Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Fretless basses!


rsh_bassist
 Share

Recommended Posts

[quote name='bass_ferret' post='52883' date='Aug 30 2007, 05:05 PM']OMG - nearly had an accident. How can you play Spectors when you have that?[/quote]

VERY easily..... Spectors are IMHO the ULTIMATE 'rock' bass.... no question..... :)

For fretless though.... You can't beat a Wal... :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Its an "old school" sound, with a passive Aaron Armstrong humbucker, (no pots) and Rotosound Trubass plastic coated strings. More Ron Carter than Jaco. The fingerboard is old "rio rosewood" that Mo got from an acoustic guitar maker a few years ago. The body is English cherry and the neck is American cherry, hence the name.

Its sounds much more focussed than other short scales I've played, and very "resonant". The neck profile is fairly thick wihch helps it to feel more substantial - I think a jazz profile neck on a 30" scale would feel strange. Mo uses thru body stringing (so it takes 32" strings) and normally uses a fixed aluminium bridge - this one has a rosewood tailpiece and bridge to match the fingerboard.

The real bonus is the lack of weight and perfect balance - its feels like a light g"*tar but sounds like a heavy bass.....

BB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='BassBod' post='57798' date='Sep 9 2007, 04:47 PM']Here's the shortscale Clifton Cherry bass - weighs under 7lbs, size of a Telecaster.

[attachment=2187:DSCN0617.JPG]

BB[/quote]

That's my favorite so far! Although the Gus looks like a lot of fun and a serious bit of kit.
I'm enjoying this thread, I've never played fretless longer than 5 minutes so it's all weird and wonderful to me.

Does an unlined fretless vastly improve your musical ear?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That '86 Wal is in incredibley good condition! I've seen "new " basses in far worse nick!

You gotta try fretless without lines - its a very liberating experience, although possibly scary at first. Better all round until someone gives you a written part, with a bit of nice exposed melodic bass, right up the dusty end.....ooeeerr :wub:

BB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you play unlined you really need to be play along with something otherwise you (or at least I do) slowly slide out of tune and all of a sudden you're a quarter-tone out from where you should be. I don't have any problems with the looks of lined fretless basses, but the dots on the fingerboard of the Lightwave are a good compromise between useful markings that keep you in tune and a clean look to the bass. I'm still suffering from parallex problems in the higer registers on the Gus where all I've got is the side markings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's mine in action at the weekend.

[attachment=2202:Dave_crop.jpg]

Not as exotic as some of the others posted so far!
It's a mid 90s Bass Collection SB301, originally fretted and now with EMG pickups and activer EQ and running on 18 volts.

On the lines vs unlined debate - I was always a confirmed lines man, til I started playing EUB.. now the lines just confuse me!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

[quote name='Lulu' post='53054' date='Aug 30 2007, 11:07 PM']With the Audere: More punchy sound, kinda agressive one (the preamp output signal is adjustable with a small screw inside). Being able to adjust lows, mids and highs separately is also very important to me; the mix is way better now.
So I'd say: more punch and a more ''accurate" sound (is it the proper word ?).

I'm afraid my English is too poor to describe the differences the way I feel so why not listening to a soundclip I recorded after I had put the Audere: [url="http://lulubassman.free.fr/audio_site4/greyscale_project_mp3.mp3"]here[/url] (with much reverb :) ) and one I recorded before: [url="http://lulubassman.free.fr/audio_site4/nostalgiamp3.mp3"]here[/url] (something more ''roots'') and make your own opinion ? Hope it helps.[/quote]

The Audere is unbelieveable ona jazz bass. I have the deluxe model (with passive style tone) on my main Jazz V and the Z-mode switch really works well. Low-Z mode gves it a fat aggressive sound that really brings out the B. High-Z mode on the bridge pickup has alovely passive bark to it.

With the exchaneg rate so favourable, I'd definitely reccomend one - mine was £135 inc shipping and customs charges.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...