Reply To: Playing Guitar
That’s funny — I had seriously been just looking at those Yamaha silent guitars on eBay! I have played a nylon-string version, but I don’t like Classical-width nylon necks. The nylon string guitar I like to use is a Godin semi-acoustic with a narrow neck. I should check out the steel-string version. It seems like it would be ideal for putzing around on headphones without pulling out my acoustic and having to avoid the babies whacking it with toys or beating on the tuners. It also would make a pretty cool picture to put on bandcamp…
Caleb, I have played the Ashbory bass, but it was at least 20 years ago. My impression is that they are fun, but flimsy. The modern ones are made in Korea. I have been making an effort not to buy overseas-built instruments wherever possible. If you like the Ahsbory, you might want to look into the Kala U-bass (fretted, but with similar strings; made in China). One issue with both of these is that if you get used to playing them, your fingers will not really know how to stretch for notes on regular 34″-scale basses.
I’m not really a bass player — I hardly every play bass (but I pretend on YouTube). My basses I’ve recorded or YouTubed recently:
On “Ghoul Tide” — Steinberger (old) XQ active 4-string fretted (with body). Sounds fantastic, but it has some issues (bridge needs some refurbishing work — it seems to be missing some springs and washers, two of the four bridge mounting screws were missing; typical weird eBay problems, like someone fixed it by cannibalizing another instrument and did not have enough parts). Currently disassembled. I found the right screws, but I may either repair or replace the bridge. If you can find an old Steinberger XQ or XP I highly recommend them, but check it our very thoroughly and make sure you are getting an older Steinberger Blend neck and that it has not been brutalized in some way.
On my little YouTube video — white Steinberger (Gibson Music Yo era) XQ active 4-string (with body). Has the newer Moses Graphite necks; fretwork is visibly poor and crooked; intonation is off on some frets past the 12th. Inexcusably shoddy; Gibson should be ashamed. Despite that, sounds pretty good, if you avoid a few of the frets. Not twangy and harpsichord-like as the original Steinbergers are; warmer tone, more like a wooden bass. The HAZ EQ is very nice. I can’t really recommend it based on the build quality.
On “My Monkey” — black Steinberger Synapse fretless 5-string. Ebony bridge, piezo and electric pickup. On the piezo, this sounds very woody and gives an almost passable impression of an upright bass. Electric pickup will give you that “mwah” fretless tone that people either love or hate. Built quality not quite up to snuff; flimsy truss rod, flimsy cavity covers. It seems to have been discontinued. Very hard to find strings for this thing. I can’t really recommend it.
The only bass amp I’ve got is a Roland Micro Cube Bass RX which I love.
If I were looking for a fretless to start off with, I’d look for a used Carvin, Washburn, Godin, Yamaha, or Peavey. They all make credible instruments and don’t have the “Fender tax.” Make sure it is set up with flat wound strings — a lot of the fretless basses you see have been set up with round wound strings and this will really quickly grind up the board!