4 fretless bass guitars for under $500
A fretless bass is a cool thing to have because nothing else sounds like it. Usually you have to pay big money to get one. But fortunately there are 4 under the $500 mark that get the job done in fine style.
Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass Fretless
For most bassists, this is the best choice because it has familiar Fender P-Bass feel without the Fender price. Also, because it's a P-Bass using a standard split-coil pickup, this bass can be easily upgraded. For example, you could easily install a Fender Precision pickup with alnico 5 magnets for not that much money. Great deal.
A killer fretless with several goodies for under $500. Note the pickups each have 2 pole pieces per string for unbelievably good clarity. The output jack's position is perfect for snaking your audio cable through the strap (very thoughtful design by Ibanez.) No neck dive here as the top horn is neatly placed above where the 12th fret position would ordinarily go. And let's not forget the 3-band EQ. This bass has it.
In other words, the SR370E literally needs no upgrades at all. This is a lean, mean and lightweight fretless that's ready-to-go.
This bass has everything the Ibanez does (including the 3-band EQ) but with the addition of a spalted maple top and a thin U-shape neck that still has a familiar 34-inch scale length. The difference is that the strings can go through the body on this one.
Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass Fretless
I saved this one for last because more often than not, this is the one bassists want when they want fretless for cheap. Yes, it very purposely has the look of the Fender Jaco Pastorious Jazz Bass. That's no accident.
This Squier has a 9.5" radius on the fingerboard, but also has the very familiar 1.5" nut width, meaning it has the close string spacing J-Bass players are very familiar with.
If you've absolutely gotta have a fretless Jazz Bass for cheap, this Squier is your best option.
Your two other options are the Jaco bass mentioned above, and the Fender Standard Jazz Bass Fretless (which is over $500 but not by a crazy amount).
If you want a Jazz that's the most mod-friendly, the Fender Standard is it. Yes, it's a Mexico build, but Mexico builds follow Fender USA spec a lot more closely compared to Squier. This means that switching out things like electronics, tuners, bridge and so on will be a lot easier, should you decide to do so. And because you get a pick guard, it's easier to work on from the space given under it.
My personal pick of this lot is the Ibanez, because you get the most for your money. And I meant it when I said it needs no upgrades. Most bassists do upgrades simply to get up to the level of electronics and hardware the SR370E already has.
How to make reverb not worthless
Reverb is worthless for the most part - unless you know how to wield it properly.
I've said before that where guitar effects are concerned, flanger is absolutely worthless because those who buy that effect actually want a phaser but bought the wrong thing.
Where the reverb effect is concerned, guitar players who buy a reverb effect actually wanted delay (the BOSS DD-7 digital delay, specifically), but bought the wrong thing...
...but maybe not.
If you've been following me for any time at all, you know I use a DigiTech RP360, which is a multi-effect unit that contains not just reverb but a whole bunch of them to choose from.
Do I use them? Yes, I do - but only a very specific way.
Before I get into that...
Three universal truths about the reverb effect
1. Surf is the only guitar sound "allowed" to use reverb live
A mandatory thing to get a surf guitar sound is "drip tone," which refers to an electric guitar with a very high treble response (like a Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar or Jazzmaster), played through a very high level of vintage style spring reverb.
You need spring reverb to do proper surf guitar. It's absolutely mandatory.
2. Reverb is completely worthless live
For literally EVERYTHING ELSE besides surf guitar, don't use reverb live. Ever. It will sound terrible.
If you dare use reverb live (and you shouldn't), what will occur is that while you will be able to hear the reverb effect when standing next to your amp or PA speaker, the audience simply will not hear it because the effect does not carry well over a distance.
There is no good way to project artificial reverb. Never has been, never will be.
Surf guitar can get away with using reverb because without it, there's no surf guitar sound. Reverb is a prerequisite of the surf "drip" tone - and only for surf. It's a ratty, clanky sound that only works there.
When you want to sound "big" live, delay is what you want
Excluding surf guitar, reverb sounds awful live because it alters the guitar tone too much and there's simply no good way to get an accurate amount of effect level that works. You'll never get that happy medium no matter how hard you try.
Digital delay, however, does work. Using short digital repeats from the delay effect is something you will have much finer control over that can actually sound good.
For example, setting a delay of 3 short repeats about 0.3 seconds apart with rapid decay works for most guitar players. And if that sounds too "muddy", decrease the delay effect or simply engage it only when needed (such as for guitar solos where a little extra "space" is needed).
Why do I specifically recommend the BOSS DD-7? It's built like a tank and has all the options you could ever want out of a delay effect. It has what counts, that being plenty of delay time, modulate, reverse and even an "analog" mode for more classic delay effects such as the original BOSS DM-2.
How to make reverb work for guitars recorded at home
Reverb is awful live. But for home recording, reverb really works well because all you're dealing with is a direct signal.
It's actually fairly easy to make reverb sound great for guitars if you follow a few simple rules.
