massive lack of decent midrange active fretless basses with lines

[timhiggins]

what about the squier v.m.j. fretless ,they are great bass's and at that money you can always stick a preamp in it
personally i would have an outboard pre instead !

[zawinul]

[quote name='Grangur' timestamp='1445757120' post='2893821']
Zawinul, it's a fact of life that your chosen favourite supplier, Fender is a mass market manufacturer of instruments. A reality for such companies is that if they are going to make a model of bass they need to know they can sell them in considerable numbers.

You've said yourself that active fretless is a bit of a niche weapon of choice so Fender making one simply isn't going to happen at a low price. You simply need to get over your prejudice against anything that isn't a Fender. Besides, why not be honest about your prejudice and not attack all the other perfectly good instruments that other folk enjoy playing?
[/quote]

yeah all true, like I said I dont mean to 'attack' other basses!!

Just finding what I want a stuggle and having a bit of a rant!!

I having nothing against any bass, we all have preferences.

I actually have a warwick and was considering getting another to defret, but would rather not endure the hassle

generally there are fewer options with fretless, that's a fact. .

for the money a hand built bass by AGC is going to always be better than anything I may find mass produced so will probably go that way...tired of looking

[zawinul]

[quote name='timhiggins' timestamp='1445759286' post='2893838']
what about the squier v.m.j. fretless ,they are great bass's and at that money you can always stick a preamp in it
personally i would have an outboard pre instead !
[/quote]

I've got one! It good I'll keep it just want something active, more sustain etc but I agree excellent basses for the money!

I put a bad ass bridge on it. Maybe I will stick a.preamp in it!! Still lust for custom though

[uk_lefty]

Warmoth. Have a look, build what you want then adjust the price by trimming back on materials such as body wood, less exotic top, etc. Pay a professional to set it up if you like after you've done all the basic screwing together...

[Paulhauser]

Ibanez Gary Willis GWB35. Light, narrow spacing, lined, active, thin neck and has very strong mids. i speak from experience. Even new its within your budget.

[ezbass]

[quote name='Paulhauser' timestamp='1445766272' post='2893910']
Ibanez Gary Willis GWB35. Light, narrow spacing, lined, active, thin neck and has very strong mids. i speak from experience. Even new its within your budget.
[/quote]And there's one in the for sale section right now (yeah, it's mine ).

However, why not try an outboard active circuit with the VM fretless already owned? No 'aggravation' fitting an onboard one, much reduced outlay and an easier sell if it doesn't suit. Someone (not me) is selling a Sadowsky one right now http://basschat.co.uk/topic/271601-sadowsky-pre-amp-pedal-with-the-di-output/page__fromsearch__1 you may find that an active fretless really isn't what your ears are craving.

[zawinul]

[quote name='ezbass' timestamp='1445766724' post='2893915']
And there's one in the for sale section right now (yeah, it's mine ).

However, why not try an outboard active circuit with the VM fretless already owned? No 'aggravation' fitting an onboard one, much reduced outlay and an easier sell if it doesn't suit. Someone (not me) is selling a Sadowsky one right now [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/271601-sadowsky-pre-amp-pedal-with-the-di-output/page__fromsearch__1"]http://basschat.co.u...__fromsearch__1[/url] you may find that an active fretless really isn't what your ears are craving.
[/quote]

bare in mind I had a Wal custom in 80's so I know I want an active!! I'm a bit funny in that I don;t really like the 'average' tone of a fretless, ie that kind of dull mid range thud, I don;t want my bass to sound like a double bass ( which I have also owned along with a Wal)... I want a bright punchy tone, but with fretless neck.... I know even my Wal wasn;t so great for this... I want a kind of raspy sound, hard to describe... I think actives will get me there.. plus there are pedals like the EHX soul food which is lovely as a subtle boost...

I think after all this searching the great Alan can build me something that will get me closest to what I hear in my head!! new Rotosound Jazzmaster strings too....bright I want bright!!!!

[Woodinblack]

Most actives won't get you the sound you get from the wal. Most active basses are just a preamp in the guitar that amplifies and buffers the (passive) pickup, meaning that you don't get your tone altered by your lead / amplifier input. There is pretty well no difference between the internal and external preamp with them, other than where the preamp goes. If an active preamp sounds different to a passive, it is the fault of your amplifier (or the preamp).
The wal takes the output of each string separately and amplifies it before joining the string sources together, meaning the sound of each string is preserved without interference from the other strings. This will sound different and presumably more articulated. It is pretty well unique for this AFAIK.

[DBerriff]

If you can find a Tanglewood/Overwater fretless they are excellent for the money.

[Paulhauser]

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445773474' post='2893979']
ie that kind of dull mid range thud, I don;t want my bass to sound like a double bass ( which I have also owned along with a Wal)... I want a bright punchy tone, but with fretless neck....
[/quote]

For your information, the GWB35 is an ACTIVE bass with a bass/treble boost/cut.
In the video below I play a GWB35 in an exreme metal setting. While neither the song nor my playing is particularly good, it does take a bass just like what you want to get out from under the walls of guitars.
I have nothing to sell, but I think that the GWB is a great moderns sounding fretless.

https://youtu.be/iNSluhDEN2I

[ikay]

A sweepable mid-freq control (like the East Mid Sweep) or an ACG/East filter based-preamp may help you find the tone you're looking for. I've had both on my ACG fretless (at different times) and both offer much more flexibility and control over voicing the tone to your taste than a regular fixed 2 or 3-band eq. Particulary effective for fretless.

