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Fretless Stingrays

Is there ANY option to buy a new Unlined Fretless Stingray 5 neck anywhere in the world?
I basically have a similar issue; I have a fretless Sterling Ray34 that was converted to fretless by installing a Status graphite neck:
emUTObO.jpg

I love it, especially with the Nordstrand pickup I installed a while back. I would, however, like to have a wood neck on it someday. But yeah. Hm. I'm now thinking of just having one made.
 
If you can locate a regular 5 string neck , you can always have it defretted.

Or perhaps just purchase a used StingRay5 of your choice and have it defretted.

Neither of which lead to an unlined fingerboard, unfortunately. IMHO it really is narrow-minded, bordering on arrogant, for leading brands to not offer unlined fretless options across the standard production range. And no, I don't want a TF (or any other) Precision, thanks.
 
While I love the Stingrays and Sterlings basses, not a big fan of their fretless basses. Those basses are awesome funk power houses, but in my opinion don't really lend themselves to a good fretless tone. I had a Sterling (prefer the thinner neck) fretless, ended up selling it because of the tone. Again in my opinion, but Jazz type basses sound better as a fretless.

played on a pre eb fretless stingray once, it really doesn’t have much mwah sound to it, not much at all. but it is one of the deepest and bassist tones you can get, for some reason the stingray pickup is much more low frequency heavy on a fretless neck. Like insanely so. I’d imagine a two pickup stingray or a Sabre fretless would actually be too bassy lol
 
you selling the old pre by chance?! Really love those 80s preamps and wanna convert my 3eq to a 2eq

Sorry, not a chance.

That said, the East preamps come very very close. The 3-band East preamp is essentially the same as the 2-band with the addition of a totally independent semi-parametric mid filter. You can get a 4-knob version that will drop right into your 3-band plate without leaving an empty hole. If you want the traditional interactive 2-band sound you just set the cut/boost of the mids to centre (flat) and it is right there.
 
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Sorry, not a chance.

That said, the East preamps come very very close. The 3-band East preamp is essentially the same as the 2-band with the addition of a totally independent semi-parametric mid filter. You can get a 4-knob version that will drop right into your 3-band plate without leaving an empty hole. If you want the traditional interactive 2-band sound you just set the cut/boost of the mids to centre (flat) and it is right there.
figured it was a no lol. I think the 3eq and 2eq have a different eq curve at max bass and mass treble and I think the best way to get the 3eq to sound like a 2eq with both maxed is actually slightly cutting the mids by just a hair, that way the bass and treble peak as much as they do on the 2eq.

I’m gonna try to build a replica of the tantalum capped 2 bander when I get the time and install that in there
 
I used to have a 2002 fretless exactly like my 2000 model with piezo, same transparent gold with matching headstock. That was my second fretless StingRay, which I replaced with the piezo one just weeks after I got it. The 2002 was actually in Like New condition when I bought it off eBay from a guy in Texas, I think. When it arrived and I opened the case, I could not believe he'd sold it to me, especially at that price. This was some 18-20 years ago, and I paid $1000 plus shipping for it.

I only played it a few times, because like I said, I found my current piezo model about two weeks later, and that was the one feature I didn't have. I happened to have the money at the time, so I went for it, and it's the best impulse purchase I've ever made. I don't ever want to buy a bass without piezo ever again, but sadly, Music Man discontinued all piezo instruments in 2015.

I really hope it made the the guy from NYC who bought it from me a few years later, right before Christmas, after a previous eBay winning bidder flaked out on me. incredibly happy. I had originally intended to keep it and set it up in an alternate tuning, but I really needed the money at the time, and since I'd got the piezo and fell in love with it, I let the non-piezo model go. I don't remember the chap's name, but I really hope he gigged the hell out of that bass, because it was superb, and still in showroom new condition when I sold it on.

In 2012, I sold my 1992 Fender Jazz Bass Plus V, my first bass and my main bass for 18 years. Since then, I've not owned a fretted bass, and I really need one. Now I wish I'd kept that 2002 and got a fretted Status neck for it. The prices of new USA made instruments have gone through the roof, and I'm old enough now that my idea of "affordable" is still stuck about 20 years behind the times. 20 years ago, you could still pick up a used StingRay in mint condition for $800-1000 USD. Now, they are double that.
 
