The three Fender fretless basses.....

[Brain Fog]

I'm going to take a different tack and recommend to you the Player-series Jazz. If you're accustomed to playing budget-priced basses like me, I think you'll find a Player Jazz to be very nice. I especially like the feel of the neck.

 

[Hevy T]

If it were me, I'd also consider the Tony Franklin. Love those. Plus they have ebony boards.

If you want a Jazz, I'd say the American Professional II. I love that Olympic White one. Has a rosewood board.

The others currently have Pao Ferro boards. Not sure about the durability, but I know I prefer the look of rosewood.

I'm sure the Jaco is great but I don't think it's worth more than the AP II. Plus I never loved the no-pickguard look.

That's my 2 cents.

Happy Birthday!

+1000 on the Tony Franklin! I played a friends at a jam a couple years ago and didn’t want to give it back

 

[juancaminos]

As far as the OP list: I would choose the AM PRO in Olympic White although the image on the Fender website looks more like butter cream.

However The Rosewood is the most susceptible to fret board wear.

As far as the comment about lined vs unlined I don't agree. Everything has been talked about on TB but if you once had no concern you would not have cared. Then one day you decide to buy something that is in line with a bunch of old and tiring posts and...

Fretboard, lined vs unlined and all other aspects of purchasing a new bass, are important...fretless or not. But none of this as asked by OP, his question was very pointed. However I had no idea of a lot of it when first going the fretless route many years ago. I didn't know what to ask but I wish I did. With that said I have been thru 13 fretless purchases and/or builds. They are a different beast.

My first three had fret lines then I discovered unlined necks and practically threw away the lined basses. In fact I just gave away my last lined neck. I now find the lines just get in the way. Secondly fret board material has a different affect on fretless. In all my years of playing fretted instruments I preferred Maple fret boards by a huge margin. With fretless I now prefer Rosewood. But it's taken a few years and thirteen different unlined Fender basses to figure it out. OP just wants to buy one.

Then there are other things that make fretless bass playing fun. Like sound/electronics. Sorry but there is a lot more to the fretless choice that I wish I knew in the beginning...but that is just my opinion. I've been thru thirteen and still have eleven of all different necks, electronics, bodies, etc. I digress, and apologize.

It's like when I bring a blues song to the table and the guitar player says yeah sure it's just blues. Then f&^%'s it all up. It's not "just blues" to me, it's a passion!

 

[petermwright]

I had this decision to make recently too, and I went for the Am Pro II - and I would do again. Personally, I ruled out the Player because of the lack of graphite rods, and the trussrod nut being at the headstock end (it's very important to me to get the action right - by which I mean low - and I wanted a stable neck).

I didn't even look at the Jaco though, as I wasn't going to spend that much, and I also prefer the look of the Am Pro II (I like a scratchplate, and I like the rosewood better than pau ferro).

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I would go Pro II
I played a Jaco Fretless that wasn’t terribly set up. Meh…I thought. The biggest thing that sets the Jaco apart is the finish and no Pick Guard.

I prefer the “more modern” Pro II

I would think a modern fretless doesn't use 60's spacing but I could be wrong. Have not actually looked at the specs.

I bought a couple of used Pastorius basses, they are great. IMHO they hold an advantage over the other models since they are build by the Fender Custom Shop, which should have a higher manufacturing and quality standards.

This is the Jaco Artist, not the Jaco Relic. They are wildly different beasts. I have owned both. The Relic is nothing short of fantastic but I loved my Artist. I would gladly buy it again but I also like the 60s spacing with no guard look.

 

[petermwright]

I would think a modern fretless doesn't use 60's spacing but I could be wrong. Have not actually looked at the specs.

I think it does, though I haven't measured. It's the 70s spacing that is the outlier. They changed it at some point in the 70s, then changed it back - I think.

 

[relayer66]

The Tony Franklin isn’t a Jazz, but it’s a PJ. Mine is one of the best basses I own. You should try one before you settle on one of those others. I prefer J neck dimensions, but this one is surprisingly svelte. Playing it, it’s barely any chunkier than my Js. The blue one is a real looker too.

 

[80jazz]

Here's another vote for the TF.

