Converting a Bass Instantly to Fretless! Testing the Flatter

[@Bass_Baer_Extraordinaire]

I don’t know why they wouldn’t make it cover the full fretboard, it’s an extra like 4 inches of plastic

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I would predict so it fits more basses. Not sure. It was pretty fun for what it was.

[@ElaineDark-ir1sq]

@@BsMusicShopMI Well then they would've had different widths

[@howlinhobbit]

I’m mainly a ukulele player, so when I wanted to add a bass to my sonic palette I bought a UBass. I play lots of different instruments to one degree or another, but have no fretless stringed instruments at all. I applaud you (and others) who can pull good tunes out of fretless instruments. great video! rock on.

[@benleydon]

@@BsMusicShopMI I invented and prototyped, but sadly did nothing else with, a very similar idea back in 1998. Mine was extended scale (26 fret equivalent?) and went all the way from nut to bridge, so you could sit it on top of your existing saddles and nut. Perfect action and perfect string saddle radius already theoretically built in, no adjustment to original bass needed other than retuning and possibly pickup height. Damn ADHD :(

[@Great-Documentaries]

@@ElaineDark-ir1sq Try finding a decent 30" or 28.6" scale fretless. This works on those! It has a LOT more value to us than to people that still use 34" scale basses.

[@mechart87]

Bought vintage jazz bass to test a $40 accessory 🤘😂 Checks out

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I mean. We already had it If you buy I’ll toss the flatter in the box for you. shop.bsmusicshop.com/used-fender-1977-79-amerciacn-jazz-bass.html

[@HipsterNgariman]

@@BsMusicShopMI I think that's a really fair price for a 77 !

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Sold now! 😺

[@wademiyataki9221]

Ringing endorsement, “I don’t hate it”🤣🤣🤣

[@BsMusicShopMI]

After 27 years of selling instruments I’m happy I don’t just hate everything. Haha.

[@DigBipper188]

So long as there are different variants of both guitar and bass versions (and a future version that covers the whole board) I could see this being an actually neat and cheap way to get into fretless bass. measure your fretboard's taper, order the right one and boom! Fretless in five. Would love to get a version of this that could fit my Yamaha SBV-500...

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I’m pretty sure there are more. I didn’t really read when I impulse bought it. I got a guitar one to check out on six string.

[@pentalarclikesit822]

Super-interesting idea. I've got a bass that I've been planning to strip the frets from, might check this out instead.

[@bluntphunk]

Got it, tried on my vintage modified jazz Pros: it works mostly as advertised Cons: Nut needs to be modified to be usable Makes the neck feel huge Makes the instrument feel like a toy

[@leoneddy1492]

Does it rest on top of the frets or over them like are there groves for the frets to fit into so it sits on the actual Fingerboard , I may have missed this.

[@bluntphunk]

On top of the frets

[@knastera]

Good job of rocking the Yiddish. Shmutz is such a great term.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Haha. Thank you. I consider it an important repair term. 🥰🥰

[@bassimprovjams3772]

That Jazz is absolutely beautiful!!

[@courier11sec]

I don't play bass, but I work on them along with guitars and other stuff with strings that make noise. For your cat shirts, decorations, and logo, I award you a like, a sub, an engagement, and 12 points. 😼

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I’ll take it. Thank you!! 🐈🐈🐈

[@TheNiteinjail]

Was totally expecting it to be completely trash... Fun haha

[@adrianch2527]

Interesting device..

[@Hellwyck]

Lonely Island reference - nice.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I like how I babble so much I have no memory of what I did. 😂😂

[@blanchae]

A big part of setting up a fretless bass is adjusting the neck and nut to get the right mwah. The mwah is the unique fretless buzz sound. I don't know how slapping on a piece of plastic is going to dial in the mwah.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Mwah!

[@DetaBassist97]

I hope this flatter is coming to Indonesia soon so i can buy it without an expensive delivery cost.. and don't need to remove frets from my old basss

[@notanotherguitarchannel]

your hair takes me back to the 90s, you twisted fire starter

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Hah. Thanks!

[@andylee6228]

Well, sadly they don't seem to be made any more. The website says both guitar and bass flatters are out of stock and I received no reply from a text I sent. The best purpose would be for checking out whether or not to get a particular bass defretted. To get the "British" fretless sound (e.g. Pino Palladio on Gary Numan's "I Assassin" you need to be using a bridge pickup that is close to the bridge - as it is on the Wal, although it can be more double bassy using a neck pickup. I loved Pino's tone back then - it's a bit bland with the no-bridge pu on the p-bass)

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

It does give you that killer Jaco Pastorius vibe

[@davidcarroll8401]

came across this video by chance and i recognized the cat a logo i bought a few pedals from you on reverb , i have 5 cats great video .