[zawinul]

[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1445795718' post='2894278']
A sweepable mid-freq control (like the East Mid Sweep) or an ACG/East filter based-preamp may help you find the tone you're looking for. I've had both on my ACG fretless (at different times) and both offer much more flexibility and control over voicing the tone to your taste than a regular fixed 2 or 3-band eq. Particulary effective for fretless.
[/quote]

I think this is what i'm looking for!!! is that available as a standard though, i doubt it is, so it means big bucks but still prolly worth it!!

[Beedster]

Buy the bass you want and install the preamp. The J-Retro is unbeatable in a Jazz or similar two PUP basses.

[eude]

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445800352' post='2894343']
I think this is what i'm looking for!!! is that available as a standard though, i doubt it is, so it means big bucks but still prolly worth it!!
[/quote]

The filter preamps aren't available in the Standard Series basses, but you could go for a Standard and an EQ01 separately, either direct from ACG, or if you can find a second hand one for sale somewhere, they do pop up every now and again.

Eude

[White Cloud]

[quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445453504' post='2891651']
I know I will have to succumb at some point :-)
[/quote]
In fairness I advised you to take this route many months ago in another thread...yet you still continue to resist.

[eude]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1445863319' post='2894769']
In fairness I advised you to take this route many months ago in another thread...yet you still continue to resist.
[/quote]

Yup, me too...

[zawinul]

I know I know!! A long email to alan is coming I think the universe is telling me to get an ACG!!how can I bare to wait 11 months though!!

[eude]

You know what, there's a fair bit of mid range adjustment available with the Standard Series preamp, you can get quite a wah like sweep.
I'll try and get a quick recording to illustrate it this week.
It obviously won't be nearly as wide a sweep as with an DFM filter preamp, and you can't effect the pickups independently, but it might peak your interest.
You could always buy a Standard Series bass now and add a filter preamp once you've saved up a little, plus I'm fairly sure the Standard Series basses take a little less time to make than the Customs, especially if you pick a body from stock...

Eude

[Beedster]

There's two issues here, the bass itself, and the electrics. You'll need to know you get on with both before committing to an expensive instrument, so a custom build strikes me as a risky way of doing things. Personally I'd be looking to find a fretless instrument that I like and then sourcing the appropriate circuit once I'm 100% sure I like the bass. Buying used instruments (and pre-amps) means you can try things and move them on with little loss if you don't find them to your liking. Ordering a custom build is a sure fire way of losing money unless you really know what you want, which is why I've never ordered a custom build, but have - after years and years of trial and error - found myself with a fretless Wal that probably didn't cost much more than the average custom build.

[Beedster]

Should have added to the above post that, in my opinion, a fretless bass really needs to speak to you, to respond to your fingers in accordance with the sound in your head, and to feel 'right' in your hands. I strongly believe that you have to do a lot of trial an error to find the right instrument (I've had over 20). Not sure where you're based but getting along to one of the BC Bass Bash events and playing a load of different instruments, some of which may also be for sale at much lower prices than you'll pay in any shop, is a good start.

[ezbass]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1445891793' post='2895161']
There's two issues here, the bass itself, and the electrics. You'll need to know you get on with both before committing to an expensive instrument, so a custom build strikes me as a risky way of doing things. Personally I'd be looking to find a fretless instrument that I like and then sourcing the appropriate circuit once I'm 100% sure I like the bass. Buying used instruments (and pre-amps) means you can try things and move them on with little loss if you don't find them to your liking. Ordering a custom build is a sure fire way of losing money unless you really know what you want, which is why I've never ordered a custom build, but have - after years and years of trial and error - found myself with a fretless Wal that probably didn't cost much more than the average custom build.
[/quote]
[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1445933383' post='2895421']
Should have added to the above post that, in my opinion, a fretless bass really needs to speak to you, to respond to your fingers in accordance with the sound in your head, and to feel 'right' in your hands. I strongly believe that you have to do a lot of trial an error to find the right instrument (I've had over 20). Not sure where you're based but getting along to one of the BC Bass Bash events and playing a load of different instruments, some of which may also be for sale at much lower prices than you'll pay in any shop, is a good start.
[/quote]
Sage words.

[Lenny B]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1445496920' post='2891834']
You could always get a fretted one and have it defretted? It would have lines by default....
[/quote]

I play a fretless Fender P-lyte. There are/were a couple going on here recently, even adding the cost of de-fretting it will be a pretty cheap option. I have TI flats on mine, very happy with it

[zawinul]

[quote name='Beedster' timestamp='1445933383' post='2895421']
Should have added to the above post that, in my opinion, a fretless bass really needs to speak to you, to respond to your fingers in accordance with the sound in your head, and to feel 'right' in your hands. I strongly believe that you have to do a lot of trial an error to find the right instrument (I've had over 20). Not sure where you're based but getting along to one of the BC Bass Bash events and playing a load of different instruments, some of which may also be for sale at much lower prices than you'll pay in any shop, is a good start.
[/quote]

This sounds like a very good idea, where are these Bass Bash events advertised!?? Yeah I need to try out a few, sort of 'know' what I need, I'm sure i'll find a few that fit the bill.... Wal freless i've owned and loved, want something that sounds similar, brighter, lighter, very slim and fast neck....

[CamdenRob]

If you'd have ordered that ACG when you started thinking about all this it would be nearly ready by now...

[Cairobill]

Second hand Ibanez GWB 1 (Ibanez Gary Willis sig) can be got for about 750-800. Has the thickest low mids imaginable. A stunning, very high quality, bass. They crop up every so often here and there.