ezbass

Just returned from my first gig with my custom fretless Elwood L. I went out FOH for the sound check and it sounded amazing, a really solid bottom end and clear low mids, I wish I could've played the entire gig from amongst the audience, just to listen to it some more. I'm a very happy bass player.

[quote name='SH73' timestamp='1462039124' post='3039891'] How do you find EB cobalt? [/quote]Just playing at home they sounded and felt great, not quite the full on roundwound tone, but quite close. They were also very clean straight out of the packet, not sticky at all. However, I've just come back from my first gig with them and they sounded amazing, really solid bottom end with a nicely defined mid range and a polite top end. After several songs they still felt smooth and snag free. I'd buy them again.

Useful link, thanks for posting. It would've been nice to have had the new EB Cobalts included as these are what I'm using at the moment (I previously used La Bellas) and his opinion on the differences he perceived would've been extra useful.

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1462026888' post='3039746'] We had double doors fitted. Seemed a more acceptable option that cutting out peanut butter. [/quote]

I haven't tried the Sire but I did have a 55-02 and I found the preamp a bit, meh. OK, but not really inspiring. A great work horse to be sure, but it didn't excite me (although my drummer loved it) and thus it was moved on. This seems to echo what others have said previously, so it rather depends on what's important to you, super smooth playing neck (mine was very nice, albeit a tad wide for my hands around the 7th position) or tonal variation. Beyond that, how much does the saving of cash mean to you from a practical POV (not just that it's cheaper, for cheaper's sake). Whatever the result, proof in the form of pics will be required, of course

[quote name='FinnDave' timestamp='1462020563' post='3039660'] heft is what's left when someone nicks your tea. [/quote]Brmm, tish!

[quote name='Paul S' timestamp='1462024624' post='3039715'] Smooth or crunchy? No added sugar or honey roasted? We need to have the detail. I have a minor addiction to peanut butter so have plenty of material on hand to trial. However, it seems too much of a waste - as soon as I opened the jar I'd have to eat it instead. Today's top peanut butter tip is to use it as a dip for twiglets. [/quote]That's the question I first asked when I heard this. However, it's the smooth that does the work, but you can always separate out the chunks if you only have crunchy. We can't have peanut butter in the house as I wouldn't be able to fit through the doors if we kept buying it. Extra crunchy (candied nuts) was my ultimate downfall, fortunately (unfortunately?) it is no longer made as far as I can tell from the supermarket shelves; I suspect it became a controlled substance and is only available in dark back alleys.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1462018153' post='3039637'] Indeed I didn't think it was mahogany till I was told by Jim fleeting himself. I always thought mahogany was heavy and darker in colour. [/quote]I guess that is because that's what we have been told for years. Its obviously only Gibson mahogany that weighs a ton

Any stubborn residue is easily removed with peanut butter. Sounds crazy, but it works. Tahini or sunflower oil will also work at a pinch.

If you have the space, the Hercules is the go to stand, I reckon. However, even though I use one of those on stage, at home I use wall hangers.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1461988314' post='3039369'] What how dare you! Lol Although nothing against basswood as its actually a very good tone wood. The wood is in fact mahogany. Surprised? [/quote]The hue made me think mahogany, but the grain pattern sent me down the basswood route (that and the weight). I shouldn't be surprised however, as my old Ibanez SR was mahogany bodied and was light as feather.

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1461951234' post='3039116'] Guess the light body wood... [/quote]Basswood?

[quote name='Twincam' timestamp='1461943544' post='3039011'] Pre amp removed. Liking the new setup individual tones for the pickups plus the three way toggle and blend has given some extra scope for tone changes. I'm really not an active tone guy. [/quote]Sounds cool, I like a toggle set up over blend, personally; pics?

[quote name='gillento' timestamp='1461690173' post='3036837'] If you are worried about the value of the bass, I'd get a whole different passive harness and keep the original preamp wiring intact. This way you could easily wire it back to its original condition. [/quote]Wise words indeed.

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1461491930' post='3035023'] Now that is a great idea, I am going to play fretless at rehearsal today and just try and make it sound as fretted as possible for the tracks where I would usually use a Precision, unfortunately with a lot of our songs at the moment I do use a pick so today I will commit the cardinal sin of playing a fretless with a pick for some songs! [/quote]I give you Tony Levin playing Sledgehammer: pick, octave box, fretless Cutlass. There are no rules.

Currently with Joe Bonamassa, but I reckon his most famous gig was with Bowie on Let's Dance.

If the idea of a YOB bass really floats your boat, do it. You can always have the neck slimmed down if it's not quite right for you, after all, it's only wood and little metal. This assumes that you'll be keeping it of course, not that it would devalue the instrument by much (if done well) as we're not talking pre-CBS.

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1461405736' post='3034341'] Yes, I know what you mean. I don't think it suited all our songs, but if you play it like a fretted which was my approach for most stuff, you can get a fair bit of attack and don't need to slide into everything and it sounds ok. As an aside, quick post gig chat and the guys thought it would be a good idea to build the setlist's so I could do batches of fretless and fretted songs. So I'm keen for that. [/quote]Bad Company's Boz Burrell did a top job of making a fretless sound 'normal' at the appropriate moments and all slippy-slidey at others. Definitely try and keep your fretless requirements together, I wish my band would do this, but I don't listen to myself when I write them

[quote name='tom1946' timestamp='1461354532' post='3034050'] I just paid for my bass upfront. No problems. [/quote]Smart move, quicker delivery too.

[quote name='Highfox' timestamp='1461343049' post='3033906'] Starting to love the feel of a fretless. [/quote]"We don't need no stinking frets," to be said in cheesy, fake Mexican accent.

Break a leg. Be prepared to only ever want to use a fretless live from now on. Definitely my preferred weapon of choice.

2016 can go and do one!