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thank you! We hope you are digging your pedals. Big things coming this week! 😺

[@leoneddy1492]

Good Idea for some one thinking about going fretless ,I WOULD HAVE TO COVER ORIGINAL FRET MARKERS ON EDGE OF NECK AND PUT DOTS WHERE THEY SHOULD BE ON A PROPER FRETLESS IN PLACE , I enjoyed the video great Narration Brian

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thank you! I agree about the dots!

[@MashaT22]

Would be cool if this plastic thing came with laser-etched side fret markers that are engraved into the plastic just enough to make it visible and even slightly tactile in a way that won’t without affecting the playability.

[@diteamiciedentrate]

I would have guessed a thing like this would mess the action though, also not a fan of how many frets it doesn't cover, I guess it couldn't go over the whole freatboard but I like to use all my frets, I'm territorial... Still, it seems a funny thing to try

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Yeah. I mean. For the cost it’s surprisingly useful. The action was fine actually. The new nut that it sat on seemed to account for all that. It’s pretty neat to screw around with.

[@bapt_andthebasses]

That 77 is clean AF! I thought it was a 2008-2012 Classic 70s MIM reissue!

[@BsMusicShopMI]

It is. Still for sale. I have no idea why it’s still here. It’s so nice.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

shop.bsmusicshop.com/used-fender-1977-79-amerciacn-jazz-bass.html

[@jjbaccomba]

Isnt the first time for this idea. I remember mid 80's this was offered on a bass. It was either a Westone or Cort ? Memory working in overload lol.

[@mangofactory.mp4]

what you're thinking of is the westone spectrum lx which had quick change necks

[@ferenclucas2842]

If you have one awesome bass and you need to record some fretless for a project, you dont need to buy a second expensive bass now. Amazing. I had to go buy a cheap used SX fretless, re-level the fingerboard myself and replace with decent pickups, cntrl panel and bridge myself finding used deals from others upgrading their gear. That's way more work!

[@markmadonna4099]

Are you gonna carry them @ B's Music?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Sorry. They just do direct. I was just fooling around trying something. 😺

[@TrickyDeGolden]

I would definitely blow the $45 but the only 4-string I have is already fretless, and my others are all 5-string. I would LIKE to see a 5-string version of this thing. Do you think the same such item could be carved from a piece of rosewood in the same dimensions as the plastic? Maybe a longer, 5-string version of that for $150 will be Bass Flatter v3. I'm in for that one.

[@mofost1]

Is that the killer green Mike west rev back there, I got the ole yeller but that one is the dopiest of the dopey(Matt weat! Fuggggin keyboard)

[@musiqueurbaine]

I can see myself using this for fun or for a recording session experience. But not for serious results though. Could they have one to convert a fretess bass to fretted?

[@petelok9969]

There used to be the Novatone switchboard quite some years ago. Similar idea. P

[@SoldierOfSunrise]

Thank you for this review! 👍I found it very interesting. I thoutht I could no longer be surprised about how far the guitar making industry can go nowadays... 🙂 And what is even more surprising to me, that this seems to be a usable item as well. And what a simple idea is behind... I wonder why noone (including myself) until now ever thought of it...!? 😃 I fully agree with you about the usage of it. This is not inteded to substitue a fretless bass for someone who plays such all the time. But it can be perfect, when you want to record a song or two with a fretless, and theres noone in your friendship who can lend you a fretless. 😎(We can only argue about the price and the value... I'd say - knowing how cheap a mass product plastic can be - even 40 dollars seem to be much for it, but otherwise it is fine for what its purpose is.)

[@joemartucci4786]

If I'm not mistaken doesn't line6 make a pedal that makes a bass sound fretless?? Pretty sure I tried one out in a guitar center...sounded cool.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Possibly. Might just change the attack. The slides are what I love about it. No pedal could do that. Would be fun to try tho!

[@james9789]

Yes heard it today sounded good and convincing.

