Fretted AND fretless on one bass?

[JACink]

Brown's Guitar Factory - Fretted/Less Bass...

Brown's Guitar Factory

Johnny Brown BGF Fretted/Less Bass - YouTube

After looking at the Browns page, they have a model which is Fretted/less chambered. (Sorry I can´t post the pic). This bass has frets above the 12th fret, and is fretless below.

Now, I may be missing something here, If you played the fretless part of the neck, wouldn´t the strings always hit the 12th fret?

 

[smcd]

Here's an interesting thread on the Ibanez Musician Alphonso Johnson Signature bass.

 

[ExaltBass]

After looking at the Browns page, they have a model which is Fretted/less chambered. (Sorry I can´t post the pic). This bass has frets above the 12th fret, and is fretless below.

Now, I may be missing something here, If you played the fretless part of the neck, wouldn´t the strings always hit the 12th fret?

Nope, the fretless board is the same height as the frets, so your string action is the determining factor - like on a standard bass.

 

[KramerDon]

Kramer had all kinds of options with their aluminum neck basses back in the 70's,fretted,fretless with or without lines and partial fretted/partial fretless.I love my 70's Kramer 650B but I've never played one of the 1/2 fretless ones.Good luck finding 30yrs later!!

 

[jvbjr]

I emailed Status to ask about their "less fret" option, which is their hybrid. They sent the above photo. As you can see at the 12ft fret, on this example, the fingerboard ramps up to the fret height.

I am awaiting response on the two questions I asked:

1. Does the raised section of the fingerboard alter overall tone, especially when slapping?

2. How high is the action in the fretless section of the neck?

 

[spade2you]

If you're particular about action on your fretless and fretless, doesn't seem you get much of a choice.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/9-string-hybrid-813916/

Pretty amazing work there.

 

[jumbodbassman]

Brown's Guitar Factory - Fretted/Less Bass...

Brown's Guitar Factory

Johnny Brown BGF Fretted/Less Bass - YouTube

I've played several of these... very cool... (not cheap)

i remember seeing these. Hot girl bass player endorsed it Rhonda??? anyway had one made by wishbass. Certainly not a everysong bass but a nice to have option at times. Went with the first 11 fretted so the whole fretless starts with the octave. ps got a laminate for the fretless side to " lower" the action. bass is ugly and not what i wanted but plays and sounds good.

 

[spade2you]

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f57/9-string-hybrid-813916/

Pretty amazing work there.

Interesting how the fingerboard is raised. I'm sure that keeps the strings at roughly the same overall height. I don't think it would bother me if the fretted and fretless strings weren't at the same exact height.

Functionally it works, but the tradeoff is that you're negociating around a pretty big neck.

 

[newburyohio]

Another look at the BGF bass with John Payne Invalid Link Removed