Rule #1: Don't use "Hall"
On most digital reverb effect pedals such as the BOSS RV-6 seen at top (arguably the best reverb pedal you can buy), you will have the option of "hall", which is a washy style of reverb meant to simulate a large stage or church style reverberation.
Don't use this.
What you're doing when using Hall is putting the effect before the guitar, which is a backwards way of thinking when recording. You want the reverb effect to accent the guitar and not overtake it.
When you start adding Hall reverb to all your recorded guitars, everything turns into a mess quickly because you've got all this effect in the mix drowning out the instruments.
Rule #2: Do use "Room"
The classic electric guitar sound most players are chasing after is that "guitar sounds like it's being played with a band in a studio or garage" reverberation. That style of reverb is Room (which is also a setting on the BOSS RV-6).
A Room reverb effect has a much shorter decay that gives a sense of space without overpowering the instrument. It works very well and sounds pleasant to the ear.
Rule #3: Knowing where certain reverbs work best
The general rules of thumb where reverb is concerned for at-home recordings is this:
- Electric guitar: Room reverb.
- Bass: Never apply reverb here. Doesn't work. Whether it's fretted, fretless, slapped, plucked, thumbed, or whatever, do not use reverb on the bass. Just don't do it.
- Drums: Room reverb with emphasis on snare if possible.
- Vocals: Plate reverb applied lightly and only if necessary (yes, this is also on the BOSS RV-6).
- Synthesizers: You can actually get away with more washy reverbs with synths. This is the one time where Hall might actually work, or even Plate. Old-style analog synth sounds take very well to washy digital reverbs for the most part.
Should a master reverb be put over the entire mix of a song?
More often than not, this doesn't work.
An example of where this fails is with bass, even if the bass is electronic. You simply don't want reverb there, because it can make a good, punchy bass tone sound all mudded up and terrible very quickly.
However, there are instances where it can work. If the recording is just one acoustic guitar and one singer, that's something where adding a light reverb over the entire mix might provide the right sound.
When I use reverb...
...I will usually go for a Room reverb, and keep it on the light side. And I'll only use it for at-home recorded stuff.
For live, digital delay would be the only thing I use for a "bigger" sound, and only if necessary, which is not that often.
Is the best reverb no reverb?
No. I think having reverb is necessary as long as you know how to apply it well.
Don't use it live, and when recording at home, don't make it sound like you recorded your guitars in a cave because that never sounds right.
Use reverb for its intended purpose, that being to create a sense of space. Ask yourself, "What sense of space am I trying to create here?", then choose your reverb effect wisely...
...if your guitar and/or recordings actually needs it.
The Better DigiTech JamMan Solo XT Manual book is live!
Done and ready to rock.
My book The Better DigiTech JamMan Solo XT Manual is now live, so if you own the actual JamMan Solo XT (such as I do), this is a book worth owning.
I state this in the book itself, but I want to make clear that this is not a replacement for the actual manual, but rather more plain-English-friendly supplemental documentation. DigiTech actually did do a good job for the most part with the manual provided with the JamMan. But that ultimately doesn't take away from the fact the JamMan Solo XT is an advanced device that needed more friendly documentation to describe its operation better.
I only have two real complaints with the way DigiTech wrote their manual. First, a fair chunk of it seems out-of-order, and second, the odd choice of words here and there.
Concerning the out-of-order part, there's a lot of flipping back and forth of pages in some areas just to follow specific directions. Some of this flipping back and forth is well more than 10 pages apart. That's annoying.
For the weird word choice thing, page 14 of the DigiTech's manual is literally "Free-Form vs Auto Quantized Looping". It's the use of versus that's bad here. Bad use of the word, because that sends the message to the reader "one of these is bad" when that's not true at all. Both looping methods are obviously just fine. In addition, versus isn't an instruction... yet it's in an instruction manual.
I pick up on things like that and other foibles when reading documentation. Is this digging too deep into semantics? No, because this is the documentation on how to use the thing.
There have been many guitar players as well as synth players and vocalists who just outright gave up on using the JamMan Solo XT because of the learning curve. The manual provided simply did not do a good enough job.
My hope is that with my book, more people keep their JamMan pedals and do wonderful things with them. I honestly believe it is the best bang-for-your-buck looper for sale right now. If it weren't, I wouldn't have bought it myself.
How the JamMan won me over
I had the choice between the JamMan and the BOSS RC-3 Loop Station. Bear in mind I already had a simple 40-second looper with my DigiTech RP360 multi-effect unit. What I wanted was an advanced looper.
The JamMan ultimately beat out the BOSS RC-3 for two reasons.
First, it has a memory card slot where up to 32GB of additional data storage can be installed. For audio-only data, that is a massive amount of space and one heck of an upgrade - and dirt cheap!
Second is something easily missed. There is no way to exactly set a tempo by beats-per-minute on the RC-3. And I know exactly why. It's because the digital display on the RC-3 is 2 digits long while the JamMan's is 3 digits.