[@mrbungle7586]

Interesting idea. Maybe something for those not sure if they want to go fretless. Trying this might help decide, although playing the real thing would be better to help make that decision. Fairly cheap for a bit of fun. If they could add a thin wooden vaneer to it would be better. Good demo and the hair, well you wear it well. Cheers 👍

[@robinpare5155]

Love the hair man, keep it and keep that plastic thing-a-ma-jig too...! 👍

[@mofost1]

Sounds cool

[@jaex9617]

Got that brontosaurus fart sound 👨🏼‍🍳💋

[@BsMusicShopMI]

🦕🦕🦕🦕🦕

[@fabiomaccatrozzo9243]

Sounds like a dying hornet so cool

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Hey. I mean. If I’m known for anything it’s that. Quite honestly I thought the tascam preamp pedal might sound kinda cool when I started. In post I went “yep. That’s a bass plugged into a four track. I remember”

[@FartsMcNuggets]

One stuck on fly paper

[@Some_Cat_]

🤣👍

[@davidmiller1619]

Way too cool comment….made my day!

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

Good for recording at home, that one little part that could be on a Fretless can now be on a Fretless for 40$. Does it sag at all when you run your fingers between frets? It must not be very thick to fit on without having to raise the Nut. I'm guessing it is pretty solid or it would mute the strings as they bogged down in it. you should use that last shot with the slack strings as a Thumb for a "are we tuning to low" video, or "Has down tuning gone too far"

[@BsMusicShopMI]

It’s pretty solid! No bend at all. I’m going to try the guitar one. Maybe I’ll toss it on my rumblefish for an A/B with better tone. Haha. Maybe I’ll try that for the thumb!

[@streamofconsciousness5826]

@@BsMusicShopMI They have the fretted ones for Violins, Iwonder if they could do the same and make a Fretless a fretted, or even get really narrow with their possible consumers and make microtonal fret boards. "Our Guitar Player "The Devil" (pretty sure that's just a stage name) wote a song called Soul Stealing Chasam Opener, (pretty sure that is just a title not a description) in C minus1, the first human audible notes are on my D string at the fourth fret. It's going to be a challenge..... but I am up for it. Cheers! 🍁

[@nathanielwyatt9181]

"We have the technology to sorta do this."😂

[@alfieboy1]

What an awesome thing!

[@danpost4755]

That's hilarious! So cheesy, it's kinda cool.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I dig it. For the price it was just neat to screw with.

[@kitcanttat]

Is there a toneplastic version?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I don’t know what that is. 😂😂

[@jazzman0173]

How much for that 77 jazz?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Right here. Still available as of today. shop.bsmusicshop.com/used-fender-1977-79-amerciacn-jazz-bass.html

[@ninovalenti96]

That’s pretty cool.

[@scottfeldstein7264]

Welp. Just ordered one. Can't wait to snap that baby onto my Sire V5.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Let me know how you like it!

[@offbeatbassgear]

This reminds me of the old Novatone changeable fingerboards from the mid-eighties extremely poorly executed idea then and this looks to be more of the same. I talked with someone that had one of those and he turned them into a big set of fridge magnets..

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I’d love to play with one. This one is pretty great for what it is. I wasn’t expecting to be the new Jaco with it. I had realistic expectations. 😺

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

I'm waiting for the review where you need to spend 32 grand on a Fodera Presentation II to test a $5 accessory.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I gotta do what I gotta do.

[@sirfultonbishop]

Kinda cool. And those are some yummy looking Silvertones sitting around in there… !

[@BsMusicShopMI]

There is…. More of them. I used to collect them when they were worthless. Haha.

[@musico7156]

ma tu suoni con il basso distorto?

[@sadetwizelve]

I have those strings

[@jaysantiago9673]

It's pretty cool but sounds like a wax paper and comb kazoo. One would be better off buying a $150.00 Glarry or G-style brand fretless bass from Amazon, I own a 5 string and, even though it's good enough already, just want better pickups. Glad I found your channel, cheers.

[@usasales2014]

Uh, excuse me sir, but I think your bass ate too many beans.

[@jeffjeff4477]

Love Bs Have a sticker an pick from past purchases If you need a bass or pedal Check them out!! More pics please 😊 Go Bs!!!!

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thank you! That is so nice. We are glad you dig them!

[@wyrdstone85]

Why give up your excuse to add a fretless bass to the collection?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Buddy. I never need an excuse for anything. I have the same guitar in multiple colors. I’m not in reasonable land.

[@haeven1622]

Smart!

[@FartsMcNuggets]

It sounds like farts.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Seems right up your alley.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

hair is crazy.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

At least it’s all natural.

[@hoju63]

For once, an ad worth watching.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thank you!

[@hoju63]

@@BsMusicShopMI you earned it.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

We just wanna have fun and get weird.

