KrisH
Well-known member
In another thread I mentioned I was on the prowl for a short-scale fretless bass, but hadn't been finding anything interesting. I also mentioned I had an item on backorder from Musician's Friend for several months. Well, out of the blue, came to my door the answer to my dilemma -- an 18-inch scale fretless bass:
This Fender/DeArmond Ashbory bass is quite something. It's an odd little thing -- not really quite a guitar, but more than just an erstaz upright. You've probably seen mention of the silicon rubber strings, with a piezo pickup and a preamp. The "fretboard" is printed on, and is really a smooth glossy surface. It's really light, too, and all in all, feels kinda like a toy. But it has a surprisingly pretty decent sound. I've messed with it for a few evenings, pushing it through my pedal board and amps. And with the short-short scale, it's only about 5 inches longer than a full-size violin. Playing it is fun!
The cons: because the strings are silicon rubber, they tend to feel tacky, so you have to dust your fingers with talc or cornstarch, which can be a little messy. Also, the strings (particularly the d and g) stretch a LOT before they finally settle into a stable tuning. Finally, the D string (and sometimes the A) tends to buzz in the nut slot when played open hard, which I've discovered from other forums is an inherent problem with the instrument. But I found a non-obtrusive fix that only involves a little cotton from the end of a q-tip.
All in all, I think it's a fun little instrument, and since I used my discount coupon, worth the price paid. I'll post some sound clips in a day or two, so you can hear that it really is a serious, if unusual, instrument. I certainly wouldn't take it on a gig as my only bass (it has its limitations), but it could be used for some pieces.
Here's a photo of three basses together (18", 30.5" and 42" scaless):
This Fender/DeArmond Ashbory bass is quite something. It's an odd little thing -- not really quite a guitar, but more than just an erstaz upright. You've probably seen mention of the silicon rubber strings, with a piezo pickup and a preamp. The "fretboard" is printed on, and is really a smooth glossy surface. It's really light, too, and all in all, feels kinda like a toy. But it has a surprisingly pretty decent sound. I've messed with it for a few evenings, pushing it through my pedal board and amps. And with the short-short scale, it's only about 5 inches longer than a full-size violin. Playing it is fun!
The cons: because the strings are silicon rubber, they tend to feel tacky, so you have to dust your fingers with talc or cornstarch, which can be a little messy. Also, the strings (particularly the d and g) stretch a LOT before they finally settle into a stable tuning. Finally, the D string (and sometimes the A) tends to buzz in the nut slot when played open hard, which I've discovered from other forums is an inherent problem with the instrument. But I found a non-obtrusive fix that only involves a little cotton from the end of a q-tip.
All in all, I think it's a fun little instrument, and since I used my discount coupon, worth the price paid. I'll post some sound clips in a day or two, so you can hear that it really is a serious, if unusual, instrument. I certainly wouldn't take it on a gig as my only bass (it has its limitations), but it could be used for some pieces.
Here's a photo of three basses together (18", 30.5" and 42" scaless):
