Fretless-p, j, or pj?

[LowDownHawkeye]

Right now playing out is playing with a praise and worship band, usually on drums but occasionally bass. I love the sound of a fretless, and I'm considering a fretless some time this year, but not sure which type is right. I have a fretted pj with chromes and a fretted double humbucker with rounds.

I can see getting a fretless Jazz, but also wonder whether it makes sense to get a fretless pj or just p and sometime in the future get a fretted jazz. Anyone lived through a similar decision and want to share your experience/opinion? The budget would allow for at most one this year and probably not another until several years pass.

 

[bassicallyjustin]

I have a fretless Jazz bass and it has great tones, but for a praise and worship band depending on what yall are playing it may not have the best tones. I get great tones for mine but that's mainly for jazz stuff, specifically Weather Report stuff. But if you really want a fretless, even though they say not to, put some round wounds on it and you can get some great tones. But play a bunch of different basses before you decide on one!

 

[David Jayne]

I would say that whichever type is your favorite as fretted would be your best choice for a fretless. The fretless Jazz bass is arguably 'the' iconic fretless sound, but I'm all about the fretless P sound personally.

 

[JMarsh]

I would say that whichever type is your favorite as fretted would be your best choice for a fretless. The fretless Jazz bass is arguably 'the' iconic fretless sound, but I'm all about the fretless P sound personally.

This. I have a frankenstein P/J fretless and I almost always have the bridge volume backed off quite a bit. My two working basses are both Precisions.

 

[Marial]

Currently using j pick ups in my fretless Jazz, but I've seen a couple of demos of Aguilar's soap bars and I'm really digging their tone. I may get a Warmoth Jazz body routed for soap bars at some point and give them a go. Besides, then I can try Barts and other types of soap bars down the road. That would be new tonal world to explore.

All that said, it's hard to beat the sound of a fretless Jazz (can be done with a fretless Zon or Pedulla, of course).

 

[G On Bass]

I'm a P/J fan. Combines a cool, full fretless P sound while still having access to that mwah-y farty/burpy tone that a lot of folks (not so much me) like from the J pickup. A P/H is even better: no noise!