Good sounding cheap arsed fretless

[smeet]

So, I want to get a cheap but good fretless bass. I don’t have much of a budget now, but I can get some gigs that require it (jazz, ballad, cocktail hour type stuff). I’d like it to be something that is nice enough that I can use it for a few years, with nice attack, fatness, mwah, and such. I haven’t gigged much with fretless so I’ll want it to be lined.

There seem to be a few price levels from what I see: $250, $400, and $600. The cheaper the better, but I don’t want something that sounds or plays cheap.

What should I look at? I see mostly Squiers, MIM Fenders, Ibanez, Yamaha, and Warwick.

I’m mostly looking in the TB classifieds, prefer to go used from a TBer if possible.

 

[Standalone]

Play a lot of them. Cheap basses tend to vary.

Vintage Japanese stuff, possibly pointy headstock era, is often a great way to get excellent sound and playability for cheap. Enjoy.

Also, a cheap fretted can always have its frets ripped out and have a radiused sanding block taken to it.

 

[MonetBass]

Squier VM Jazz fretless. Those pop up in the classifieds pretty frequently, and they're good basses for the money. (I actually sold mine on here last year.)

 

[GrapeBass]

Squier VM Fretless Jazz Bass
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[smeet]

A couple of votes for the VM. How do they compare to the CV’s? I’ve never known the difference.

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

1 more vote for the Squier VM fretless.

or get a new Harley Benton for even less

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[SteveCS]

A couple of votes for the VM. How do they compare to the CV’s? I’ve never known the difference.

Based on the dozen or so I've tried in the last year or so, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole! All have had lumpy fingerboards with raised lines just make for a bad fretless experience. Around the $500 mark you should be able to pick up a used Wawick bolt-on that will be far superior in every way.
YMMV...

 

[GrapeBass]

A couple of votes for the VM. How do they compare to the CV’s? I’ve never known the difference.

You said fretless, not sure if there were even fretless CV's and right now the only CV available is the CV P-Pass (50's). If I get another bass it will probably be that one (I already have the VM Fretless Jazz Bass).

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[smeet]

1 more vote for the Squier VM fretless.

or get a new Harley Benton for even less

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Holy cow, that Harley Benton is cheap. Can it possibly be any good??? How fast do they deliver to the US?

 

[Inky13]

Yamaha RBX. Pretty basic but I love mine.

 

[smeet]

On the somewhat higher end, there’s an MTD beast in the classifieds. I wonder if that is quality-wise better enough to justify the price difference.

 

[EpicSoundtracks]

Holy cow, that Harley Benton is cheap. Can it possibly be any good??? How fast do they deliver to the US?

there's a whole thread dedicated to HBs in this forum.

I own a Harley Benton club

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Based on the dozen or so I've tried in the lasy year or so, I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole! All have had lumpy fingerboards with raised lines just make for a bad fretless experience. Around the $500 mark you should be able to pick up a used Wawick bolt-on that will be far superior in every way.
YMMV...

This. I have owned a couple VM fretless basses and played countless. I just sold a VMFP here last week. If you are capable of doing some basic lutheir work, they are great basses for a good value. If you are not capable of doing the work, you should avoid them. Literally every single one I have seen needs the nut cut and the board levelled to be considered a playable fretless bass.

As a person that primarily plays fretless, I always advocate spending some money. I have yet to find a fretless bass that is under $500 and playable out of the box.

 

[mrcbass]

Fender Squier Jazz has a decent entry level fretless. Used for $200 or less. I can't sell on TB, but I do have one I'm preparing to put up for adoption in the very near future. (I'm paring down to 5 string FL basses.)

I haven't tried their fretless line, but based on the fretted that I have, I suspect an Ibanez SRG line, FL would also be a good choice.

 

[bassdude51]

cheaper than dirt

WISHBASS.COM

 

[smeet]

cheaper than dirt

WISHBASS.COM

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Haha, maybe a little too dirt-y for me. Also the while the look is kind of fun, it’s pretty far from classic blending in.

 

[Bodeeni]

My #1 right now has a $100 Mightymite ebonal P neck on a random parts jazz body. I love the neck. Maybe I got lucky but it is better than most of the Fenders I have had.

 

[mikewalker]

Another vote for Wishnevsky, routinely available for $200 on eBay. I have one and it sounds MAGNIFICENT...

 

[gln1955]

Yamaha RBX. Pretty basic but I love mine.

I picked up a used low end Yamaha (don't recall the exact model right now, but probably the cheapest fretless they made) for about a hundred bucks. I don't play it all that much, but when I do, it plays and sounds just fine.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

This is used SX short scale P-bass fretless that I supposedly bought for my daughter, and it sounds pretty good. I bought for $90 at GC.