 

[nonohmic]

If you have to have Fender on the headstock go Jaco. It will age as you play it and become an extension of your body.

But if I were to make (another) fretless I'd go Warmoth Koa and Ebony.

 

[wysiwyg248]

This is the Jaco Artist, not the Jaco Relic. They are wildly different beasts. I have owned both. The Relic is nothing short of fantastic but I loved my Artist.

Thank you for the clarification, my recommendation was based on my experience with the Fender CS basses.
I don't own the models you are referring to, mine are older ones.
One is from the Jaco Pastorius Signature series released by the Bass Centre in 1991 un-relic.
The other one is a 1997 Cunetto relic from a series of 17 made for Sam Ash -I was told-.
They both are great, the second is the one I play the most in gigs due to the value of the first one.

 

[Gorn]

The Tony Franklin does indeed look like a beauty, but appears not to have fret lines, which I would need.

I think the lines make the whole endeavor only slightly easier. Without a good ear and feel for the instrument, you'll suck either way. Lines barely make a difference, in my experience. I say this as someone who sucks either way.

 

[39-Bassist]

Too bad you cant find a TF fretless...well worth it!

 

[ColinR]

It's not Fender, but IMO the best production fretless basses out there right now are the Ibanez offerings. Really top shelf, light, easy to play and killer tone. A lot of bang for the buck.

 

[Snake101st]

Try the Tony Franklin with Ernie Ball Slinky Flatwound strings 40-95 instead of the other three ......trust me .

This, but with EB super slinky Cobalt Flats - that's my setup on my TF and I love it!

 

[MarshallAC50Stack]

c.'73 P-Bass, rosewood, sunburst, tort, LaBella flats, reasonably wide leather strap, pro-made Belden cable with Switchcraft plugs, Ampeg B-25, matching 4x10 cab, tailored suit, Florsheim alligators, funkyazz blues and R&B band.

 

[eastcoasteddie]

I would think a modern fretless doesn't use 60's spacing but I could be wrong. Have not actually looked at the specs.

I think it does, though I haven't measured. It's the 70s spacing that is the outlier. They changed it at some point in the 70s, then changed it back - I think.

Fender defaulted back to 60’s spacing after CBS was out of th picture (‘82?), so everything has 60s spacing unless there’s a 70s in the name of the instrument (save for some Japanese Models and the Squier VM’s)

 

[petermwright]

Fender defaulted back to 60’s spacing after CBS was out of th picture (‘82?), so everything has 60s spacing unless there’s a 70s in the name of the instrument (save for some Japanese Models and the Squier VM’s)

That’s what I thought.

 

[Old Blastard]

The Tony Franklin does indeed look like a beauty, but appears not to have fret lines, which I would need.

Agree with @jdaunt. The side markers give you the orientation you need. I have one lined and the lines are hard to see. I have an old Jazz Bass Special that's much like the Tony Franklin and it plays amazing. I'm betting the Franklin will too

 

[Les Fret]

+1000 on the Tony Franklin! I played a friends at a jam a couple years ago and didn’t want to give it back

why do people keep hammering on the Tony Franklin? The OP said clearly he wants a jazz and fretlines.

The OP can very well decide for himself if he wants lines or not. No need to tell him that he doesn’t need lines. Can we stay out of the dreaded lines vs unlined debate here?

 

[BAG]

I had a Pastorious neck and it was really tough to see the side markers because they're clay dots on pau ferro with a finish. Everything was orange and hard to see.

I have that on my Warmoth fretless neck. The side dots are a pearl type of thing and are tiny. I struggle to see them in low light and especially in coloured stage lights.

Personally, I ruled out the Player because of the lack of graphite rods, and the trussrod nut being at the headstock end (it's very important to me to get the action right - by which I mean low - and I wanted a stable neck).

What is the problem with the trussrod adjustment being at the headstock?
If anything, it makes life easier to tweak the relief.

I don't think you'll need the lines as much as you think you will. The dots on the side are plenty to get you location of where you're at.

I agree.
I've not got a great ear so I do rely on the side dots a bit.
Whenever I've played a lined board in stores I found that you can't see the lines much anyway and most lined boards have the side dots at the normal fretted position which throws me off a lot.