AhBootsybaby

Dear All I've played fretless for a while now but really want to get into a sound with more attack, not necassarily slap, but perhaps with a funky honk and a growl. I play finger style only, would never use a pick I would like a fretted bass that has a good high tone for twangy funk/disco thats got a very thin fast neck, 4 string, active that really sings that is warm not muddy, it must be clear transparent even, I hate mushy sounding bass. Also I would want ot experiment by putting my bass through a synth, echo etc so need a good clean signal. I've owned a fender jazz which i liked but want something perhaps with more bite, I also had a Wal fretless which I sold for £500 back in 90#s and I will nerver ever get over that :-( I've been trawling net etc and looking at Spector, Jaydee, Warwick but not played any of them, etc can anyone recommend anything for up to £1000 that would fit the bill please!? Mr B vote Lim dem!!!

Hi bassists Cheers for the advice, I shall definately invest in some new strings and have a fiddle with my Bad Ass, it was set up when it was fitted but I make take it somewhere else for tweaking. I dont want to sell it, just try and get the best out of it. I will have to try out a GR20 in a shop see what it does thanks again brownie

have recently bought a Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass and put a badass bridge on it, BUT it still sounds a little dead to me, regardless of how I adjust the tone controls, it sounds rather flat and dull sounding I'm playing it through a roland bass cube which sounds quite bright so I think its the bass rather than the amp. Question is do I try and fit active pickups to try and improve the sound or should I just buy a better fretless bass? I dont haver a huge budget but maybe I've trying to cut corners too much? Does anyone else out have problems with the squier fretless? If I was going to spend say £400-500, the next level up what would anyone recommend? Fender Standard? Warwick corvette? or should I save my pennies and get an American Jazz Bass, are they significantly better? My bass of choice would probably be a Wal or Pedula but aint got that kind of money Also I'm thinking of perhaps getting the roland GR20 guitar synth to use with the fretless, has anyone used this combination, does the synth have problems tracking a fretless bass? Any help or advice would be greatfully appreciated, I really want a warm bright sounding fretless bass sound not a dull, flat thud and anyone who has used the synth I would be interested in your views cheers Brownie

Dear bassplayers I have recently bought a Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass and put a badass bridge on it, BUT it still sounds a little dead to me, regardless of how I adjust the tone controls, it sounds rather flat and dull sounding I'm playing it through a roland bass cube which sounds quite bright so I think its the bass rather than the amp. Question is do I try and fit active pickups to try and improve the sound or should I just buy a better fretless bass? I dont haver a huge budget but maybe I've trying to cut corners too much? Does anyone else out have problems with the squier fretless? If I was going to spend say £400-500, the next level up what would anyone recommend? Fender Standard? Warwick corvette? or should I save my pennies and get an American Jazz Bass, are they significantly better? My bass of choice would probably be a Wal or Pedula but aint got that kind of money Also I'm thinking of perhaps getting the roland GR20 guitar synth to use with the fretless, has anyone used this combination, does the synth have problems tracking a fretless bass? Any help or advice would be greatfully appreciated, I really want a warm bright sounding fretless bass sound not a dull, flat thud and anyone who has used the synth I would be interested in your views cheers Brownie

[quote name='BigRedX' post='23602' date='Jun 26 2007, 03:14 PM']Lets see... In the order I bought them: Burns Sonic short scale bass (including Burns hard case) Futurama Bass (the only one I've sold so far) Washburn B105 5 string Overwater Original 2 extra-long scale 5 string Gus G3 5 string Kramer XKB-10 Hondo Alien (Kramer Duke copy) Wesley Acylic (de-fretted) Washburn B-20 8 string (currently in pieces being renovated) Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass (upgraded with Badass II bridge, Bartolini J P-ups and J-Retro Pre-amp) Roberts Fretless Prototype British Custom Guitars V-shape bass (bought in an uncompleted state - still to be finished) Traben Phoenix 5 string Lightwave Sabre A (with fretless and fretted necks - current fitted with the fretless neck) Carlo Robelli 8-string Pedulla Buzz[/quote] Hi I too have a Squire Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz Bass which I have fitted a bas ass bridge too, the problem is its still sounds a little dead to me, will fitting active pick upd really make a big differencw to the sound or maybe I just have a duff bass. The neck seems to be very easily marked already, could that be a problem? Which strings do you recomment using for this bass? any advice to improve the souind greatfully recieved cheers brownie

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='359010' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:56 PM']I'd always advocate a small head/cab over a combo. Gives you more opportunity to try different amps with different cabs to see what you like and if you want to upgrade you may just need to change one or the other. There's loads of decent second hand cabs floating about for very little money these days and it's the same story with heads. I've seen plenty of the 200w-300w Hartke heads on ebay for somewhere in the region of £100, also look at peavey stuff. It's worth noting that ashdown had a lot of quality control issues with the superfly (if you didn't already know this). Mine is noisy and has been back to the shop twice in the first 2 months. It also has a habit of vibrating so much the screws work loose, this can be annoying and noisy, esp on the two that hold the handle in. Mine sounds very nice indeed but i won't gig it for fear of it dying or falling apart! Make sure you get one that works as it should Maybe other BCers know if this was restricted to just one shipment? I was certainly one of the unlucky few to spot the £199 "bargains"! Oh and nothing wrong with Squiers, they're ace![/quote] thanks i;m more tempted by the amp/cab thing but is space and also money, its such a tricky descision!!!

[quote name='sifi2112' post='358991' date='Dec 19 2008, 05:26 PM']I got an Eden N8 40watt (£70) .. great sounding little combo for home use !! Got a superfly head which I don't use but you'd need a cab to go with it. Si[/quote] Hi Si cheers does that mean you are looking to sell your superfly head? does it work ok? i've herd they have problems? cheers andy b

Dear world of Bass I've recently gone a bought a squier (yeah I know but i'm poor!) modified fretless jazz bass, fitted a Bass ass bridge to it and now all i need is a decent amp or combo... i'm not ready to gig yet so its just for home use but I want a nice clean smooth amp that would go with my jazz, not too muddy..I used to play a few years ago had a Wal custom fretless in the 80's =90's but sold it to buy a car :blush: (please don't kill me, i feel bad enough already!!) and played that through a HH bass baby which wasn't bad and also had a Roland Jazz chorus for a while... question is should i go for somthing like a roland bass cube 100 watt, or ashdown, i'm tempted to get the little giant 350 and seperate cab..or what about the superfly? there's the line 6 or fender rumble. or Hartke?. so far i;ve tried ashdown perfect ten which sounded dull and the marshall 60 watt which sounded a but tinny.. I've also played it through a mark bass combo which made my squier sound like the dogs bollox! Is there anything thats anywhere near as good as a mark bass for £200-250 thats my budget at max??? althouhg of course if ai get the little giant then my buget would be more!! is it worth getting? any advice greatly apprecaited happy christmas and splendid new year to you all Brownie