I used to have a 2002 fretless exactly like my 2000 model with piezo, same transparent gold with matching headstock. That was my second fretless StingRay, which I replaced with the piezo one just weeks after I got it. The 2002 was actually in Like New condition when I bought it off eBay from a guy in Texas, I think. When it arrived and I opened the case, I could not believe he'd sold it to me, especially at that price. This was some 18-20 years ago, and I paid $1000 plus shipping for it.

I only played it a few times, because like I said, I found my current piezo model about two weeks later, and that was the one feature I didn't have. I happened to have the money at the time, so I went for it, and it's the best impulse purchase I've ever made. I don't ever want to buy a bass without piezo ever again, but sadly, Music Man discontinued all piezo instruments in 2015.

I really hope it made the the guy from NYC who bought it from me a few years later, right before Christmas, after a previous eBay winning bidder flaked out on me. incredibly happy. I had originally intended to keep it and set it up in an alternate tuning, but I really needed the money at the time, and since I'd got the piezo and fell in love with it, I let the non-piezo model go. I don't remember the chap's name, but I really hope he gigged the hell out of that bass, because it was superb, and still in showroom new condition when I sold it on.

In 2012, I sold my 1992 Fender Jazz Bass Plus V, my first bass and my main bass for 18 years. Since then, I've not owned a fretted bass, and I really need one. Now I wish I'd kept that 2002 and got a fretted Status neck for it. The prices of new USA made instruments have gone through the roof, and I'm old enough now that my idea of "affordable" is still stuck about 20 years behind the times. 20 years ago, you could still pick up a used StingRay in mint condition for $800-1000 USD. Now, they are double that.
Thing about a 'Ray fretless is they either seem to get played a ton, or hardly at all, and it's with the latter situation I had the great luck with my current SR5. It looked like it had been played 10 times, and had not a scratch or a dent on it at all. It's a 199X, but plays and looks like new.
 
...
I think the 3eq and 2eq have a different eq curve at max bass and mass treble
...

True for the EBMM preamps, but I was talking about the John East replacements. John's '3-band' is the same as his 2-band with the addition of a fully independent mid module that is flat in the middle. John's 2-band is based on the late '70s MM design, but using 2 Op-Amps instead of 1. So with the 3-band you get a proper SR 2-band with added mid-module that can be tuned out.
 
I basically have a similar issue; I have a fretless Sterling Ray34 that was converted to fretless by installing a Status graphite neck:
emUTObO.jpg

I love it, especially with the Nordstrand pickup I installed a while back. I would, however, like to have a wood neck on it someday. But yeah. Hm. I'm now thinking of just having one made.
Well, this bass is getting its wood neck. Maple neck, ebony fingerboard, unlined, 3+1 headstock. No MM logo but the logo of the Dutch luthier who's building it for me. Got to pick out the piece of maple myself from about 5 pieces, and according to the luthier (who doesn't play games or think commercially) I picked the best sounding piece. Can't wait. Little bit of flame, very nice grain.
333018394_174623531999591_3489706561466506355_n.jpeg
 
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My Buttescotch ‘93 SR5 that I bought used in ‘93 while in Atlanta. Bought a Moses Graphite fretless 35” scale in ‘07 at NAMM. The pickguard was losing it’s tortoise wrap so I cut it back to what you see now. Ceramic p’up I believe. DR strings. Lots of love for this one. Tone coming off that neck always floors me with devine inspiration!
I still have the original birdseye & rosewood neck and a pricy ATA Flightcase for travel.
And I have a custom ordered Nordstrand Big Single p’up that I was going to install as a mid position too, but I just couldn’t get myself to do it. Perfect as is.
 

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Well, this bass is getting its wood neck. Maple neck, ebony fingerboard, unlined, 3+1 headstock. No MM logo but the logo of the Dutch luthier who's building it for me. Got to pick out the piece of maple myself from about 5 pieces, and according to the luthier (who doesn't play games or think commercially) I picked the best sounding piece. Can't wait. Little bit of flame, very nice grain.
View attachment 4999128
Completely forgot to post the finished product:
z1YVoJE.jpg

F5TBINT.jpg
 
As for tone, can anyone say Pino?

They do seem rare, which is sad. Pino's tone was a lot more influential on me than Jaco's, and I'd love to someday have an old fretless Ray.
Yeah, I agree. I hear Pino in my head more than Jaco for a fretless tone to go after. I don't mind th Jaco Artist fretless basses. They look fine and they have that sound, I'm just not sure it's the sound I want.
 
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