Strings for fretless (yes, again)

[bremen]

I've searched for this and it's a topic that keeps coming up...sorry if my question has been answered elsewhere.

Anyway, I have half-rounds on my Warmoth/Bitsa at present, an EMG-P and a cheapo piezo bridge that looks suspiciously like the one on the Dean Pace EUB. I want to make it sound less like an electric bass and more like an upright. I've considered EUB but I'm told that unless you spend loads you tend to end up with a fretless bass guitar sound, which I have already.

Is it likely that tapewounds will be a step closer to acoustic bass sound? Any particular brand?

Thanks!

[pietruszka]

If you're after an upright sound on a fretless, try having a passive setting (if its an option), bit of eq'ing, flatwounds and have a different plucking hand position. I get close doing this and my Rockabilly/blues/country band loves it. It is however down to your ears to get the sound you want right. And if you want an upright sound, and you can't achieve it on a fretless, then it may well have to be a purchase of a double bass. Good enough excuse as any!




Dan

[Clarky]

Rotosound TruBass will give a more upright sound as will La Bella black nylon tapewounds, but the latter are very hard to get in the UK right now. TruBass are unusual to the uninitiated as they are very thick (65-115), plasticky when unamplified, and probably need higher action than many would prefer. They won't sound exactly like an upright but they will sound more like an upright than normal flats or half-rounds (esp when plucked around the end of the fingerboard) and will certainly sound enough like one to fool some people.

Edited March 8, 2012 by Clarky

[bremen]

Thanks, Clarky and Pietruszka, and yes I have found that plucking near the fingerboard gets me part way there.

Trubass sounds good. I'm not afraid of a high action; after all, however high I take it it won't be anywhere near the action on a real upright! I guess it means I'll have to widen the slots in the nut though so no going back...

Pietruszka may be right, I'm going to have to get a real upright at some point. I don't have the cash right now is all.

[Clarky]

Just to be clear there are also black nylon tapewounds from D'Addario and GHS (maybe fender too IIRC) and these come with lower gauge than TruBass. Some people love these (eg, Kiogon I think swears by GHS) but I think the mass of TruBass makes them as DB-like as you can get

[andydye]

I snagged a nearly new NS Designs NXT4 for £450 last summer and it does a very pleasing upright approximation, not quite there compared to my mate's £3k acoustic upright but really close and with a fishman platinum pro preamp it gets real close through a pa...I believe that if I change the strings to some proper upright ones the sound improves again too...

[Clarky]

Here's a vid of a guy playing Trubass on a Warwick. Gives you some idea albeit the song choice is hilarious! [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQAgI1aeTo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnQAgI1aeTo[/url]

[bremen]

[quote name='Clarky' timestamp='1331218232' post='1569645']
Here's a vid of a guy playing Trubass on a Warwick. Gives you some idea albeit the song choice is hilarious!
[/quote]

Uncanny - that's one of the songs I have to learn!*
Sold!


*may not be true

[paul_5]

You might want to put some foam or a rolled up sock(!) under the strings by the bridge too, should give you a lovely "thud" to bring you even closer to a DB tone.

[bremen]

[quote name='paul_5' timestamp='1331221070' post='1569726']
You might want to put ... a rolled up sock(!) under the strings by the bridge too...
[/quote]

What, and go naked?

[paul_5]

what do you care? you're 'only in it for the money'.

[kerley]

Status also make nylon tape wounds. I use them on an acoustic bass and they sound great. Very similar in sound (from memory to the Rotosounds without the 115 E and are cheaper than the Rotosounds - £17 delivered)

They do give a sound closer to upright than any metal wound string I have ever tried. The attack/decay is different from metal. They are also really smooth and quiet (which is of great benefit when playing acoustically so you can hear the bass rather than string and fret noise!)

[chaypup]

I've got a set of the Status tapewounds going spare. Let me know your address and I'll send them to yer.

[bremen]

Thank you! PM'd.

[Leon Transaxle]

There are a couple of US dealers on the Bay at the mo doing Fender tapewounds for around £17 delivered. The ones I got have a 110 E (and a 58 G IIRC - the box is at home; I'm not).

[Mornats]

I'm using Rotosound Trubass strings on my fretless SB320 here: [url="http://soundcloud.com/mornats/mystery-and-magic"]http://soundcloud.com/mornats/mystery-and-magic[/url]. It's an active bass with no foam (or sock...) stuffed under the strings but it's quite double-bassy I think.