Fretless bass strings

[bass6]

I will be getting a fretless bass soon and was wondering about the right strings.The bass will be the fender jaco model.Does anyone have some ideas?

[terryc]

Growly roundwounds!!!

[bass6]

I am looking for a string that will get that jaco sound or real close to it without digging into the fingerboard.I have heard or other strings but cannot remember the name brand.

[afrobeat_fool]

Look at the Tomastik's they are very high quality. I use them on my upright and I just put them on my 5st fretless Essence. Very nice piano-like sound.
 
 
 
Nick

[rami]

My favorite Growly flats are D'Addario Chromes.  I highly recommend them. For the record, Jaco used Rotosound Steel roundwounds, 40-60-80-100.
 

[bass6]

thanks for your help also I would like to mention I purchasded a little darlin six string bass a few momths ago and would like for every one to see it however I cannot take picture. Susan said that Mica would post pictures (I know how busy she is but still not posted )Maybe someone else can help me talk Mica into putting a picture up for you guys to see. It is a beautiful bass.

[edwin]

DR Sunbeams are my string of choice for a nice growly fretless (David King 5 string). With the coated fingerboard, you don't have to worry too much about wearing it out. Round wounds are the way to go. Jaco used them, as mentioned above, and they were a key to his sound. The other thing to do is to make sure that the truss rod is properly adjusted. There is a sweet spot, with fairly low action, that will give the proper growl.

[gregduboc]

I had some D'Addario Half Rounds on my now gone Fender Jaco Relic Custom Shop bass. It was one of the best basses I've ever had, incredible neck and feel, and these strings were the solution I found for having the roundwound sound, without eating all of the epoxy out of the fretboard.
I am not the smoothest player, but the Rotosound strings I was using started to wear out the resin pretty quickly. The D'Addarios did to, but in a much slower rate. But trust me, if you will play it a lot, go for the D'Addario, you won't have to worry about manitence so much. And tone isn't far away from the Rotosounds. It is actually pretty easy to get the Jaco sound with them (as long as you have the trust rod correctly ajusted to keep the strings very low).
And for the record, if I didn't need the money to order a custom bass, I would have never sold that bass. It's one of the best fretless basses out there, with a growl I already miss.
 
Greg

[mike13]

Roto flats,only way to go!!!!!!!!!!!

[adriaan]

Mike - that's an interesting preference. Personally, I can't remember ever playing a string that disagreed with me as completely as Roto flats (haven't tried the black tape-wounds, though).

[pace]

I like the rotosound flats too!  
 
Oscar, we'd love to see your bass.... I'm curious what the scale length and tuning is on it.

[bass6]

The scale is 29inchs and the tuning is c# up to High D. (A six string tenor bass.)The bass also plays good tuned E to high F Or A to High Bb .You may think why not play guitar instead of a bass with the tenor tuning. I have played Jazz guitar for around ten Years and the bass just feels so right compared to my other guitars.Note:I Have been playing bass around forty years.

[pace]

That's awesome Oscar! Do you buy strings for your Darling in bulk?
I have an Alembic 30.75 6 string tuned E-E, that's why I ask....

[bass6]

Mike,
The strings are light gauge rotosound funk master FM66 90-30 gauge.The tenor tuned bass only uses two strings from that set the D&G the C String is  anything I can find and the FBbEb are guitar strings tuned down a bit.So No I dont buy in bulk for now because of the tuning.Mike, What type( Model) of alembic do you own.My string spacing is very close.What about yours?.Too bad you are not near north alabama maybe we could work on some of this music I have put so much work into.