Fretless Fenders - WTH....

[AlexanderB]

So a search for "fretless" in the Swedish Fender page generates four basses, Am Pro II Jazz, MIM Standard Jazz, Tony Franklin, and Squier Jazz.
I am not intersted in the unlined, P/J TF, so one of the other it would be. They all come in 3TS, and the MIM also comes in white. That's it, in terms of finishes.

I have followed Fender for decades, and this is the worst I have seen. ONE COLOR?

 

[Gorn]

I don’t think there’s much demand from the general bass playing public for fretless Fenders, despite their popularity here.

 

[ruju]

Look at other brands.

 

[Sean150]

In North America the Am Pro 2 Fretless also comes in Dark Night which looks awesome. Those choices are pretty limited though. I love PJs and Blue so I personally went with the TF.

Maybe they are trying to force people to Mod Shop; which would be fine if they shipped out side of the US.

 

[luciens]

Agree. I'm surprised Fender makes any fretlesses. The Tony Franklin seems to be a good seller, though, for reasons that are beyond me. By that I mean, even robbers don't steal unlined fretless basses out your house. But apparently more nutcases than just me buy Tony Franklins (I have 2), so, go figure....

I will say, despite Fender's QC issues, the TF and the Jaco Artist are two of the best basses Fender makes (I have 2 Jacos also).

Otherwise, I have no idea why Fender continues to offer FL's, from a pure monetary standpoint. The lined Jazz fretlesses stay in stock and stay in stock and stay in stock some more at Sweetwater for example.

But that's the world of FL. You're kind of a leper colony as an FL player where the fretted guys don't go near you . If you play fretted, of course, the world is your oyster. Even I finally bought one not too long ago and I love it too

L

....

 

[AlexanderB]

Good replies.
The thing is, they have otherwise (as long as I can remember) always offered a black Jazz. Now it is bordering ridiculous, just 3TS, the most "meh" option there is, in my opinion.

 

[EitherOr]

If you are interested in the player series I see loaded bodies and separate necks often still with tuners on eBay. You could pick up a fretless jazz neck and then whatever player series body (jazz, precision, whatever color). Not as easy as going to the shop, but not too hard. All you would have to do is bolt on the neck and set it up.

 

[AlexanderB]

Thanks, but with Fender's totally random QC, buying a complete instrument ( with return policy) is the only way for me. Seen to many sub-par Fenders to gamble on a fretless, "once in a life time" purchase.

 

[gln1955]

Look at other brands.

For not much more than that Am Pro, you can enter the realm of some good semi-custom builders who will make the Jazz you want.

 

[BAG]

Thanks, but with Fender's totally random QC, buying a complete instrument ( with return policy) is the only way for me. Seen to many sub-par Fenders to gamble on a fretless, "once in a life time" purchase.

If it's a once in a life time purchase then you might be better acquiring a good fretless neck, possibly second hand, and a separate body of whatever style you like. If you're not confident of putting it all together well get a luthier to do so. You have more chance of this ending up as a good playing, well set up bass than buying new.

In Australia an Am Pro Jazz Fretless goes for around $3300. A few years ago when I was wanting to get into fretless I bought a mid 80's MIJ Pbass with fretless Warmoth jazz neck for around $580 Aussie dollars, which puts it in the cost region of a Squier Affinity. The neck was badly worn with many holes in the headstock from previous tuners, two of the neck mounting holes were stripped and the finish was horrible. I had the fingerboard leveled and epoxied (the fingerboard rosewood was way too soft for a fretless), all the holes were filled and the whole thing was refinished. All that cost me $500 which meant my cheap fretless was now quite a bit more expensive (and my wife was not happy with me). BUT, all up it cost me less than a third of a new Am Pro Fender and the work done was amazing. More care was put into that one neck than anything other than a Custom Shop bass would get from the Fender factory.

 

[TrevorG]

Maybe they are trying to force people to Mod Shop; which would be fine if they shipped out side of the US.

It's definitely how they get people to go to other companies for exactly what they want anywhere they want. I'd kill for the APII mercury Jazz with 21 frets but I own't get it from Fender.

 

[skycruiser]

Agree. I'm surprised Fender makes any fretlesses. The Tony Franklin seems to be a good seller, though, for reasons that are beyond me. By that I mean, even robbers don't steal unlined fretless basses out your house. But apparently more nutcases than just me buy Tony Franklins (I have 2), so, go figure....

I will say, despite Fender's QC issues, the TF and the Jaco Artist are two of the best basses Fender makes (I have 2 Jacos also).

Otherwise, I have no idea why Fender continues to offer FL's, from a pure monetary standpoint. The lined Jazz fretlesses stay in stock and stay in stock and stay in stock some more at Sweetwater for example.

