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Gone fretless!

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(@jwmartin)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1435
Topic starter  

I've been thinking of trying a fretless for a while. I did some trading on talkbass and ended up with a natural ash body and 2 maple necks, one fretted, one fretless. Monday night, I put the fretless neck on and strung it with an extra set of rounds I had. I finally got time last night to really sit and play it for a while. I am in love w/ it! It's like playing a completely different instrument. I feel much closer to the instrument and pay more attention to what I'm playing. Even playing songs that were originally on fretted bass sounds good. This weekend I'm going to put some flats on it (rounds will eat a fretboard) and can't imagine how much more I'll love it.

Bass player for Undercover


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

Very cool.

Note that fretless will not be as bright as fretted, so changing to flats will really make it dull, which may not be what you want on a Jazz. Consider ground-wounds or Elixirs. A rosewood neck might be vulnerable to round-wounds, but maple or ebony, not so much. YMMV.
Play both notes at the same time:
G--13------6------/13------6--
D-------------------------------
A-------------------------------
E--12------5------/12------5--


   
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(@slejhamer)
Famed Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 3221
 

Consider ground-wounds or Elixirs.

+1 for ground-wound, aka pressure wound (maybe a slight difference but end result is similar.) GHS Pressure Wound and SIT Silencers are nice. I hated the D'addario half-rounds though; very unbalanced sound.

Another option is tape wounds, for a more upright thump.

"Everybody got to elevate from the norm."


   
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 Nuno
(@nuno)
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Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 3995
 

Nice bass!


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

Another option is tape wounds, for a more upright thump.

I have silk-wounds on mine - the black strings over the ebony fretboard are very cool, cuz you can't see them.


   
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(@jwmartin)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1435
Topic starter  

Very cool.

Note that fretless will not be as bright as fretted, so changing to flats will really make it dull, which may not be what you want on a Jazz. Consider ground-wounds or Elixirs. A rosewood neck might be vulnerable to round-wounds, but maple or ebony, not so much. YMMV.
Play both notes at the same time:
G--13------6------/13------6--
D-------------------------------
A-------------------------------
E--12------5------/13------5--

I was thinking about the Elixers. I may give them a go.

Bass player for Undercover


   
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(@danlasley)
Noble Member
Joined: 16 years ago
Posts: 2118
 

Ack! Typo in the tab - fixed in the original. The E-string should alternate between 12 and 5.


   
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(@jwmartin)
Noble Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 1435
Topic starter  

Went today and got some Elixirs and some DR Black Beauties (coated roundwound). I put the Black Beauties on and it sounds awesome. Kind of the feel of flats, but with a higher tone. I'll try the Elixirs at some point.

Bass player for Undercover


   
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