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Fretless dalliance has ruined everything


MarkW
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[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1390839033' post='2350119']
A local builder made it fretless and put some epoxy on it... bought it on ebay.uk for 1300 £ (he didn't want to ship to Belgium but I could convince him) and really pleased with it.

[url="http://s162.photobucket.com/user/wombatboter/media/WALPROFRETLESS001.jpg.html"][/url]

It used to be like this... I do think the epoxy makes a difference (I had fretless Wal basses before but the epoxy changes the sound in a good way for me)


[/quote]


That's what I need to do with my Wal. The neck is totally chewed up from roundwound strings and I've been looking for someone to do that epoxy thing to it.



Maybe i should ask your builder to do it, Wombatboter? :)

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[quote name='wombatboter' timestamp='1390727711' post='2348568']
Weird.. I have been playing fretless for a rather long period (around 25 years) and I only want roundwounds on them...I've tried flatwounds but they miss the "bite" you need to bring the string to life. it's not because it's fretless that it should sound boomy or completely dead. I don't want my basses to sound like an upright or an acoustic bass so I prefer roundwounds.. Without any problem I can go back to my fretted basses although if I had to choose I would pick a fretless as my ultimate bass instead of a fretted one...

[/quote]

Agree entirely (and may I say your playing on youtube is superb and inspirational) roundwounds all the way on a fretless. I have a Cort Curbow fretless with the phenolic fretboard. Roundwounds hardly touch the board and even if they did (after considerable use) the basses can be had for £125.00 so hardly a problem.

Epoxy is a good idea but needs to be applied correctly and is what I used on quite a few basses I built. Superglue is another option but horrendous to apply. Best bet is phenolic. Mighty mite make some great necks with this for direct replacement on P and J basses.

Some ideas here from my old blogsite [url="http://funnbass.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/superglueing/"]http://funnbass.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/superglueing/[/url]

Edited by Prosebass
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I enjoy fretless and play it quite a bit at home, but in my current band fretted just seems right so I'm not gigging fretless at the moment. I've never got on with roundwounds on a fretless though, even if I can think of a number of players who make them sound good. Of the strings I've tried on a fretless bass, I like Thomastik Jazz Flats the best, as they have great mids and feel a lot like a miniature version of my Spirocore double bass strings. Pricey though!

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[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1390814659' post='2349695']
Does anybody have an opinion on the Warwick Corvette Standard fretless before I contemplate the long journey south to check one out? It's the six string on the Bass Gallery website if you fancy a gander. It ticks a number of boxes for me: I've fancied owning a Warwick since about 1988, I have been contemplating a six string for a little while, and it's within my budget - just!
[/quote]

Just had a gander at that. Wow, beautiful. I'd say GO FOR IT!!!! Warwicks are amazing.

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[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1390948016' post='2351721']
Yeah, I'm sorely tempted Fionn!

Just another quick question: where are people getting six string flats from? The only couple of companies I've found so far are charging silly money :o
[/quote]
When you keep the flats on for years the cost works out rather cheap.

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Well how about that. Taking on board what folks have said about flats on fretted basses I've just strung my Fender Precision Delux (which has always been a bit jangly) with a set of flats, and now it sounds superb. So I carried on and did the same with my Cort A5, and that sounds even better! Another 5-string set is on order for the Clover Avenger. Should have tried this years ago! Thanks guys!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Ambient
I've been really pleased with Fender's roundwound strings after years of other brands, and although I'm new to flats theirs seem nice to me. The thread is a bit of a naff green though, but then I hate thread of any description on my strings - I'd much rather have them bare as nature intended :-)

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[quote name='MarkW' timestamp='1392596682' post='2370562']
Hi Ambient
I've been really pleased with Fender's roundwound strings after years of other brands, and although I'm new to flats theirs seem nice to me. The thread is a bit of a naff green though, but then I hate thread of any description on my strings - I'd much rather have them bare as nature intended :-)
[/quote]

Thanks :) , see if I can track down a set.

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