bovinehost said:
I liked TI Flats on my fretlessesessses. After playing Mister Equestrian's Bongo the other night at Biff Fest 2006, I have to say - I might have been wrong.
Those Jazz Rounds killed. They really did.
Oooooooo, I'm tellin' BP what you said in his forum!!! I totally agree, but I ain't sayin' it here no more. Oops! did I just kinda say it again?
Jack, with his inimitable Bovine, martini induced wisdom, has once again hit the nail on the head. He liked flats on a fretless. He also liked rounds on a fretless.
And there lies the secret! They both sound good! Just like flats & rounds have their place in the world of fretted basses. It all comes down to what you want to sound like. In very, very general terms, rounds are going to give you a Jaco like singing sound not super fat. If you want to play all them fancy harmonics, this is the way to go. You'll get more sustain too. Great for rockabilly, swing, rock & roll, country and jazz. Don't be a pussy and worry about wearing out the fretboard. Pau Ferro is pretty hard stuff. Note that EBMM fretless basses come with rounds on them. Yes it will wear the board faster than flats, but it will take years before it's a problem. No one ever seems to worry about frets wearing down and they wear faster with rounds too.
Flats are going to be more like an upright which is hardly a bad thing. Less harmonics, more fundamental. More forgiving for sloppy intonation, especially up the neck. Great for rockabilly, swing, rock & roll, country and jazz. Palm mute them or stuff a piece of foam under the strings near the bridge for that lovely uprighty sustainless thump.
And while we're pissing BP off, I'll also vote for TI Super Alloys which I find to be an interesting compromise between their flats & jazz rounds. BTW, be aware that TI flats & jazz rounds are kind of low tension (loose). They may take some getting used to if you're used to plucking hard. Play with a lighter touch, turn the amp up. Get used to this and you'll be rewarded with a wider variety of sounds. Probably good advice for any strings and any bass, really.
No to get back on BP's good side, I highly recommend getting two if not three MM fretless basses and string them with different strings. That's what I do!
