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Fretless = WOW

F

ficalini

Aug 5, 2011
103
0
30
NW Houston
#1
Today i went with my friends to guitar center for about 3 and a half hours. of that time, i spent about three hours with an unlined fretless. I had never played a fretless before, and once i picked it up I thought it was AMAZING. It was so much fun to play, and after i figured out where the notes were, I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN! Fretless is so much fun to play and now I have a serious case of G.A.S. BTW, i was playing on a used Dean Edge

So does anyone know what is a good quality unlined fretless for around $500?
 
#2
Ibanez's are notorious workhorses i find, and a new SR35 fretless runs arund $400 new, and an Ibanez GWB (Gary Willis Bass) will be around $475 used, and is definitely worth that money. Other than that theres Wishbass if youre up for the modding, or Brice...but idk much about brice...Id go ibanez GWB personally
 
#6
herrdruhl said:
I would try Carvin fretless. Or, you could spend a little more and get a Pedulla Buzz used, if available. The Buzz feels waaay better than the Dean, most likely. Or, go with Warmoth parts and DIY...
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Used pedulla for under 500 bucks? Now that's a heck of a deal! (assuming its not totally destroyed)

OP, yeah, I'd go for that dean unless it's out of your price range. As for unlined, I'm not sure. You could go to rondomusic.com and take a look at the Brice basses they sell. Those are unlined and very good for the price, or so I've heard.
 
#9
I took an older Ibanez SD (?) with an ebony fretboard to a luthier and asked him to remove the frets. He did so and replaced the fret cuts with tiny little pieces of rosewood. He did a wondeful job and the fretlines are only visible from very close. I have the best of both worlds. I can play a good looking fretless w/o lines and still know exactly where I am on the neck even in low lighting.
 
#13
Fender made unlined fretless MIJ Jazz Bass Specials from 1984-1987, great basses. Wish I still had mine...

Jazz_Bass_Special_Fretless1.jpg
 
#15
etoncrow said:
if you enjoyed it that much, buy one that is unlined. Unlike training wheels you cannot take the lines off gracefully
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this.
if you liked the unlined (as i do), and felt comfortable (confident) with it, unlined it is. don't buy a pre made cheapy. i think you would be better served by constructing one from either mighty mite parts (i ended up robbing my 'wick thumb of it's nordies for my mighty mite fretless jazz. it turned out sweet), warmouth for sweet woods and precision manufacture (more $$$), or check ebay: got my go-to fretless 'wick '97 fortress for a song.
 
#17
ficalini said:
Primarily cause I didn't know much about it. But also I didn't have any $ with me, nor do I have any at the moment
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You didn't get it because you don't know much about it? You probably know more about it than any other bass suggestion someone throws at you considering how long you played it. I'd suggest going for the Dean if you get the money and you were as comfortable on it as you say you were.

Unless it's totally out of your price range?
 

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