My first (only) parts bass was a Warmoth J body with a J fretless ebony board with inlaid maple lines. Bought the parts around 1986, and even then they seemed pretty pricey, but damn, the quality was and is superb. Buy Once/Cry Once I guess. I took the neck to the Pedulla factory in Rockland, MA and had them put the Buzzbass polyester finish "Diamondkote" on it. I think I paid them $80! All these years with roundwounds later it looks nearly pristine and gives that really glassy fretless mwah. There's a company called HG Thor that does a similar finish now, but if you are looking for a warmer upright tone, ebony or rosewood sound great unfinished. If you really want to keep it inexpensive, and can't find a source, there's always Aliexpress, though you will wait months for it with no ironclad guarantee you'll like what shows up on your doorstep. You might try contacting Allparts or Mighty Mite directly, may still be possible to place a custom order. One of the TB Pro Luthiers could cut and inlay fret lines in a stock fretless unlined neck you provide, for reasonably short money. Anybody set up to cut fret slots with the proper jigs and templates could do this, and then just inlay maple or other contrasting wood veneer.
