I would like to get a fretless bass but I don't want to pay much since I'm not sure how much I'll like it or how often I'll play it. If it ends up just not being my thing I don't want to be out much money and if I love it I'll buy a nicer one down the road. After doing some research I came up with two options but I'm not sure which is best. I can get a used Squier Vintage Modified Precision Fretless bass for around $200 or I can put a Mighty Mite Fretless Precision neck on a Mim P-Bass that I already have. If I buy the Mighty Mite neck I'll have to pay to get it put on so it might come out to around the same price or even more based on the estimates I got. But I already know that my P-Bass sounds good and I would probably get some use out of a bass that mostly sits around lately (I tend to play my Carvin and my Jazz bass more) . If I get the Squier I can't try it first but it would be less work and I'd be able to play it as soon as I got it. I see that the Squier VM gets pretty good reviews around here. Which do you think would be better? Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.
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Inexpensive way to try out a fretless
- Thread starter bassista6
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Changing a bolt on neck ain't quantum physics.You can get all the tutoring you need on here and you tube. Look for a loaded used fretless neck for cheap, if you don't like it resell it.
Easy: Get the Squier.
Why? You say that you're not sure if you dig fretless. Buying a used Squier for a reasonable price means you can sell it off for roughly the same price if fretless is not for you.
Buying a fretless neck means that you have to put your bass back the way it was which is additional cost and work, plus you'll have to sell a fretless neck, and the market for that should be a lot smaller than that for a fretless Squier.
Why? You say that you're not sure if you dig fretless. Buying a used Squier for a reasonable price means you can sell it off for roughly the same price if fretless is not for you.
Buying a fretless neck means that you have to put your bass back the way it was which is additional cost and work, plus you'll have to sell a fretless neck, and the market for that should be a lot smaller than that for a fretless Squier.
the used squier seems like the way to go to me, too.
or there's always -
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or there's always -
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Knife, pliers, pawnshop bass, a can of wood filler and a piece of sandpaper... $43.86, done!
You should also be able to rent one for a week for under $50.
Thanks for all of your replies. I'm leaning towards the Squier but I just found out my local guitar center has an Ibanez 370F for $250 in excellent condition. How does the Ibanez stack up against the Squier. I have a fretted Ibanez and I love it but I've never tried their fretless basses before. Thanks.
I bought a fretless SX P Bass years ago when I wanted to get my head around fretless playing. It was a good move, and I got most of my money back when I eventually sold it. It made for a very reasonable rental, all said and done. I upgraded to a nicer fretless bass.
Also OP, keep in mind that the various pickup configurations have a big impact on the tone of fretless. A single split P pickup sounds way different than a two-pickup configuration like a Jazz.
Get the best fretless you can afford.
Inexpensive fretless basses make playing an already tricky instrument even harder.
Like @lz4005 suggested, rent one for a few weeks. If you decide to jump in, jump in headfirst. Dipping your toe in with a cheap bass will almost guarantee that you'll walk away from it, disgruntled.
Inexpensive fretless basses make playing an already tricky instrument even harder.
Like @lz4005 suggested, rent one for a few weeks. If you decide to jump in, jump in headfirst. Dipping your toe in with a cheap bass will almost guarantee that you'll walk away from it, disgruntled.
?
Sorry your experience with an inexpensive fretless was so negative. Mine was the exact opposite, and it encouraged me to invest in a nicer bass. Not understanding your guarantee at all.
I'm glad I didn't get the "best fretless I could afford" and take a larger bath on re-sale if I didn't like it. And what about those poor souls that can only spend between $100 and $200? I don't believe they are doomed to never play fretless because there's nothing but unplayable crap at that price point out there.
There are several brands at that price point where you get a decent bass that takes to a good set up and plays well, more than well enough to see if you like fretless bass.
I've found that most players who give up on fretless do so, because the basses that they used needed serious work (fingerboard levelling, etc) to make them playable.
In order to get the action low on a fretless, the fingerboard needs to be in great shape, with care and attention. I've found it's rare to find a good fingerboard on an inexpensive bass. In order to compensate for an uneven board, the action goes up, and intonation goes out the window.
I've had a couple of people try my fretless, and the first thing they comment on is its playability.
If the OP can find a quality fretless for a great price, I'll be the first to congratulate him.
In order to get the action low on a fretless, the fingerboard needs to be in great shape, with care and attention. I've found it's rare to find a good fingerboard on an inexpensive bass. In order to compensate for an uneven board, the action goes up, and intonation goes out the window.
I've had a couple of people try my fretless, and the first thing they comment on is its playability.
If the OP can find a quality fretless for a great price, I'll be the first to congratulate him.
My vote is also for your used Squier option. I sort of did the same. I had located a classified for a used "no-name" fretless P-Bass and it was only $150. I figured that price was worth testing my interest in a fretless.
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I bought a Squire VM Fretless Precision last year. I love it. I get lots of compliments from other players about how good it sounds. Highly recommended. $300!
I've had a couple.find a used mim fretless jazz. You should be able to buy it for around $300 and if you want to sell it later sell it for the same $300, all you lose is shipping cost.
I'd get a used Squier or something in that range. I bought the lowest level Yamaha fretless for around a hundred bucks used and it was certainly playable and sounded good. You don't have to spend a lot to get a serviceable fretless.
I bought an Ibanez SR375F a while back. It was a nice little bass. I liked it a lot and upgraded the snot out of it. And then one day, my digging of fretless was gone. My old Ibanez lives in Louisiana now....
One thing I didn't like was that it had a compound radius neck. seemed like I was always having to mess with the truss rod. Not sure if that's just the nature of fretless, or if the compound neck had to do with that. I do have a nice fretless AEB, which I will keep around b/c I really do dig that quasi-upright thing you can do with it. The one I got is a Boulder Creek 5 string. Not inexpensive, but may be something for you to look at if you get into it and like the idea of going in that direction.
One thing I didn't like was that it had a compound radius neck. seemed like I was always having to mess with the truss rod. Not sure if that's just the nature of fretless, or if the compound neck had to do with that. I do have a nice fretless AEB, which I will keep around b/c I really do dig that quasi-upright thing you can do with it. The one I got is a Boulder Creek 5 string. Not inexpensive, but may be something for you to look at if you get into it and like the idea of going in that direction.
Changing necks on a Fender is easier than changing oil in your car, and a lot less messy. I got into fretless by trading in a fretted Jazz neck for a fretless Precision neck. I liked it so much I'm still playing it 40 years later
I don't know where you are located,but there may be a Music-Go-Round near you.
There you can find an assortment of inexpensive used basses to try out.
A fretless may be there.
There you can find an assortment of inexpensive used basses to try out.
A fretless may be there.
