fretless M-85
- Thread starter hieronymous
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Westerly Wood
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So I didn't end up going in this directionIn fact, I don't think I picked up my AleM-85 at all since then. Almost two and a half years! But recently I felt it calling to me...
Playing with a wood pick through a SansAmp - the Geddy Lee MP40, basically like the YYZ - it gives you fat bottom end that you can blend with the higher frequency stuff - kinda like an Alembic or Rickenbacker being run in stereo - kind of a genius pedal, it fits the way I work - and Moving Pictures is probably my favorite RUSH album
Also - these strings (LaBella flats) have been on here for quite a long time. Maybe time for some new ones? I broke down and ordered short scale Pyramid flats for the first time - hope they fit (though if not I might try them on my Gibson Les Paul Triumph) - also another LaBella set just in case (760FL-M). I was motivated to order finally because when I was getting my settings dialed in, I felt frustrated with the "deadness" of the E compared to the rest. But the next night, I felt like that didn't matter - probably because I was playing along with music rather than just listening to the bass in a vacuum. So I might not change the strings for a while...
I think it is awesome that you can play all those notes without frets. wow!
hieronymous
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Fretless is hard! I think a lot is muscle memory - you can't be guessing where you're going to jump to! But when I do miss the note, I'm bummed and rededicate myself lol Though it is kind of cool this time picking it up to find it feel more like "familiar territory" - just gotta get used to it again and put in some work!
I guess I've been playing so long that the fretboard has become more of a known territory for me - even though I still don't know the names of all the notes on the fretboard! During the pandemic I applied myself a bit more to get familiar with the notes on the fretboard - but I am still more of a "feel" player than a "knowledge" player - in other words - a slacker?!!
hieronymous
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Whoa - what's the story with that beauty?! I must have missed it - haven't been around much during my fretless Guild hiatus...
lungimsam
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Making my Starfire bass fretless
Started with these nippers I got. They are utterly flat on their face so they serve the dual purpose of pinching out the frets while I push down on the fretboard to reduce wood tear out. Worked great. Clean removal and no tear out and did not have to heat or water the frets before hand. The...
letstalkguild.com
Dang!!!! I didn't know that either, hieronymous!! That's über-cool stuff.
By the way, are/were you an upright bass player originally?
hieronymous
Member
Ah, I did see the thread title (I just mis-typed "fret title") but was afraid to look! I'm glad I saw the finished result first - looks like it came out great!
Making my Starfire bass fretless
Started with these nippers I got. They are utterly flat on their face so they serve the dual purpose of pinching out the frets while I push down on the fretboard to reduce wood tear out. Worked great. Clean removal and no tear out and did not have to heat or water the frets before hand. The...
Yeah, there's a thread with some pics in the miscellaneous section.
I've picked up an upright a few times over the years, but nothing serious. My first fretless bass guitar was a Fender Japan Jazz Bass with no lines - and the dots were where they would be on a fretted bass! I found it IMPOSSIBLE to play and got turned off by fretless until I got one with side dots where the frets would be - then it made a lot more sense. This little Guild has dots for 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 etc., but where the fret would be - I really like it like that. I could maybe use one at the 1st fret, but not a deal breaker.
This time picking it up, I'm pleasantly surprised that it came back pretty quick - I've been playing bass pretty regularly since the pandemic started and ended, but mostly long scale recently - I think it's a combination of muscle memory and listening. Glad that it appears to be cumulative!
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hieronymous
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So Viola Lee Blues was a great idea - I remember being blown away by that tune with a random GD tape I had when I was still playing in Jiggle the Handle in the first half to he '90s - much easier to come by recordings now (thank you Dick's Picks), and even remove just the bass track?!! I realized the VLB from the '68 Lake Tahoe performance (Dick's Picks vol. 22) was perfect, and even managed to throw on my Lake Tahoe shirt that morning (purchased after seeing the Foo Fighters there last year).
