunately it's just one more thing to research and experiment with, the endless trial and error!

I can see the romantic attraction of vintage instruments but don't know enough about maintenance to keep one myself. Also it would be interesting to compare it alongside a brand new USA Jazz to feel and hear the difference and see if it justifies 3x the price.

1972 Jazz on Reverb from some shop in the UK I've never heard of. Looks great, costs near 4 grand.

That does look lovely. Not what I was expecting as I've not kept an eye on Chapman at all, maybe I should have!

In my twenties I wasn't in gigging bands. I sold off a Warwick Steamer LX and Warwick Sweet 15 amp together to pay for a training course my employer wouldn't pay for on my behalf. I often think I could have done more with that bass. Other times it's just the processing through of gear. Buy something, it doesn't do what I need so I sell it for something else. I took ages to decide to sell my MIJ P Bass but haven't regretted it for a minute. I got a good price and invested in a jazz that suits me a hundred times better. I now have an 80s Aria that I'm not sure about keeping so will see how that goes and maybe move it on but not sure I need four basses at all. At the moment I feel guilty about the amount of gear and am selling bits off with no solid plans of spending the money... Yet.

Someone mentioned jinwan necks in a recent thread here. Chinese seller on ebay where you can get a neck for 70 quid. I haven't ever held one but there was one or two people with high opinions of them if you do a search.