Do Fretless Exist without a Burst Finish?

[MD]

Perhaps something here might interest you...
The Fretless Club

 

[No Compute]

this has actually been a great help as I've always wanted a Starr Labs Ztar but they're egregiously costly. If I slap a microcontroller in this though...

But, then again, you'd be standing atop the shoulders of the Boomers who invented the microcontroller.

Sigh.

 

[Jim C]

"I presume this is because most fretless players out there haven't progressed past where they were 30-40 years ago."

Great idea; alienate older players that could teach you something.
Because it is obviously us that dictate what paint color bass manufacturers would use today.
Pretty color makes you play better? Imagine if Jaco had this stuff:

https://www.amazon.com/Dupli-Color-...la-570131654618&ref=&adgrpid=63195598478&th=1

 

[coy garcia]

The rogue fretless bass fits what you are looking for. They sound and play good and with all the money you save you can cover them with stickers or whatever non-boomer art you desire.
Now get off my lawn!

 

[mindwell]

Any color for unlined fretless as long as it's black.

 

[micguy]

Here's something you can make yourself, and it's not too far out of your budget:

 

[lyralain]

Sire might have a combination of model & finish in their catalogue that suits your taste.

Sire's offerings may actually be what I save for, they have a few flat finishes I like. Such as the Lake Placid Blue or Sherwood Green- which reveals that this threads theme of bursts being too dated has actually just been a ruse, given I just want 50s anachronism over 80s anachronism.

 

[red_rhino]

The sunburst thing never did much for me either. Do I have to surrender my Boomer Card now?

Found these in the first 3 pages of a quick search of the TB Classifieds, just checking the "fretless" box. All <=$1k. If you're feeling adventurous, there might be something here for you.

For Sale - PRICE DROP - G Spot Temptress Fretless

Nice midnight blue body. A bit "pointy", but that's not a bad thing.
For Sale - Carvin LB75 90-91 5-string Fretless Bass

Kinda kitchy.
For Sale - Blast Cult Magic 13 Medium Scale (32”) Fretless Bass

Already sold, but just to give you something to think about.
SOLD - Original 80's Japanese Fender Boxer Fretless

Love this one!
For Sale - Fretless 4 String Electric Bass - Blackout

Interesting.
For Sale - Carvin LB70PF fretless, active with piezo

Cool color. (Definitely not your boomer's blue. )
For Sale/Trade - G&L US franken-fretless (8.3lbs, 1.5" nut width)

 

[Jeff Elkins]

Seven of the first dozen unsold fless listings here in the classifieds appear, to me, to have non-“Boomer” finishes. Didn’t research the prices.

 

[Jeff Elkins]

The sunburst thing never did much for me either. Do I have to surrender my Boomer Card now?

Found these in the first 3 pages of a quick search of the TB Classifieds, just checking the "fretless" box. All <=$1k. If you're feeling adventurous, there might be something here for you.

For Sale - PRICE DROP - G Spot Temptress Fretless

Nice midnight blue body. A bit "pointy", but that's not a bad thing.
For Sale - Carvin LB75 90-91 5-string Fretless Bass

Kinda kitchy.
For Sale - Blast Cult Magic 13 Medium Scale (32”) Fretless Bass

Already sold, but just to give you something to think about.
SOLD - Original 80's Japanese Fender Boxer Fretless

Love this one!
For Sale - Fretless 4 String Electric Bass - Blackout

Interesting.
For Sale - Carvin LB70PF fretless, active with piezo

Cool color. (Definitely not your boomer's blue. )
For Sale/Trade - G&L US franken-fretless (8.3lbs, 1.5" nut width)

Doubled!

 

[lyralain]

Great idea; alienate older players that could teach you something.

It's all in good fun. I've been on a big Donny Benét kick recently, feel several people here could learn from him.

Pretty color makes you play better?

Yes actually, I've found I'm way more likely to pick up an instrument and practice if I like looking at it.

 

[Jim C]

Good thing you don't play piano

 

[Grizelda100]

Sire's offerings may actually be what I save for, they have a few flat finishes I like.

The necks are really great. To save money, maybe consider a V3 or V5 over a V7?

 

[Hasty]

Not necessarily in your budget, but I love the satin nitro finish on the Koa top.
I’ve had it for a few years now and it does everything I need it to… plus it’s really light.

 

[N4860]

That gold hardware is super sweet. Do they make these or were these defretted & refinished? Presumably way beyond what I can afford though.

Those both came from the factory like that, and yes, they would be expensive. Those are also not the greatest example as they are both 1 off basses for an endorsed EBMM artist. Music Man hasn't been offering fretless basses for a little while now except for a couple of limited runs. I have 1 of them but it is as you say, a boomer finish. I'm not usually a big fan of sunbursts either but I do like it on this bass:

The pink with gold hardware was offered as a limited batch (I think around 100 basses) but it was a fretted 4 string. I had to get one though, it simply looks amazing in person:

 

[prowla]

This partsblaster of mine is rather good.

 

[GWGuitar]

I might point out that sunburst and classic finishes hold their resale value. Just walk into a pawn shop and see the fluorescent green and tiger stripe Deans and Jacksons hanging on the wall for bargain basement prices. Those Eighties and early Nineties models look pretty dated today. Get whatever color pleases you, but the Boomer critics will one day occupy our place in society and see how the younger generation dismisses our experience. Life is a big circle and we all end up on the other side of it eventually if we are lucky to live long enough. I feel fortunate that I came up in a culture that taught me to respect older folks and see them as a source of wisdom. Such an approach benefited me throughout my life.

 

[BassFalcon]

This is a Sire V7 vintage. Just a hair over your $1k budget. I am not a boomer, and I don’t feel that the finish is representative of boomer-dom. It’s a semi transparent white, it’s even better in person. It’s so nice, that even though I actively dislike white basses, it was so striking I bought it anyway.

 

[jd56hawk]

Not sure if you're familiar with G&L, but you should check them out.

By the way, I've never owned a burst bass and I never will.

 

[RTL]

Boomer finishes? Bahahahaha

Anyway, here are my two. Neither were 1K, but they’re definitely cool colors!