Fretless Fan Club

Gear
81

I did the first half of Mark Smiths Sight Reading course on a fretless. It added an extra challenge, but made the course all the better in the end.

3 Likes
82

Go Hawks!

3 Likes
83

image
image1170×769 159 KB

3 Likes
84

Pam - Blackhawks
You barely see it, but my jersey is number 9 in memory of Bobby Hull, the greatest Blackhawk ever!

5 Likes
85

image
image1200×1339 122 KB

1 Like
86

i knew i liked you for a reason

1 Like
87

you too :rofl:

2 Likes
88

@John_E
I thought this sounded like such a good idea that I’ve been doing it. An added bonus is that it’s a great way to check your intonation. Especially if, like me, you prefer an unlined fretless.

3 Likes
89

Ok, so it’s been a while since I posted and there have been LOTS of additions to the Bass Stable here at my house. However, the BIG news is I’m picking up a Warwick Fretless Bass, custom-made for Stu Hamm, at a gig this Saturday. I’m SUPER excited as he’s going to sign the headstock (back) and get some pictures with me, him, and the BASS. I’m sure I’ll have lots of questions, but just wanted to dip my toe in the Fretless Fan Club before inundating everyone here! LOL

5 Likes
90

A Fretless Fanclub follow up recon mission report.

First, I needed to head into the Guitar Center in Reno to have one of the knobs on my fretted Fender Jazz Bass looked at since it was both sticking and slipping even though it was still functional. A quick shout out to Craig, the technician there who did a great job diagnosing and fixing things just right.

While I was there, I thought I should try out some fretless basses. Well, they only had one fretless bass in stock, an Ibanez Bass Workshop SR Portamento SRF705 Fretless 5-String. This was drastically different from my desired fretless 4-string Jazz Bass or my current fretted Jazz Bass. Let me count the ways.

    1. More knobs than I am used to
    1. A wider fingerboard
    1. A longer length fingerboard
    1. Flatwound strings instead of roundwound strings
    1. 5-strings instead of 4-strings
    1. and, of course, the obvious lack of frets or even any fret lines. However, it did have markers on the side of the neck.

I tried it and I was surprised by how it still felt pretty easy to play. I am thankful that I recently reviewed the 3 Beginner Bass Riffs (You Can’t F*** Up) video. This gave me some things that I could actually play and not get kicked out of the store. I could play all three of these riffs along with one of my own compositions and they felt pretty darn good. The slides on Walk on the Wild Side were easy and fun.

Besides glancing at the markers at the side of the neck, I could hear when I was on (or off) the notes. This was cool. I could also tell that I was definitely playing different notes when I was on the low B string. The flatwound strings felt sort of silky compared to the roundwounds I am used to. The fingerboard looked like a whole lot more, but I was still able to find the notes I needed. I also ignored most of the extra knobs the best I could.

No, today I didn’t buy the bass I tried. However, the mostly positive experience convinced me that a fretless bass is in my future. I’m still thinking that this would be a good graduation present after finishing the Beginner to Badass course.

Are the Squier fretless Jazz Bass offerings a good enough starting point or do I need an official Fender? Feel free to chime in. Thanks for listening.

5 Likes
91

sooo pretty

i’ve got the kinda similar 4 string, and i really like it.

2 Likes
92

The portamento is a great bass, i looked at that and the SRH500F; i like the piezo pup, you can get a pretty good upright sound out of those basses. I ended up finding a good deal locally on an Ibanez GWB35. My only issue with the GWB35 is the preamp isn’t great but i don’t play it a lot so i’ll do… one day i’ll fix it and replace the opamp :slight_smile:

1 Like
93

Anyone try one of those $100ish Chinese fretless necks on ebay? How did that work out?

94

Further fretless follow up thoughts and questions.

I am now up to Module 09 in the Beginner to Badass Course. I’m getting closer to going through the course for the first time and I feel like I’m getting better even though there is much more to learn. I’m looking into getting a Fretless Jazz Bass even more than before as a graduation present to myself.

Living in rural Nevada means that there are limited places to try a bass and even less opportunities to try a fretless bass. So, I could travel out of state, do even more online research, or hopefully gather some opinions from those who have experience with some fretless basses. (I did get to try an Ibanez Bass Workshop SR Portamento SRF705 Fretless 5-String – see my post above – I didn’t buy this bass, but it did increase my desire to get a fretless.)

Since I already have a fretted Fender Player Jazz Bass, I’m still thinking that a lined fretless Jazz Bass would be a good next step. Questions:

Would getting a fretless Fender Player Jazz Bass be the best choice?

Would a used MIM fretless Fender Standard be similar, different, better, or worse?

Would a Squire Classic Vibe be similar, different, better, or worse?

Would a used Squire Vintage Modified be similar, different, better, or worse?

Are there any other flavors/makes of fretless Jazz Basses that I should also consider?

Are there any flavors/makes of fretless Jazz Basses that I should avoid?

Is there anything else I need to keep in mind?

Would it be okay to get an early graduation present if a good deal presents itself? (Yes, I think I already know the answer I’ll receive on this. Yes!)

Any shared experiences, input, insight, and/or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

1 Like
95

The VMs are the older name for the CVs and are regarded a little higher (right or wrong). I’ve got a VM with the Ebonol fretboard and it’s fantastic. T Hess can be found for under $300 and are a great value and perfect mod upgrade platform.

I rarely see value in Fender MIM instruments over Squier non-affinity series. Esp if your just starting on fretless.

4 Likes
96

I can’t speak to the Squier’s since I’ve never played a fretless one. I had a Fender MIM and it was good. If you can find a good deal on one I would say go for it. I also had a Harley Benton fretless and it was good but it weighed 13 lbs. Yikes

2 Likes
97

@John_E and @joeike ,
Thank you for your input.

Being that I would just be starting on fretless, I could go either MIM Fender or Squier since it sounds like there isn’t a great difference.
I’d likely base my bass decision on best value.

I did try a Squier Classic Vibe 70’s Jazz Bass along with the Fender Player Jazz Bass I wound up buying. They did feel and sound similar, with the Fender Player feeling a little better in my little beginner hands. I went with the Fender Player since it was on sale at a big discount while the Squier wasn’t, so there wasn’t a great price difference. I feel like I got a very good value and as Josh says in Module 01, Lesson 5, “I hope that you feel that you Bonded with your bass.” I know that I have.

I’m starting to receive offers from sellers on Reverb and eBay after clicking the watch button on these sites. It is tempting to pull the trigger on either a Squier Classic Vibe 60’s Fretless or a Fender Player Fretless right away when I see these even though it might be a bit early to do so.

1 Like
98

I think you’ll be surprised at how easy the transition is. If you’re in module 9 you’ve already built up some muscle memory, even if you don’t realize it.

2 Likes
99

@JPHaggerty good to see you, it’s been awhile

2 Likes
100

I’ve got a 2022 MIM Jazz and a 2000 MIM Fretless. Very similar in many ways. The black knobs are different (numbered hats instead of the single lined knob) on the 2000 model. I find that it’s easy to bounce between the two since the feel is very similar in both instruments. I do have different strings on each so that might be the biggest deviation in my case.

I hope that helps.

1 Like