Fretless Porn

[LeEb5 7]

My Noguera YC 5 Deluxe Fretless made in France in 2016.

Body: Alder

Top: frêne olivier (ash)

Neck: Mapple

Fingerbord: Ebony

Knobs, bridge, strings retainer,  nut, pickup cover: Ebony

 

 

Edited December 9, 2020 by LeEb5

[skb558 637]

ACG J-Type 5, strung E-C. Alan built a new fretless neck for this recently, partial lines on ebony board. East Uni-pre 4K.

 

Edited December 14, 2020 by skb558

[fiatcoupe432 418]

And mine......

[sprocketflup 465]

27 minutes ago, fiatcoupe432 said:

And mine......

And its a ...?

[Hellzero 4,451]

Wood & Tronics Zoid Custom. 😉

[fiatcoupe432 418]

11 hours ago, Hellzero said:

Wood & Tronics Zoid Custom. 😉

Pasini epitome custom 😜

Hope u well Tony

[Hellzero 4,451]

So you got it, Tony. Is it up to your hopes or even better ?

[Hellzero 4,451]

For those interested, here is the link to the Wood & Tronics Epitome series from which this very custom model is derived : http://www.wtbasses.net/#Epitome-section

It's a bit like the L series by Enrico Pasini. A top of the top unique model.

Did anybody notice the 5 (yes five) D-Tuners on the headstock ?

A real treat for the eyes and certainly the ears.

[Linus27 473]

Here is my Sting tribute bass. It is a Fender FSR 70's Precision with a custom maple fretless neck made by Jon Shuker.

All I can say is it looks absolutely beautiful, it plays beautifully and sounds phenomenal. I did have a set of rounds on it and it had plenty of mwah. However, as per Sting's own preference, I've fitted a set of flats and it sounds even better. It now has some of that Precision growl but also a tight, burpy sound.

Edited December 21, 2020 by Linus27

[fiatcoupe432 418]

11 hours ago, Hellzero said:

So you got it, Tony. Is it up to your hopes or even better ?

Hey Tony it's unbelievable! I'm so happy woth it

The kingwood fretboard it's amazing too

At some point after Xmas ill have a video up

Also if those restriction get lifted I'm might be travelling to Germany by car so I might pop in and leave it to you for a week so you can have some fun 😉

[Hellzero 4,451]

Wow, Tony, that would be terrific ! You could also try my basses and maybe my new coming Leduc U-Basse 6 Fretless Custom if it finished by then... 

[eude 611]

I don't think I ever put my fretless ACG on here.

It's a Krell SC E Type, headless, fretless, chambered, 6 string and it's a 31.5" scale. I absolutely adore it!

Eude

Edited January 16 by eude

[lonestar 84]

I’ve had one of these on loan from a mate of mine for awhile now VM Squier. I’m not sure he’s getting it back anytime soon. Love it!

Recorded this remotely with some old band mates on it:

https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/yeHHVyv3jDSPKFjC8

[Jimothey 1,451]

2 hours ago, eude said:

I don't think I ever put my fretless ACG on here.

It's a Krell SC E Type, headless, fretless, chambered, 6 string and it's a 31.5" scale. I absolutely adore it!

Eude

I just love that top!! 🤤

[Hellzero 4,451]

My newly acquired original early 90's Ibanez AFR A104F. These are very rare basses, only around 90 ever made mostly as 4 strings unlined fretless, but there were some fivers made too. Rolf Spuler was a true genius. Alan aka @bamboscha owns one too, which I sold him last year, but then had seller's remorse. This is my third or fourth one over the years... This is certainly one of the best ergonomic terrific sounding fretless around. Don't ask, this is definitely a keeper ! And thanks to Chris aka @chrisbass13 for helping me buying this very bass.

[Chris2112 404]

Always loved that shape. If they had swapped the pickup and the inlay around to bring the pickup closer to the bridge I'd want one myself. 

[Hellzero 4,451]

The magnetic pickup position is quite perfect. You can get that Jaco tone without any problem or that pino tone too and even a more acoustic one too as the preamp is quite powerful and versatile. 

[itu 1,023]

6 hours ago, Hellzero said:

The magnetic pickup position is quite perfect. You can get that Jaco tone without any problem or that pino tone too and even a more acoustic one too as the preamp is quite powerful and versatile. 

Agree. I have the old fretted 4 version (blond, flame maple top). I am not very fond of the piezos, but they offer lots more sound options if needed.

[RonC 24]

That's a great bass! i believe Percy Jones playes these too.

[fiatcoupe432 418]

 @HellzeroBack in 2006 I had the fretted version for a year and I loved it

Great basses

Edited January 20 by fiatcoupe432

[Hellzero 4,451]

6 hours ago, RonC said:

That's a great bass! i believe Percy Jones playes these too.

Percy Jones played an EDA which was Ibanez next move on the AFR design made with composite material instead of wood.

He also had a piezo only custom version of an EDA made with wood and not composite.

He certainly played an original defretted AFR too... but that doesn't seem to be him...

Edited January 20 by Hellzero

[eude 611]

3 hours ago, Hellzero said:

That's @Spoombung!

[fiatcoupe432 418]

On 16/01/2021 at 19:27, Jimothey said:

I just love that top!! 🤤

Live that design

[Spoombung 40]

The AFRs are beautifully designed ergonomic basses. They're like works of art...but the flip side of them is the sound: I couldn't get on with the piezo pickup...a scratchy, fizzy, unnatural thing. You can dial the treble down to reduce the effect but then you tend to get a dull sound. In general I don't like Piezo pickups. They have that unpleasant quacky, fizzy rubber band sound in the upper frequencies.

[itu 1,023]

6 hours ago, Spoombung said:

In general I don't like Piezo pickups. They have that unpleasant quacky, fizzy rubber band sound in the upper frequencies.

Guild Ashbory has one very good piezo preamp.

Affirma has some internal adjustments for piezos, but mainly to adjust the levels only.