Has anyone bought a fretless neck and put it on a P bass? I'm curious about this configuration. I have a MIM P and I would also like to try a fretless without a major cash outlay. Also I don't want a cheapie sitting around if I don't like it. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!!!!!
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Fretless P
- Thread starter MyMusic
- Start date
I've defretted a couple basses but never bought a replacement neck. This Mighty Mite looks tempting - would want to be clear on any position markings before buying though.
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It's not as common as it is with jazz basses but it's not unheard of. I've had a few fretless parts precisions. Tony Franklin plays a fretless PJ but often solos the P. It sounds great. There's a Squier fretless P for about $300 that's very good.
My main bass for a while was a parts P with an unlined fretless Warmoth neck. I loved it, and wish I still had it. Wonderful warm tone with the TI flats I used on it.
Never bought a neck for this purpose, but did defret a neck and bought a parts P-bass with an unlined fretless neck. I do not like lined fretless necks, although I have several basses with them. While playing, I doubt you would see the lines anyway; more important will be the positioning of any side markers you use. More important still will be the quality of the fingerboard and nut slot dressing, the amount of neck relief, and the height of the action.
I think your best bet is to purchase an after market fretless neck for your current bass, just to see if you are compatible with fretless. Look in the wants ads here, or look into companies like Warmoth, USA Custom, or Mighty Mite, All Parts, etc.
If you don't like it, you can sell the neck and be done with it.
If you do like it, you can exercise your options
Cheers
DiabolusInMusic
Functionless Art is Merely Tolerated Vandalism
The Squier VM Fretless line all have issues. Expect to do work if you want a great playing Squier VM Fretless. The VM P I had, for example, required the board levelled, the nut cut, and a HUGE shim just to get the thing in playing condition. While they don't all require the shim, they do all require the board levelling and nut cut in my experience. The stock pickups are alright but they are super hot and super bland.
Maybe all the ones you have had had issues. The ones I've owned or played have mostly been fine.
Does that answer your question? '78 fretless Fender P neck on a P/J routed MJT body. One of the best fretless basses I've ever played. BTW my first Fender was a 1980 fretless P, also blank plank, Fender didn't do lined fretless back then.
Juan Alderete swears by the fretless P, and so do I.
Fender's made them stock off and on since the 70, IIRC. MIA only, of course. I've have a couple of mid-90's fretless Ps that were pretty nice.
I have a custom fretless P from a local luthier currently, but it's been collecting dust since I got a doublebass.
Them's the breaks.
Fender's made them stock off and on since the 70, IIRC. MIA only, of course. I've have a couple of mid-90's fretless Ps that were pretty nice.
I have a custom fretless P from a local luthier currently, but it's been collecting dust since I got a doublebass.
Them's the breaks.
the mighty-mite, unlined, fretless, ebonol neck is fender-licensed as a P neck, i think. mine is/was.
I had a walnut bodied pbass built with a warmoth fretless neck. Originally went with a p/j setup but found myself wanting more versatility. Ended up sending it back to the builder and asking him to put a pair of j pickups in it (Bartolini). Now it’s been 2 years and I haven’t got it back. He’s family and a touring tech so I just have to wait it out.
I occasionally use just the neck pickup on my fretless, but I wouldn't put a fretless neck on a bass that only had a neck pickup - a large part of the sound I want from a fretless comes from a bridge pickup being somewhere in the mix. And I really need a hard fingerboard - epoxy at least, if not ebonol or ebonite.
The Mighty Mite fretless neck is decent - a large part of that being the ebonol fingerboard
The Mighty Mite fretless neck is decent - a large part of that being the ebonol fingerboard
That's a great point ... lots of people like that bridge-pickup fretless tone. I personally don't (I nearly always solo the neck pickup on any multi-pickup fretless I have), so I flat-out loved my fretless P, but OP - if you have that Jaco sort of tone, or other variety of bridge-pickup-oriented tone in mind, a "normal" fretless P won't do that.
Mighty Mite ebonol fretless neck on a poplar body and a Joe Barden pickup --- plays great and the neck wasn't expensive at all. It has the P bass neck profile that is very thin front to back and is not a baseball bat. The nut that came on it is rather soft material - one of these days I'll cut a bone nut for it. But I'm very pleased with how it feels and sounds.
In addition to the Warmoth and Mighty Mite recommendations, take a look at "thestratosphere" on ebay, reverb or their website. They sometime have used fretless necks available. Also, there's a seller on eBay, "postlang" who sells various unfinished and finished AllParts necks for Fender basses, including fretless.
I paired a '13 Jazz neck with a '16 Am Std Precision body a few years ago. That was an awesome bass...another I wish I still had.
I paired a '13 Jazz neck with a '16 Am Std Precision body a few years ago. That was an awesome bass...another I wish I still had.
devnulljp
Supporting Member
I have defretted 64 PBass, and its awesome.
Also a project that I haven't finished that's a 70s fretless P neck on a custom made body because the heel was so small it didn't fit properly in a regular body (I suspect someone shaved a bit off it at some point in its life).
Also a project that I haven't finished that's a 70s fretless P neck on a custom made body because the heel was so small it didn't fit properly in a regular body (I suspect someone shaved a bit off it at some point in its life).