If for example you want to set a loop to have an exact tempo of 138 beats per minute on the JamMan, you can do it with ease. This is not possible on the RC-3. You can manually tap your tempo, but you cannot directly input a precise BPM number.
Why does this matter? If you decide to bring your WAV loop data into software on a computer later for multitracking, you *must* know what the exact BPM is.
I read through the RC-3 documentation online thoroughly, looking for any way to manually set a metronome tempo by a precise beats-per-minute number. Couldn't find anything. The RC-3 simply can't do it...
...and that pretty much sealed the deal right there. I bought the JamMan instead, and it was the right choice.
Does this mean the BOSS RC-3 Loop Station is bad? No. But once you go JamMan and see what it can do over the RC-3, and do it for much less, it makes the choice to go with the JamMan an easy one.
All the JamMan needed was some extra documentation that explained how it does what it does better. So I wrote it.
Les Paul Telecaster hybrid
It's a Les Paul. It's a Telecaster. It's both!
Take the Agile AL-2500 TC, which is a combination of Les Paul and Telecaster designs put into one guitar...
...and it's cool.
This is a guitar that neither Fender nor Gibson could ever build, because if either of them did, the guitar community would go absolutely berserk. Both the Fender and Gibson purists would scream bloody murder if either of them "stole" designs from each other.
The AL-2500 TC is a Les Paul with its body shape made of solid mahogany, and that the neck is installed glue-in set neck style.
The AL-2500 TC is a Telecaster everywhere else. The strings mount through the body, the bridge and bridge pickup is total Telecaster, the neck is a P90 style, the knob control area is total Telecaster, and the neck is a 25.5" scale instead of a Gibson 24.75".
The only thing about the guitar that is neither Tele nor Les Paul is the fretboard radius. It's a super-flat 14".
Good guitar? Yes. Good price? Very much so.
Another guitar that "borrows" a design with no apologies...
...is the Jackson Monarkh. Yes, that is the way the model name is spelled and it is not a typo.
I've never liked the design of this guitar. Yeah, it's a good player, and there is a scoop cut in the back for very easy high-fret access. This guitar is a screamer. But I can't get past how much the headstock "argues" with the body. The body is very round and the headstock is very angular. Doesn't work. Not for me, anyway.
I actually really like the headstock design, truth be told. But just not on this guitar.
Are hybrid guitar designs a good idea?
Any hybrid guitar design is a good idea as long as it works. If the guitar does what it's supposed to do and makes for an instrument that's comfortable to play and sounds right, then it's good.
Both guitars above work. Sure, you'll draw the ire of guitar purists and snobs, but who cares? Play what you like.
Of the two above, I like the Agile better because it has single-coil pickups in it, and the headstock design agrees with the body shape a whole lot better.
The 3 best guitar forums on the internet
Most guitar forums on the internet are just plain awful. But there are three that are decent where you can actually discuss things on a civilized level.
To those who have never done the forum thing before
Larger forums have been around a long time and predate Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube. Heck, some are approaching the age where if the forum were a person, it would be almost old enough to drink.
As technology progresses on the internet, forums don't. The basic forum way of doing things was established in the late 1990s, and very little has changed. Older forums are the classic definition of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". There is a learning curve, and yes you can master it even if you've never used one before.
Are all guitar forums "related" to each other?
No, but many of the larger ones are. Two of the three below list themselves as "sister" sites to each other.
As you explore guitar forums across the internet, it is typical you will find these connections here and there. Totally normal.
It is also typical you will find forum regulars that bounce between forums, almost as if they're having one giant conversation across multiple sites.
The 3
These are the three where I've found the community to be actually helpful.
- TDPRI (discussion about the Telecaster guitar)
- Strat-Talk (discussion about the Stratocaster guitar)
- My Les Paul (discussion about the Les Paul guitar)
What is the best use of guitar forums?
Guitar technical information, guitar historical information and troubleshooting assistance.
With the three forums above, every single thing you could ever want to know about Stratocaster, Telecaster and Les Paul guitars is there. There is no stone unturned. There is no topic about those guitars that hasn't been discussed. Every model year, every pickup, every wood species ever used on production models, every little tidbit of info you ever wanted to know, all of it. It's there.
One could arguably say that if the guitar information you're looking for isn't contained within those three forums, it doesn't exist.
Why use old style forums when there's Facebook and Reddit?
The main reason is the ability to go back through 10+ years of archived discussions to find the information you're looking for.
A standard piece of advice anyone who uses forums regularly says is, "search first before you ask". So that's what you do. You sign up an account, start searching, and more often than not you'll find the info you were looking for.
Old posts can be found on Reddit and Facebook, but you'll run into broken threads often. With forums, the thread structure is kept over the years, and the only broken stuff will be images and linked external sites that no longer work. But the text is still all there, and that's what matters.
It is worth your time to get an account at one of these old forums, if for no other reason just to search old discussions for information purposes.