Do Fretless Exist without a Burst Finish?

[lyralain]

While my fretted bass is currently away, I've been writing basslines on a computer & have been realizing I'd really love to have a fretless.

Problem is, almost all of the fretless basses I can find are 'sunburst' this and 'brown burst' that. Warm reds, oranges & browns abound; godawful high-gloss topcoats, cheesy dated pickguards, it's all there. I presume this is because most fretless players out there haven't progressed past where they were 30-40 years ago. The few exceptions seem to be either 'boring metalhead black' or 'natural finish over boring wood'.

Do fretless basses with actually fun, vibrant finishes, or natural finishes over really characterful wood, exist? Especially do they exist under $1k? If not, what's the best course of action- defretting & adjusting the string height of a bass that actually looks good, or going in on a cheaper fretless & getting it refinished?

Moderator edit: After some discussion with the OP, the decision was made to edit the thread title to reflect the actual intent of the finish search.

 

[yankeeblues]

Kiesel and Sandberg have tons of cool finish options in their online configurators for you to experiment with. You may be able to find a used Kiesel for around $1000, but premium finishes will usually have a premium price. I own a fretted Sandberg and have a fretted headless Kiesel on order (I love being able to choose exactly what I want and don't want). The Sandberg is the best bass I have ever owned, can't speak on the value of the Kiesel until its delivered.


Not mine - but this is a nice example of what you can order from Kiesel.

 

[J Posega]

Depends on what features you want besides finish. You could always get a fretless neck from Warmoth.

 

[lyralain]

You could always get a fretless neck from Warmoth.

Is there a reason to do this over, say, stealing one off a Harley Benton for cheaper

 

[GTHintz]

While my fretted bass is currently away, I've been writing basslines on a computer & have been realizing I'd really love to have a fretless.

Problem is, almost all of the fretless basses I can find are 'sunburst' this and 'brown burst' that. Warm reds, oranges & browns abound; godawful high-gloss topcoats, cheesy dated pickguards, it's all there. I presume this is because most fretless players out there haven't progressed past were they were 30-40 years ago. The few exceptions seem to be either 'boring metalhead black' or 'natural finish over boring wood'.

Do fretless basses with actually fun, vibrant finishes, or natural finishes over really characterful wood, exist? Especially do they exist under $1k? If not, what's the best course of action- defretting & adjusting the string height of a bass that actually looks good, or going in on a cheaper fretless & getting it refinished?

A lot depends on what bass you're looking at. Fender and the fender offshoots typically stick to the tried and true colors that sell the most. Something I would really steer you towards is to find something you really bond with from a feel and tone perspective and if you don't like the color you can always change it. I'm going through a similar dilemma on my fretless. See the natural color bass in my profile pic. I'm still thinking about what color I'd like to make it. A cool blue, purple, or red semi transparent stain or something like that would look awesome. Personally I would look at the fretless Ibanez portamento and see what you think. If you like the Sr body style and the neck and tone works for you then I'd paint it however you want. Or get a fretless neck and put it on a matching body and you'll have more options as well. The more I get into mods and tinkering the more new options I see that most people would never think about because they are too scared to expiriment. Best of luck and hope you find something you like.

 

[GTHintz]

this Warwick streamer 5string looks freaking beautiful in the blue stain.

 

[Jeff Scott]

...almost all of the fretless basses I can find are 'sunburst' this and 'brown burst' that.

You need to get out more.

 

[5andFretless]

You need to get out more.

I have to agree. When I bought my TF 3 years ago I could find every color of the rainbow except what I wanted, which in my profile pic. I had to go to Orlando to find it.

 

[two fingers]

80s Fender Jazz Bass Special basses can be found for less than this. They come in several brighter colors. I've even seen a hot pink one. This one is over priced in my view. I would offer lower and see if the seller takes it. They are ridiculously well made basses.

Fender Jazz Bass Special Fretless 1986 Metallic Red With Case Consignment Fender Jazz Bass Special Fretless 1986 Metallic Red With Case Consignment | Reverb

 

[Skeezix]

Hmmm....

 

[Snert]

I would just like to point out that the term 'Boomer' is an ageist pejorative.






And should be used a lot more to describe some of those 50s Edsel looking 3TS and PG instruments.

Signed,
Nearly a Boomer

 

[lyralain]

You need to get out more.

I can't go outside, the trees are still getting it on and it makes me sneeze too much.

I can go on Reverb, Guitar Center, Thomann etc., search by fretless, and view a sea of amber finishes, though.

 

[theduke1]

My two
Duke

 

[mikeswals]

View attachment 4708071this Warwick streamer 5string looks freaking beautiful in the blue stain.

Except that's not under the 1k or less price OP budget

 

[GTHintz]

Except that's not under the 1k or less price OP budget

I know but it shows that sleek basses can also be fretless. I've seen really nice refinishing work that didn't cost too much.

 

[bobyoung53]

I love my Boomerburst TF Franklin:

 

[J Posega]

Is there a reason to do this over, say, stealing one off a Harley Benton for cheaper

You get a whole variety of different wood options, finishes, and inlays, as well as choice of neck width and profile, headstock shape, and number of positions.

 

[lyralain]

My two

That is a gorgeous finish on the green one. Similar with a lighter color might be my style.

 

[GTHintz]

That is a gorgeous finish on the green one. Similar with a lighter color might be my style.

If you could find a music man sterling or sub line bass in fretless they are usually good basses that you have a lot of room to mod and paint on. Honestly stingray basses are always an excellent choice. That g&l is amazing too and if you can find a used one for under a grand it would be one of the most versatile basses out there. I mention stingray basses because they are very similar to the g&l bass pictured.

 

[Pings Bass]

I'm not a boomer, but I love my boomer burst. I'm not a metal head, but I love my boring metal head black.