Would you buy a "fretted" fretless?
 

Would you consider purchasing a modified fretless (fretless to fretted) if the work was done by a luthier other than the manufacturer?

The bass in question is a Renaissance 5-string.

I'm thinking it might be difficult to sell if I decide I don't like the Ren for whatever reason.

Thoughts?

Which Renaissance? There were/are at least to makers who use(d) that name.

Rick Turner.

As long as a bass sounds, plays and looks good, I don't think anyone cares what it was before it gets into their hands.

If Rick Turner did the work, you can take that deal to the bank.

First question I'd ask is why someone who went to all that trouble is selling now...

Would not. In fact, would not consider a lined fretless of any sort.

If you have lines,you might as well have frets.

That's not even the question Coyote1...
He's asking of converting a fretless TO fretted, not the other way around.

Personally, I would not care as long as it has been professionally handled and
all of the frets are properly proportioned to get fine intonation. I wouldn't be
weary of buying a fretted bass that was re-fretted as long as it's still a great bass!

Also.. lines or no lines, fretless is fretless, it's all about tonal difference anyways.
I've seen uprights with lines and the player was still killer. Hell, the mate has his own
big band ensemble and has massive respect. I'll take a groovy player over someone with no "markers" any day.

That's a very inaccurate and snobbish statement.

Sure, all fretted necks were fretless before the frets were installed.

MY go to bass is a G&L L1505 that started out as a fretless that was then fretted with mandolin fret wire. It's amazing. Frets don't detract value and as long as it was done professionally, I don't see the issue.

Also agree that Coyote's statement was dumb.

So long as the work was done cleanly with a new nut to compensate for the height of the frets, the bass should be great. I have never played a fretted Renaissance but I used to have a RB5FL and currently own a RB4FL, very unique, anti-gravity basses. :cool:

I've seen the pictures and the work looks great; done by an experienced luthier.

I guess I asked the question as a result of my extensive background as an audiophile where if a repair of component A isn't done by the maker, it tends to be looked down on and may affect your ability to sell it down the road.

:D :D :D

keep in mind that playability and resale value are two very different factors. i think the consensus here is that if the work is done by someone competent and reputable then it's probably going to play just fine. however, modifications do tend to affect the resale value, and not normally for the better. i don't mean to say anything definite or dissuade you from buying what is probably an exceptional bass (as all rick turner instruments are), just remember that some people might view it as less valuable down the road.

What a load of crap. Don't forget to mention this complete piece of turd of advice to Jaco, Gary Willis, Pino, and others.

People like Percy Jones, Steve Bailey are brilliantly entertaining players, but their intonation isn't as good as Jaco or Gary's.

The one guy I know who truly can play an unlined fretless with amazingly good intonation is Michael Manring. Most people, if they're not as talented and not as willing to put in the work as Manring, sound better on lined fretless. Sorry if I've offended some people, but that's how I hear it.

Might as well have frets? That's laughable. This assumes that frets ONLY act as a point of reference. THey do NOT. They effect the sound.


I moved overto electric bass from Cello. I don't even know how to play guitar. I had Greg Curbow make my IEP 6 fretless with lines. I don't need them under normal circumstances, but there has been a couple of times when I really couldn't hear myself that I was glad I had them.

I would say that if I recorded my bass and the exact same bass without lines the above know-it-all wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Oh. And Jaco had lines. But what did he know?

I did. A '76 P w/ an "A" neck that I think started life as fretless and was fretted (I think the neck year may be a year or 2 older due to the script of the fender logo).
The side marker dots appear where the frets are, and the fretboard dot inlays aren't perfectly aligned in the middle, leading me to believe this.

The neck is pretty worn-in & is in fact a very smooth player...and my go to.

That's the one point I was going to mention.

On a fretless, side marker dots are usually placed right AT the point where a fret would be. On fretted basses, the side marker dots appear BETWEEN the frets.

There are exceptions, but this is mostly the case.