Fretless P-basses...?

[humpdebump]

Didn't JPJ use one live? I believe you can hear it the album How The West Was Won.

 

[thewho443]

Yes he did. You can find info on it here: Link Removed

 

[J. Crawford]

If JPJ used one..

 

[basschick22]

Here is mine. It's a '72 or '73...I haven't checked under the pickups yet. The neck didn't have anything legible on it except that it's stamped "SPECIAL" in green on the back of the butt end of the neck. Pot dates are from 11/'72 (I changed from a white pickguard to the tortoiseshell)

 

[JohnnyPustular]

My bass teacher (c. 1980/81ish) had two of them. He didn't seem to notice that there were no frets (he was the second call bassist in Detroit- had some skills).

 

[thewho443]

Made this from a Warmouth neck made of wenge/ebony and a tele body made of ash and zebrawood from a guy named Eric on ebay (he makes a lot of bodies, good stuff). Sounds great but weighs about 15lbs.

 

[Paul New]

Actually, Fender offered a fretless Precision as part of their American Standard line in the late 90's. These were alder body, with lined rosewood fingerboard. I have one.

Another place to hear a fretless p is classic Bad Company. Boz Burrel (RIP) played one, studio and live

 

[rjny36]

Actually, Fender offered a fretless Precision as part of their American Standard line in the late 90's. These were alder body, with lined rosewood fingerboard. I have one.

+1 ... I just bought a fretless American Standard Precision from '95 from another TB'er.

 

[BassyBill]

Thats awesome... but you cant get anymore of an ironic statement than "fretless precision".

That depends on the player.

I love the sound of a fretless P myself. Link Removed shows our Percy (Jones) off at his very best. I love his later stuff on Wal basses, too, but the P bass tone on this track is to die for, imo. There's a great solo a couple of minutes in.

 

[experimental bassist]

Here is mine. It's a '72 or '73...I haven't checked under the pickups yet. The neck didn't have anything legible on it except that it's stamped "SPECIAL" in green on the back of the butt end of the neck. Pot dates are from 11/'72 (I changed from a white pickguard to the tortoiseshell)

Bee-yoo-tee-ful !!!

 

[toad_style]

My '72:

A fretless P is a sweet tone.

I am having a hard time typing with all the drool on my keyboard. This is literally everything I want in my next bass. Starting with the bottom strap button, ending with the all the bootys that thing shakes and has shaken, and everything in between.

You are blessed.

 

[franchelB]

They came out in 1970.

I'm in the middle of reading "American Basses" by Jim Roberts right now, and he wrote about Fender's parent company(CBS)' "ironic development...since the Precision name originally referred to the presence of frets."

FWIW, my bass has a P bass body with a Jazz fretless neck...

 

[wateroftyne]

Nice!

Fretless P's are very underappreciated...

They can sound very URB-y, IMO. Here's what mine sounds like:



[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[lpdeluxe]

Ishibashi was selling new Japan-market natural ash/unlined naolke fingerboard Ps, but by the time I got some money together, Fender told them they could sell only to the local market. So I built one: it's the natural ash Standard FSR that MF was selling, with a maple Warmoth unlined fretless neck. I actually made up a decal that says "Fender Imprecision Bass" but I've never put it on.

The bass was $450, the neck about $300, tuners etc another $80 or so.

 

[pbass62]

I had a 76 Sunburst/ RW fretboard fretless P. If there is one major regret in my life. I sold it to a Lawyer in Columbia SC . Idiot me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Chef]

Thanks!
I do a lot of double bass/ bluegrass work.
They pretty well tripped when I showed up with this one day, then, they heard it with the group and completely changed their minds.

This week, when I brought the Wendler, they were completely open to it...

I am having a hard time typing with all the drool on my keyboard. This is literally everything I want in my next bass. Starting with the bottom strap button, ending with the all the bootys that thing shakes and has shaken, and everything in between.

You are blessed.

 

[rjny36]

Here's the '95 MIA Fretless Precision I just bought on TB... should be here on Wednesday! I can hardly wait for it!

It's to go along with its sister, the '95 MIA Fretted Precision that I've had since new.

 

[Gries Amps]

My '71

 

[Chef]

is that f/b lacquered, or, is that just 'the flash?"

btw: neat amps page mate!

 

[Gries Amps]

I had Mike Pedulla do the same polyester finish that he puts on his Buzz basses, probably in '82. It has held up very well, although I pretty much stopped playing this one about 10 years ago.