Best fretless tone: SR4 or Sterling???

[b-unit]

I still not out of the doghouse yet enough with the spouse to order my next EBMM. I am sure however, that it will be a fretless.

Those of you who play fretless and have compared the two, I would love to hear your thoughts. I understand that the pickups are different and have heard that the Sterling tends to have a fuller sounding G string.

I currently own an SR5 and am debating on weather my next bass will be an SR4, a Sterling or another SR5 fretless.

Hit me with some opinions so my GAS can go through the roof!

 

[adouglas]

Bongo, of course.

But not matter which you choose, piezos are a good idea.

 

[b-unit]

Piezo's aren't available for lefties unfortunately. I considered the Bongo as well. I have no use for the neck pickup on any model as its all about the growl for me.

I was pretty much set on an SR4 but my concern is that it might not sound quite as growly and mid centered as my SR5. I have never played a lefty SR4 so they are still a mystery to me. Same with Bongos. damm lefthandedness!

Actually I applaud EBMM for making most everything available lefthanded. My experience with other brands was that they would offer either nothing, or an entry level bass in black only. I will never own another black bass for this reason alone!

So again, my heart is set on either a fretless SR4 or another SR5. Besides the extra string, what can I expect the differences to be in tone between these two instruments?

 

[NoFrets80]

Piezo's aren't available for lefties unfortunately. I considered the Bongo as well. I have no use for the neck pickup on any model as its all about the growl for me.

I was pretty much set on an SR4 but my concern is that it might not sound quite as growly and mid centered as my SR5. I have never played a lefty SR4 so they are still a mystery to me. Same with Bongos. damm lefthandedness!

Actually I applaud EBMM for making most everything available lefthanded. My experience with other brands was that they would offer either nothing, or an entry level bass in black only. I will never own another black bass for this reason alone!

So again, my heart is set on either a fretless SR4 or another SR5. Besides the extra string, what can I expect the differences to be in tone between these two instruments?

If the tone of my fretless SUB is any indication, you'll have more than enough growl and "mwah" to satisfy. Just bump the treble up a notch, touch it in the right way, and it will sing for days. I say go for it...

 

[bovinehost]

Piezo's aren't available for lefties unfortunately. I considered the Bongo as well. I have no use for the neck pickup on any model as its all about the growl for me.

Don't stop considering the Bongo. THE best fretless I ever played (which is due at ADouglas' house tomorrow) was a Bongo, with or without the piezos.

And, if you want to think Bongo, the neck pickup can give you a range of options that you might not think about with a single pickup bass, as much as I agree with you about it being all about the growl. Every now and then you want to play some blues or some Norah Jones type stuff, and to be able to dial in that deep, round neck pickup tone is bliss.

I was pretty much set on an SR4 but my concern is that it might not sound quite as growly and mid centered as my SR5. I have never played a lefty SR4 so they are still a mystery to me. Same with Bongos. damm lefthandedness!

I've had a couple of SR5 fretlesses and an SR4 - maybe two, I forget.

The SR4 was a thing of beauty. It really was - ask Armybass. We called it the Vampire Ray, which is a long story, but it was an off-white fretless 4, no piezos, and it sang like a bird. All the growl and all the mids were there. You don't have to worry about that, especially with a 3 band preamp.

Of the two SR5 fretlii I had, one was actually my main bass for the better part of a year. (Blank plank - I must have been drunk.) It was a fine, fine example of a Stingray 5, even without frets or lines, so what I'm saying is that it's really hard to go wrong here.

You should decide if you want a four or a five. That's crucial, of course.

The Bongo is a different animal with its style and its 18v preamp. Completely a monster. The SR4 will give you that Paul Denham (Sade) tone without even breaking a sweat. The SR5, you already know.

....my heart is set on either a fretless SR4 or another SR5. Besides the extra string, what can I expect the differences to be in tone between these two instruments?

The SR4 has a bit more bite. But it's not like the SR5 is lacking teeth, right?

Good luck, I'm sure I was no help.

Jack

 

[PocketGroove82]

And, if you want to think Bongo, the neck pickup can give you a range of options that you might not think about with a single pickup bass, as much as I agree with you about it being all about the growl. Every now and then you want to play some blues or some Norah Jones type stuff, and to be able to dial in that deep, round neck pickup tone is bliss.

I gotta agree with you there, jack.
The hardest thing for me to naturally get out of my FL 30th is that mellowed out, "ignore the bass player" (haha) tone. You know what I mean!
I can play with my right hand on the fingerboard, and it's still hard to mellow out this monster. So that's when I bring in the BassPodxt...at least untill my Fretless Dargie HS arrives.

I know very little about bongos, so i won't attempt to talk about them, and I've yet to play a sterling FL. But I will say, if you are all about the midrange growl thing, then a single H will work for you. Making it a HS or HH will greatly increase the versatility of your fretless, while still providing what you initially were attracted too.

I've got too many basses on the way right now, and I know I'm destined for the doghouse, so I'll meet ya there.

 

[b-unit]

Thanks guys. great advice and exactly what I was hoping to hear. Seeing as I already have a fiver, the SR4 is soooo apealing. Of course all this Bongo talk is gonna make me rethink my options!

I did have a chance to hold Psychicpet's Butter Cream Bongo fiver a year or so ago. Being a righty, there wasnt much I could do with it but I fingered a few notes and unplugged, it was a growly monster!

Tough choice. I will update when the time comes.

Bruce

 

[armybass]

Either will be excellent but to me the classic fretless tone is a three band SR4 but my personal fav would be an SR5/Sterling. You can NOT go wrong.

 

[b-unit]

After just viewing Stanky's new post of his Butter Cream SR5, I think my choice is made!!

 

[saxnbass]

My next EBMM is going to be a fretless too, so I'm interested as well.

 

[Strangeglow]

I like my 30th SR4 fretless a lot.

jw

 

[Alvabass]

I love my fretless Bongo.

 

[saxnbass]

Alva, I love your fretless Bongo too and I've never even played it.

I'm gonna have to get me one of those though, different color. Blue Dawn if possible.

 

[b-unit]

Hey Alva! Nice Bongos! I was also really impressed with your videos. I watch a bunch of them and was blown away completely by the Star Spangled Banner.

Great tone too.

 

[Alvabass]

Hey Alva! Nice Bongos! I was also really impressed with your videos. I watch a bunch of them and was blown away completely by the Star Spangled Banner.

Great tone too.

Thanks, man! Hope you find them useful.

 

[prickly_pete]

Alva, those look like EB flats on your Bongo. Do you have the standard packaged gauge, 45, 65, 80, 100, and 130?

 

[Alvabass]

Alva, those look like EB flats on your Bongo. Do you have the standard packaged gauge, 45, 65, 80, 100, and 130?

Yes, man. Well, the bass came with those strings so I never saw the package, but the G string is a .045.