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Tollywood

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Joined
Mar 23, 2011
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Location
Rhode Island
Hey...someone left the back door to the Bass Side of the forum open, and I just slipped right in.

I traded in my Black Magic Crystal Axis for this 30th Anniversary fretless.

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I've been a guitar player for a really long time, but as of today I am a bass player, too. I wanted a bass at my house to entice my son to play when he comes over. He usually leaves his Big Al at his mom's house. But, I am going to learn to play, too. He'll teach me some things. I won't use a pick; only fingers. Noah has always wanted to play fretless, so there's another reason for him to pick it up and play. He plays in the Middle School Jazz Band so he can read sheet music and he even knows how to slap.

Can you slap on a fretless?

I am seeking some total noob advice, please...

Since it's fretless, I put flat wound strings on it. I have been sliding up and down the strings, but I am afraid to bend the strings. Will bending the strings dent or damage the fretless board? Bearing in mind that my favorite bass player is Billy Sheehan so I aim to play pretty crazy, like he does.

imag0080-24195.jpg


The fretboard looks shiny because I used the ebmm Wonder Wipes on it. I love that lemony stuff.

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mtrejo

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Jun 9, 2011
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Phoenix
Damn Bryan, that's a beauty! I have a bass at home but only wish I could claim that I'm a bass player too. I can play the notes but without the fineness that the gents on this side do.

Noah has gotta be thrilled! Good move picking that up. One bass thats enough for two is a helluva bass!
 

Tollywood

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Mar 23, 2011
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4,178
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Rhode Island
Damn Bryan, that's a beauty! I have a bass at home but only wish I could claim that I'm a bass player too. I can play the notes but without the fineness that the gents on this side do.

Noah has gotta be thrilled! Good move picking that up. One bass thats enough for two is a helluva bass!

Hey Mario!

Noah and Eric are in Maine this weekend, so they have no idea. I can't wait until Noah plays it on Monday night.

My apologies to the bass players, I meant to say that as of today I'm about to become a bass player...right now I'm a hack.
 

tunaman4u2

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May 22, 2011
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Location
Boston
Thank you very much...I wasn't sure if it would scratch the fretboard.

Well, I learned my first song last night: Brick House by the Commodores.

My band is playing that tonight...
Hows that sound on a fretless?
 

Tollywood

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Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
4,178
Location
Rhode Island
Thanks for the nice comments, guys.

My band is playing that tonight...
Hows that sound on a fretless?

It sounds awesome. Good luck tonight, and have fun!

I had no idea flat wound strings would feel so smooth. I've never seen flat wounds before. The word flat made me imagine that the strings were squeezed in a press in production. I thought they'd literally be flat on two sides.

I just ordered two LickLibrary dvds: Top 20 Funk Basslines, and Beginning Funk Bass.

My wife, Wendy, doesn't usually come into Tollywood (my music room), but last night she heard me playing Brick House so she came in to listen. She looked at the wall and told me that my ebmms were hung all wrong and rearranged them by color.

Oh, and I have some great news about Tollywood: My 160 year old house still has some knob and tube wiring which is an ungrounded system. So, I've been living with a constant hum coming from my amp speakers. I rewired this room and the kitchen, but I'm afraid to hook it into the electric panel. Yesterday, my friend came over and he hooked it up. For the first time in eight years, I don't have that hum behind my playing. Yay!
 
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Oldtoe

Intestinal Poltergeist
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Sep 10, 2004
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Paris, TX
The 30th Anniversary Stingrays are some very special basses. I wish I had bought one when they came out. Very nice acquisition!
 

Tollywood

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Mar 23, 2011
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Location
Rhode Island
The 30th Anniversary Stingrays are some very special basses. I wish I had bought one when they came out. Very nice acquisition!

Thanks! I bought mine from Guitar Center. You're in luck...they have two more 30th Anniversary basses, both fretted.
 

Tollywood

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Joined
Mar 23, 2011
Messages
4,178
Location
Rhode Island
Well, to order my bass dvds, I had to call my bank and ask them to unblock my debit card for international transactions. I logged on to my bank account this morning to discover that I bought some train tickets in Madrid, Spain for $100... huh? Some international credit card theives hacked my account. The bank said they'd refund my money, but during our discussion they asked me if I was in Spain yesterday. no, I was not.

The worst part is, my recent ebmm order hadn't fully processed through shoptron so it was kicked back because the bank cancelled my cards. heh heh, sorry I will reorder soon.
 
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