Do Fretless Exist without a Burst Finish?

[Tim Skaggs]

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.

If you stick with it long enough, you will start looking at basses a little more with your ears & hands, and the sea of amber won’t be much more noticeable than black tires on vehicles. Playability and sound / tone weigh heavier with playing time. Color becomes somewhat less important (not zero, but less) the moment you pick up a bass that plays great and also sounds how you expect / desire it to sound.

Also, try throwing in a color or finish description along with your searches for “fretless” for a new experience…..

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Donny Benet is AWESOME. Don’t sleep on him.

Fender occasionally makes a fretless in an interesting color. I picked this one up and have enjoyed it

 

[darwin-bass]

G&L but probably over $2k new. My Warmth parts cost over $1k. Red body, ebony unlined board. No pics because I am waiting for shipping.

 

[GTHintz]

Not gonna lie, hipsters have as much fault in why burst and tort and anything retro or vintage like is still so popular. The amount of pichuli oil and the same thrift store attire just makes me question humanity. I don't even blame boomers so much because it was cool and edgy back in 1975 but the kids who are thinking they are so cool in their dad's old stuff are who I don't get. Classy and elegant is where it's at and if it happens to be something that's been around that's fine but seeing like a Warwick Corvette or Ibanez SR or something similar with burst and the ugliest pickguard in the world just looks tacky. This could be its own thread too but I get what the op is saying though.

 

[lyralain]

If you stick with it long enough, you will start looking at basses a little more with your ears & hands, and the sea of amber won’t be much more noticeable than black tires on vehicles.

Sure. Between guitars, & now basses I've almost consistently gravitated towards Ibanez instruments as their necks almost universally feel right in my small hands, even on extended range instruments. Feel of an instrument is by far the most important parameter for me.

Sound, so long as its passable, is a secondary or tertiary thing. I'm not too hung up on specific hardware & it can be replaced with other pickups in the right form factor. Tones can always be massaged into sounding different with the right processing, though it is nice to have something that's perfect right out of the bass. It's really just a matter of it not sounding way out of wack / being able to be set up on the acoustic side of the instrument.

Inevitability I may end up with a mirror shiny burst-covered instrument because it has the right sound & feel for me, at a price I can afford. It's a balancing act really. If something feels & sounds amazing but looks hideous it's a real long think on if I want to put up with it or get it redone. If something looks amazing but feels & sounds awful, it's a no-go.

That all said- I made this thread because I've seen a lack of fretless basses being made today that aren't that, and it's really not my aesthetic preference. I'm riding off of having recently got an Ibanez EHB1005MS which really has it all- the playability, the balance & weight, the eclectic looks, a decent sound. In the fretted world there are so many options like this for someone to find an instrument that suits them but it just seems there's a dearth of aesthetic variety for fretless basses being made.

 

[lyralain]

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.

Progress of humanity relies not on unquestioning acceptance of the traditions of elders, but rather in having a critical eye towards the wisdom they provide & keeping what works but discarding what doesn't.

Such as sunburst finishes.

 

[pingvuiini]

I like my fretless uke bass.

 

[lyralain]

I like my fretless uke bass.

not what I'm personally after, but by far the coolest instrument posted in this thread. I wanna hear it!

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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?

Hey, watch t that “Boomer Comment”. Some of us are kind of sensitive about that sort of stuff. We still have feelings ya know... LOL!!!

But as one stuck in a rut, ( I’m still playing a black PB with a tort), I hear you. Some variety would be nice. How about one of those 70’s relic’d basses selling for oh, $3 grand+

 

[PennyroyalWe]

Nothing is lamer than trying to look cool.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Donny Benet is AWESOME. Don’t sleep on him.

Fender occasionally makes a fretless in an interesting color. I picked this one up and have enjoyed it View attachment 4708230

Dang that is sweet!

 

[fdeck]

Boomer here.

 

[bobyoung53]

I like my Boomerglo fretless 4003FL Ric too:

 

[captainofsmooth]

Is 34 Boomer now? Most of mine are sunburst… including my fretless

 

[bobyoung53]

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.
View attachment 4708129

Boomerburst! You just coined a phase.

 

[sawzalot]

 

[truand85]

Progress of humanity relies not on unquestioning acceptance of the traditions of elders, but rather in having a critical eye towards the wisdom they provide & keeping what works but discarding what doesn't.

Such as sunburst finishes.

Or skunk stripe hair styles.

Welcome to boomertown. Have a lime with your Corona.

 

[perfektspace6]

Ok, I've got it. The Ibanez GWB35 Gary Willis Sig. Under 1K but it's all black. Five string so maybe that disqualifies but the string spacing looks pretty narrow. You said, no metalhead black but it doesn't look like a metal bass to me. I thought it came in a natural finish as well but it would be brown and thus not in line with your parameters.

I don't think your color/finish preference is off base. If you like the aesthetic of a bass you will want to play it more. Fair enough.

As for the boomer comment, I thought it was funny and light-hearted. Come on folks, give the younger generation the benefit of the doubt!

 

[eastcoasteddie]

Do fretless basses with actually fun, vibrant finishes, or natural finishes over really characterful wood, exist? Especially do they exist under $1k?

No.

Mine is boring clear over boring wood….but I like it that way.
(But I have a vibrant bedspread)

Cost me about $800 to put together using a Squier body, Warmoth neck, and cobbled-together quality pickups & electronics. You can probably do the same with a Warmoth-finished Vibrant color body for about $1k to $1200.

 

[BBQisgood]

“Old millennial” checking in here.

String instruments have been the color of wood more than 2500 years before boomers were born.

There’s lighthearted and good-humored jokes about boomers and then there are other things that are less savory. I hope that’s (lighthearted and kind) where this is headed as well, but as it stands, it’s hard to tell.