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I've been wanting a fretless bass for over a year and have done much research about every angle and I think I've finally mapped out what I want. I really would like to learn fretless style because I just love the tones and singing style they can generate. It's a very personalized thing (for myself). I've narrowed this to a fretless Fender Jazz with a split coil in the neck (to nail that fatter P tone)

But now the current band I'm in demands a boomier short scale/mudbucker/flatwound type sound IMO. So I've been polluting myself with the Gibson short scale basses and the Fender Mustang, or Musicmaster.

Another bright idea is shoot me some ideas where the two can maybe coexist.

Do I get what I've been wanting or get what I think I'm needing?

Or am I just another dude with a bad case of the GAS

Get what you want to get, nothing is worse than picking something that you need and still lusting for what really turns your crank.

For fretless I love PJs, mine is a frankenstein I picked up years ago, it's a 69 P body with a Chandler neck and it was routed for a J in the bridge, great bass. I also love Yamaha's fretless bases... you could do something wild though like put a mudbucker in a fretless J bass I think that would kick ass my self.

My friend has a mustang...sounds amazing...

I built a fretless/flatwound...extra long scale. No other way to go imo.
Never liked the sound of a shortscale flatwound bass.

Rygot wrote:Never liked the sound of a shortscale flatwound bass.

Not into the rubbery sound eh?

Mudfuzz wrote:

Rygot wrote:Never liked the sound of a shortscale flatwound bass.

Not into the rubbery sound eh?

Guess not.

a PJ array fretless with the tone rolled off should do the job, yo.

or hell, just get an ashbory bass.

MaxMaps wrote:Get what you want to get, nothing is worse than picking something that you need and still lusting for what you really turns your crank.

Right here.

That said, a fretless bass - period - is already going to have a lot of boominess in it. The PJ setup I think would be the way to go to get the widest variety of tones available. That jazz pup in the bridge will really focus the boom that you're going to get with the P pup. So yeah, you're on the right track.

one bad monkey wrote:

MaxMaps wrote:Get what you want to get, nothing is worse than picking something that you need and still lusting for what you really turns your crank.

Right here.

That said, a fretless bass - period - is already going to have a lot of boominess in it. The PJ setup I think would be the way to go to get the widest variety of tones available. That jazz pup in the bridge will really focus the boom that you're going to get with the P pup. So yeah, you're on the right track.

Fretless basses are not inherently boomy.

Dammit Vin, buy a bass already.

Yes I definitely want the PJ combo, or at least like I mentioned the split coil on the neck.. will definitely get me in the ballpark. Either a Nordstrand NJ4se or the Lindy Fralin split coil for Jazz. If the body I get it routed for PJ, even better.

I've been leaning in this direction, just needed a little push. THANKS!

PS Has anyone tried half round wound strings? Results?

mauerkraut wrote:PS Has anyone tried half round wound strings? Results?

I have and thought they sounded like lifeless Roundwounds... really grindy sound for me, I did not like.

I tried GHS Bright Flats on one of my basses.
They have a nice sound not as zingy as rounds with a bit more top than flats.
They don’t go dead as quickly as rounds either.
They do feel a bit strange at first though.

MM

mmmmm...

SPACERITUAL wrote:mmmmm...

dope.