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Essex P + Warmoth Fretless Neck = Fretless P?

R

rabid_granny

Jan 20, 2002
1,369
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Vancouver, BC, Canada
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#1
I have been kicking around the idea of getting a fretless for practice and fun. I figure it's better to start learning fretless now rather than later. Since I like the Precision tone more than the Jazz, I was thinking of getting an Essex P and getting a replacement fretless neck and some replacement pickups.

Anyone know how a fretless Precision sounds? I've only tried a Jaco Jazz replica at the store.

Can anyone recommend some inexpensive (and passive, if possible) fretless basses that are worth investigating?
 
#7
You also may want to make sure that the Warmoth neck fits into the Essex neck joint properly. I think I read something on the Essex megathread about someone trying to do something similar, and found that Essex and Fender have different measurements for things like pickguard holes, and neck sockets.
 
#8
Originally posted by lonote49
I'll net if you checked all the usual used gear places, I bet you would find a used Peavey Foundation fretless somewhere for less than $200. I suggest this because they're cheap, readily available and they sound really good. Plus if you didn't like it, you'd easily get your investment back.
Click to expand...

Are you referring to internet used gear places? I'm still skeptical about purchasing gear without playing them first.
 
#9
i was thinking the same thing today,i too made a frett-less p-bass and really dont like it as much as a j/bass,the sounds just not the same. i'm not saying i dont like it,it just does'nt have the 'J/BASS GROWL" its a good p-bass and i'm sorry i de-fretted it, now i know why the j/bass is the frett-less of choice:mad:
 
#10
Originally posted by jive1
You also may want to make sure that the Warmoth neck fits into the Essex neck joint properly. I think I read something on the Essex megathread about someone trying to do something similar, and found that Essex and Fender have different measurements for things like pickguard holes, and neck sockets.
Click to expand...

That was me. I wanted to put my MIM Jazz neck on the SX P, but it was different. The neck was very loose in the pocket, and the frets didn't line up properly (the last fret was farther from the end of the fretboard, moving the frets farther away from the bridge).
 
#11
Originally posted by BONZOBASS
i was thinking the same thing today,i too made a frett-less p-bass and really dont like it as much as a j/bass,the sounds just not the same. i'm not saying i dont like it,it just does'nt have the 'J/BASS GROWL" its a good p-bass and i'm sorry i de-fretted it, now i know why the j/bass is the frett-less of choice:mad:
Click to expand...

Actually, I like the P-bass tone more than the J-bass. I liked the sound sample posted by cjazz50 too.
 
#13
Hello All:

Just a suggestion: order a precision body, routed for two jazz bass pickups. That is exactly what i did and i love it. I called warmoth and they will cut almost anything. I dont like the offset waist of the jazz bass. Its asymetric shape is not good to look at, at least for me. In the other hand I love the strat shape of the p-bass.

Now, this is a fretless. And we all know that the growl is in the bridge pick-up. P-basses don´t have it. P-bass is cool with the frets, but without them there is no mid-high that we all love. So, fretless got to have two pickups.

Instead of ordering a P-J bass, you just could order a p-bass body, routed for p-bass in the neck, and j-bass in the bridge (or p-bass in the brigde if you want), and there is your perfect p-bass fretless.

While you are at it, order the warmoth neck. I recomend that you use a hardwood for your fretboard. Is one of those fretless things... for it to growl, the string needs to be vibrating against something harder than maple. Besides, the strings will eat the maple... well, they will eat the frets eventually... Fretboard wood of choice for more than 90 per cent of the fretless in the world: EBONY. It just sounds great, and it is so hard that even roundwounds wont eat it anytime fast.

Best regards,

Carlos Peña
 

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