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Fretless - buy or build?

jefff100

jefff100

Supporting Member
Jan 23, 2010
3,938
13,623
Jersey Pine Barrens
#1
I've been toying with the idea of a fretless, possibly based off a jazz or variant.

How difficult to defret yourself? better off to shop for a fretless bass?

I have a Fender Aerodyne P/J that I don't play much any more, plays great but since I bought my Stingray the Fender sits in the closet. I think I might have pulled it out twice in the past 6 months. Fender needs a bridge, and the stock bridge is recessed into the body, making replacement a problem unless its a stock type.

I've also eyed an Ibanez SR1200 that's at a local shop used, with the big single Nordstrand pups. sounds great and I think it would make an awesome fretless. Maybe sell the fender to fund the ibby?

What would you all reccomend?
 
#3
I never gave much thought as to just buying a different neck for my Aerodyne. Just stumbled across your thread of your squire refinish, looks nice.

food for thought, while i've never refinished a guitar; i used to do a fair amount of woodworking, and after getting tired of using liquid stains for coloring and not having good control, I started using shoe polish. comes in a nice variety of colors and you can control it easily. rub it in light & buff it out before finishing. perhaps some of the serious refinishers might find fault with this, if its only a $100. squire I might give this a go.
 
#5
jefff100 said:
I never gave much thought as to just buying a different neck for my Aerodyne. Just stumbled across your thread of your squire refinish, looks nice.

food for thought, while i've never refinished a guitar; i used to do a fair amount of woodworking, and after getting tired of using liquid stains for coloring and not having good control, I started using shoe polish. comes in a nice variety of colors and you can control it easily. rub it in light & buff it out before finishing. perhaps some of the serious refinishers might find fault with this, if its only a $100. squire I might give this a go.
Click to expand...

Get ahold of Kevin from Krappy guitars (just a name, they're actually quite nice). I'm ordering one from him, and for a custom handbuilt instrument, I was amazed at what he's charging me.

PM me if you want some deets.
 
#6
Fretless, cheap? These two also bring WishBass to mind.

Krappy's a Jersey boy and not only is he a bargain but what he will make will astound you. Too many strings isn't in his vocabulary. Different is what he does. And he does it in his basement.

He's the wave of the future. Once all the big busnesses close it will be little guys working in their basements.
 

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