[@danielirvine7468]

Cool idea if wanna see what it’s like to hear a fretless on a recording Or regret pulling out old frets and realise it’s not your thing

[@Hndsmstrngr1]

You could have bought a little more treble into that. The plastic kind of mutes upper frequencies and you didn't bother to change it so I got to say that this was not a great Bass

[@BsMusicShopMI]

More just I feel like showing things as they are so you can see what happens. I didn’t notice it doing that as much as just plastic is different in many ways. I feel like if you overproduce it, it can kinda mask the truth. It sounded pretty warm and chill. Decent for an affordable add on. I dig it. Thanks for watching!

[@BsMusicShopMI]

To be fair as well I kinda wish I had dug my sansamp out in post. Direct bass for video is so tricky. Haha so different than putting it in a spot in a band.

[@Hndsmstrngr1]

@@BsMusicShopMI fair enough. At least you showed it and it's state, no surprises

[@Dreyno]

I expected a belt sander or milling machine. Grind the frets off and leave them there as markers. Somebody needs to do this. I can’t. I have one bass.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Easier to just pull them. Pretty straightforward to do. I’ve done it about a dozen times for customers.

[@hardinmichael1981]

The hair is crazy

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I just keep getting weirder.

[@HunnysPlaylists]

Also seems to kill the volume too.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

The hair?

[@HunnysPlaylists]

@@BsMusicShopMI yes, and the plastic thing.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

I didn’t notice it too much. It was pretty fun to screw with. My guess is that it might just be slightly farther from the pickups too.

[@NextLevelSlapBass]

What’s up with the shaking editing every 10 seconds or so? Is that a new trend?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Jump editing is pretty popular. I always cut it right to the point so the pacing doesn’t waste your time. I also record it and chop it so you just get the good stuff. 😺 Usually I get good feedback from it but I’m sorry if you found it distracting. I’m just riding the trends. 😺

[@NextLevelSlapBass]

@@BsMusicShopMI Thanks. I see it in more videos these days indeed. To me it’s very off putting and distracting if done too much.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

@@NextLevelSlapBass I get it. I think find if you don’t keep the pacing tight and respect the watchers time, it really hurts engagement. I get it tho. Thank you for watching and thanks for the feedback! 😺

[@NextLevelSlapBass]

@@BsMusicShopMI Thanks. Good luck with your channel!

[@JustK009]

Sound very Jack Bruce and doesn’t cover the whole neck..might be good for a studio application

[@ZethKeeper]

I don't need it, I already have a fretless JB.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Well hellllo Mr fancy pants. 😂

[@ZethKeeper]

​@@BsMusicShopMI, it's Harley Benton xD

[@BsMusicShopMI]

😂😂😂

[@BsMusicShopMI]

All good dude! Enjoy it!

[@Meow-Meow-Meow-Meow-Meow-Meoww]

i think your hair is crazy.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

You are correct. 👨‍🎤👨‍🎤👨‍🎤👨‍🎤

[@Some_Cat_]

Sounds like a fart 🤭. Not trying to be rude but is that the device or the bass/amp settings?

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Amp settings. I just used a boost preamp pedal. This was something I just did quick one day.

[@mariosangermano]

I'm sorry but as someone who plays fretless a lot, It does not match a real fretless bass. It's close, but.. NOPE!! It really sounds like a distorted bass more than anything.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

That’s more on me choosing to try that tascam preamp pedal as a DI boost. Sorry about that!

[@knurd75]

What an extremely odd tone choice to review this addon.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Totally. I didn’t realize it would blow up like this. Tried the tascam preamp. Sounded pretty neat in the room. Great pedal but not the little preamp I was hoping for. Live, learn footage was already shot. Ha. Pretty neat thing no matter how you slice it.

[@57briben]

No thanks.The thing is its all about the tone of the strings on a wood fingerboard. This just gives you the ability to slide the notes without frets. But the tone your getting is pretty bad.

[@mirkomarkovic3438]

Thare's almost zero difference in fretboard material

[@tarkenton3895]

But you don't know what the fretted tone sounded like in the first place. It could be that the base tone was like that and just needs some tweaking. Also fretboard material does next to nothing for tone. It would be more reasonable to say that there's a lack of resonance because the plastic is more disconnected from the instrument. Consider as well that he seems to be using roundwound and not flats, so a bit of a different tone than you expect from a fretless

[@ianflurrance8438]

Jaco covered his fingerboard in epoxy, so no it’s not about the wood.

[@connorstewart4833]

Wrong bassist to show this

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thanks for watching!

[@jamesriley7749]

You talked for over 4 minutes of a 5 minute video.

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thank you!

[@BrunoCOHENstudio]

I bought it … honestly it is a piece of crap. Sounds very « plastic »

[@gregarnold1696]

That tone sucks and buzzes

[@BsMusicShopMI]

Thanks for watching!