But that's the world of FL. You're kind of a leper colony as an FL player where the fretted guys don't go near you . If you play fretted, of course, the world is your oyster. Even I finally bought one not too long ago and I love it too

L

View attachment 4105596 ....

I just bought my first fretless, a white player from Sweetwater. I was keeping an eye on the stock and they apparently sold 4 of them in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Looks they are not having trouble selling them right now.

 

[ThomasGeist]

After seeing Remco Hendriks playing a fretless Cortex bass with maple fingerboard I totally fell in love with fretless maple fingerboards!

So I looked around some which brought me to ... Sire fretless which are available with maple fretboards. Just look at this beauty!

I have never played a Sire but the common consensus seems to be that they are great quality, especially for the price. These are available as 4 and 5 string and in many cool colors.

 

[skycruiser]

After seeing Remco Hendriks playing a fretless Cortex bass with maple fingerboard I totally fell in love with fretless maple fingerboards!

So I looked around some which brought me to ... Sire fretless which are available with maple fretboards. Just look at this beauty!

View attachment 4106448

I have never played a Sire but the common consensus seems to be that they are great quality, especially for the price. These are available as 4 and 5 string and in many cool colors.

I would have gone for a V7 over the Fender Player if Sweetwater carried Sire basses. Lot of nice features at that price point.

 

[Wambemando]

I blame The Fretless Fad of 2020...

 

[skycruiser]

I blame The Fretless Fad of 2020...

View attachment 4106547

Or a neck swap in 2021! That's what I keep telling myself - if I don't get anything out of the fretless I can fairly easily swap the neck.

 

[Killing Floor]

If basses are maybe 7% of their sales and fretless are maybe 5% of that slice how many colors would you offer if you were the product manager responsible for the profitability? If I’m doing the math correctly in my head they’re making probably 35-40 fretless basses for 10,000 guitars.
I am a fretless bass player with Fender fretless basses and if this were my job I’d cancel the product or significantly increase the price and offer it in 1 color or custom shop only. Let’s assume Fender probably loses money when they sell a fretless except for premium models.

 

[AlexanderB]

If basses are maybe 7% of their sales and fretless are maybe 5% of that slice how many colors would you offer if you were the product manager responsible for the profitability? If I’m doing the math correctly in my head they’re making probably 35-40 fretless basses for 10,000 guitars.
I am a fretless bass player with Fender fretless basses and if this were my job I’d cancel the product or significantly increase the price and offer it in 1 color or custom shop only. Let’s assume Fender probably loses money when they sell a fretless except for premium models.

Fender has a big mark-up in general, and especially in the more "premium" MIA models.
Why would you assume Fender is not making any money on the MIA Jazz Fretless? The body is the exact same they are churning out by the thousands, and while the neck is partially different, it is not more complex to manufacture. Given the 50% increase in price in the last 6-7 years, they are making good money on the MIA Fretless as well.
Point in case is that the (raw) neck from the MIM Fretless Jazz can be purchased from several vendors, and costs around €270-300, which is less than a third of the price of the whole bass.

 

[AlexanderB]

If it's a once in a life time purchase then you might be better acquiring a good fretless neck, possibly second hand, and a separate body of whatever style you like. If you're not confident of putting it all together well get a luthier to do so. You have more chance of this ending up as a good playing, well set up bass than buying new.

In Australia an Am Pro Jazz Fretless goes for around $3300. A few years ago when I was wanting to get into fretless I bought a mid 80's MIJ Pbass with fretless Warmoth jazz neck for around $580 Aussie dollars, which puts it in the cost region of a Squier Affinity. The neck was badly worn with many holes in the headstock from previous tuners, two of the neck mounting holes were stripped and the finish was horrible. I had the fingerboard leveled and epoxied (the fingerboard rosewood was way too soft for a fretless), all the holes were filled and the whole thing was refinished. All that cost me $500 which meant my cheap fretless was now quite a bit more expensive (and my wife was not happy with me). BUT, all up it cost me less than a third of a new Am Pro Fender and the work done was amazing. More care was put into that one neck than anything other than a Custom Shop bass would get from the Fender factory.

Good it worked for you, but what you describe has nothing to do with purchasing a new, "premium", completed instrument, in my choise of color, being able to try it (and send back, if needed).
I already have a luthier made five string fretless fiver, which was even more expensive, and that I do not like, and that I am now unable to sell, even with at a great loss. Lose-lose-lose.

 

[BAG]

Good it worked for you, but what you describe has nothing to do with purchasing a new, "premium", completed instrument, in my choise of color, being able to try it (and send back, if needed).
I already have a luthier made five string fretless fiver, which was even more expensive, and that I do not like, and that I am now unable to sell, even with at a great loss. Lose-lose-lose.

More than fair reasoning. I got the impression you hadn't thought along those lines.... but it sounds like you've been there anyway.