In other news, these came today:
Not sure when I will get motivated to change strings, but I feel like I am as close as I will ever be! I did some close listening to the LaBellas on there now - the E sounds so dead (and not in a good, Dead, way) compared to the other strings - but it's been on there for over five years! Or maybe that's just the nature of the beast? We shall see! It's going to be a little bit, I am busy with other stuff through the end of the weekend. But next Monday is my last class - I'll just have to do grading!
lungimsam
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Just a data point:
I got a labella deep talkin set last year with dead low e string right outta the package. They were nice enough to replace the whole set but told me likely would get the same result. They were right. I emailed them to complain. They told me they make them this way on purpose to satisfy people who want the classic thump on the low E. However, I don’t remember this issue happening back in the 2010’s back when I always used labella deep talkin.
I got a labella deep talkin set last year with dead low e string right outta the package. They were nice enough to replace the whole set but told me likely would get the same result. They were right. I emailed them to complain. They told me they make them this way on purpose to satisfy people who want the classic thump on the low E. However, I don’t remember this issue happening back in the 2010’s back when I always used labella deep talkin.
mavuser
Enlightened Member
So Viola Lee Blues was a great idea - I remember being blown away by that tune with a random GD tape I had when I was still playing in Jiggle the Handle in the first half to he '90s - much easier to come by recordings now (thank you Dick's Picks), and even remove just the bass track?!! I realized the VLB from the '68 Lake Tahoe performance (Dick's Picks vol. 22) was perfect, and even managed to throw on my Lake Tahoe shirt that morning (purchased after seeing the Foo Fighters there last year).
In other news, these came today:
Not sure when I will get motivated to change strings, but I feel like I am as close as I will ever be! I did some close listening to the LaBellas on there now - the E sounds so dead (and not in a good, Dead, way) compared to the other strings - but it's been on there for over five years! Or maybe that's just the nature of the beast? We shall see! It's going to be a little bit, I am busy with other stuff through the end of the weekend. But next Monday is my last class - I'll just have to do grading!
nice! fierce playing in that video!
hieronymous
Member
Unfortunately, this has been my experience as well.
And as a follow-up - the short scale Pyramids DO NOT fit. So close! I knew I should have got medium scale...
Try and trim the silks? Or just put them on my Les Paul Triumph...
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lungimsam
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Pyramid 640 Flatwound strings short scale 40-100 have fit my green and red Starfire Bass.
On both my Starfires, ball end to silk needs to be 34” to adequately clear the nut (silks on headstock side of nut) with 1/4” clearance past the nut.
This set fit mine. It was made in 2023. However, both the e and a strings were dead on arrival so back they went.
On both my Starfires, ball end to silk needs to be 34” to adequately clear the nut (silks on headstock side of nut) with 1/4” clearance past the nut.
This set fit mine. It was made in 2023. However, both the e and a strings were dead on arrival so back they went.
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hieronymous
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Looks like same set I have. I wonder if the older tailpiece on mine (1971) is a little longer? Having trouble finding medium scale sets…
lungimsam
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These should fit:
Black silks is Dunlop Stainless Flatwounds medium scale 40-100 “medium scale set”
Red silks is TI JF324 “short scale set”
Either should work. TI is very mellow, Dunlop has kick like a roundwound.
Either gets you in the Phil zone with a plectrum.
Veer: Yes, I use Zero Glide Zero Frets on all my basses for best intonation and no nut slot filing guesswork.
If anything’s wrong…it ain’t the nut!!
Black silks is Dunlop Stainless Flatwounds medium scale 40-100 “medium scale set”
Red silks is TI JF324 “short scale set”
Either should work. TI is very mellow, Dunlop has kick like a roundwound.
Either gets you in the Phil zone with a plectrum.
Veer: Yes, I use Zero Glide Zero Frets on all my basses for best intonation and no nut slot filing guesswork.
If anything’s wrong…it ain’t the nut!!Attachments
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