Fretless bas players! What strings are you using?

[teleman1]

I want to switch to flatwounds--What about black Labellas?? Any other strings to look into??????

[Bassomatic]

I only ever use roundwounds for fretless - DR lowriders. But check out Thomastik Infelds.

[Bryan T]

I don't play fretless at the moment, but I almost always used roundwounds. DR Sunbeams (?) worked well for me. I tried the TI flats and dug them, but preferred the "mwah" from rounds. These days, I'd probably try a set of Elixirs if I had a fretless.

Bryan

[Thor]

I dig the upright vibe of the TI flats on my fretless. I've used rounds, but decided, despite rounds being favored for the classic fretless "mwaah", for me, the flats are what work.

Cheers,

Edward

[Hansomatic]

Tomastik Infeld!

[pedalhead]

Rotosound Steve Harris Flats

[jyee]

i've got some fender tape wounds on my acoustic fretless now... they're ok (especially since they're cheap), but the tomastik's are really nice and i'd suggest going with them.

for those that use rounds: how do you keep them from scarring up your fingerboard? i've seen more than a few fingerboards with odd dents/imprints from rounds vibrating repeatedly against them... so i'd always just used flats or tapewounds (partly for sound, but also to keep the fingerboard nice). do you just live with the scarring or is there something you can do to minimize the marking?

[Denyle_Guitars]

Black tape wounds (SIT, I think) on my fretless J and Spirocores on the upright.

[fyrwyr]

GHS pressure wound was my choice in my fretless days befor switching to FireWire Strings; very easy on the fingers and fingerboard.

[Bryan T]

for those that use rounds: how do you keep them from scarring up your fingerboard? i've seen more than a few fingerboards with odd dents/imprints from rounds vibrating repeatedly against them.

I think it is more about technique than string choice. If you are playing with a fairly light left hand and not slamming the strings against the board, then you'll get a lot more mileage out of the fingerboard. With the fretless basses that I've owned it has never been an issue.

Having said that, I've heard that string choice does matter. For example, I'd be hesitant to use stainless strings that felt "rough." The general rule for me is that if it feels nice to my fingers when sliding around (like the DR Sunbeams, for example), then it probably isn't being too hard on the board.

Bryan

[agreatheight]

I use rounds, specifically DR Low Riders. It's simply THE sound I am after. They eat a bit of board, but it's the cost of doing business. I look at a fretless board like brake pads - at some point you have to replace, you know? With that said, I've had the bass for just about 10 years and I haven't need to replace it yet. Maybe in 5 more.