Good response re: fretless setup?

[spectorbassguy]

I posted this question on another forum

---"Does the string height on a fretless bass need to be higher than fretted basses?
I have tried several times to adjust the truss rod and string height down on my Music Man StingRay 5 fretless and am finding that I can't get it as low as a fretted bass without it buzzing all the way up & down the neck.
Then again maybe I'm just used to my Ken Smith BT5G (ultra low action) and it's really not that high.

I'm using Ernie Ball 2836 Regular Slinky RoundWounds for the brightness.

Tips anybody? Thanks!"---

and got this response:

----"Hi spectorbassguy, the action on a correctly adjusted fretless should be able to go considerably lower than on an equivalent fretted bass, all other things being equal. All my fretless basses have extremely low action.
How are you doing your setup? Especially for the truss rod? On my fretless basses, the neck is "perfectly straight", with absolutely no curvature. On fretted basses, people usually recommend a slight curvature to get the string to vibrate correctly, but I'm not sure the same concept applies to fretless basses. I've adjusted all of mine to be "perfectly straight", and that seems to work for me (I don't get any buzzing, and my action is low enough to where I can do fast slapping and stuff like that)."----

I've never heard of having a perfectly straight neck - it doesn't seem logical to me. Whaddya think? jongitarz - any help?

 

[skabassist13]

well, i used to play a double bass, and the neck on that was perfectly strait(or at least i think it was,im pretty sure), it followed the curve of the bridge, but from the nut to the point where it ended it was strait. so i guess it would be the same idea just on an electric bass. doesnt sound like to crazy of an idea to me. maybe you should try it and see how it goes, you could always set it back up the way you had it.
Traivs

 

[Aussie Mark]

I'd agree that you need less (read: almost no) bow on a fretless neck. The action on my fretless Stingray is lower than my fretted basses, which is an important part of mwah.

 

[Stingraymund]

Mwah Action

I'd agree that you need less (read: almost no) bow on a fretless neck. The action on my fretless Stingray is lower than my fretted basses, which is an important part of mwah.

I have TI Jazz Flats on my Stingray 4 fretless.

I discovered I get MORE Mwah with higher action than with lower action, go figure.
It's all relative though, this higher action is still about as low as low action on a fretted.

 

[Lync]

See that? It's all in the hands. I get more mwah with lower action-go figure!

Lync

 

[Braaheim]

What's mwah?

 

[MrMusashi]

the singing vibrant notes a fretless can give ya.. boom (open e string) zing (13th chord harmonics) mwah wah wah waaaah (thats from a jaco tune.. see if you can name it )

MrM

 

[oli@bass]

Continuum?

 

[oli@bass]

BTW, I also wonder a bit about the proper setup of a fretless.... how's the relief and action fo yours MrM?

 

[AnthonyD]

I am a fan of low (very low) action... My set-up process is the same, but results are lower on fretless.

 

[jaylegroove]

(thats from a jaco tune.. see if you can name it )

That's Havona, isn't it ?

 

[MrMusashi]

oli was right

i play my fretless with as straight a neck as possible. also the strings are so low i find it almost too easy to play... (unless you require perfect intonation )

MrM