Which fretless Fender precision bass?

[KimGT99]

Hey folks.
Just fishing a bit here for some input.

I'm considering a fretless Fender p-bass (I'm not going the J route, so no input needed there).

I have currently 3 options available (all unlined).

1. 1975 alder body, maple neck, maple! fingerboard, 4500$. All og, in very good condition. This is definitely more a unicorn because of the maple fingerboard, which is in good shape but of course, and despite it's clear coat, is more prone to wear.
2. 1979 (light) ash body, maple neck, indian rosewood fingerboard, 3300$. All og, excellent condition. This is nice to me since 1979 is my yob. Again the untreated fingerboard is in good shape but of course, prone to wear, but not as much as the maple.
3. 2024 Tony Franklin, blk, b-stock for 2400$. Has very slight signs of wear. It checks a few boxes: ebony fingerboard (a little less prone to wear), additional pu, 3 way switch.

So, what would you choose and why? (Haven't gone the poll route here: I'm looking for your input, not a definitive number).

 

[godofthunder59]

75 and alder/ maple all day long! I have a 77 alder maple and it kills.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

The TF cause of the lovely board, the pickups, and the selector.

 

[JRA]

So, what would you choose and why?

i would choose not to be obsessed with fingerboards and their "proneness to wear." why? because that concern has nothing to do with the purpose of playing a fretless instrument in the first place.

seriously, cats who've played fretless for more than ten minutes, and who've depended on fretless EBs to get the job (done) don't worry about keeping the tool pristine and looking "unused."


but, FYI and FWIW, i've been playing two maple/maple necks (in a rotation with others) for over 5 years playing only rounds = signs of wear negligible: the coating works (i.e., better than ebony)!



get what you want. worry less about fingerboard wear and more about playing the right notes --- with conviction. good luck!

 

[lowfreqgeek]

A) Don't worry about wearing down the fingerboard.
B) I'd take the Tony Franklin all day long.

Personally, I don't use a neck pickup soloed on fretless very much at all. I like to have the option and I do use it on occasion, but I know after 25+ years playing fretless that I wouldn't be happy with that as my only option.

 

[Lo-E]

I have a very lovely '79 ash/rosewood that I like very much but in your case I would go with the Franklin. I dig ebony boards (not because of wear but because of tone and response) and the bridge pickup is a great addition on a fretless. ...and it's the least expensive bass on the list with the best options, IMO.

 

[Ric Vice]

With fretless basses the fingerboard wood is important IME as a Double Bass Player the woods used for
fingerboards are either rosewood or ebony due to their hard surfaces and tonal qualities ( attack and sustain)
while you can use a variety of other woods pau ferro, maple, zircote etc. ebony and rosewood are IME IMHO
Ideal for fretless instruments. Just my take of course.

 

[Gino t]

Can you get to shops/show where you can play some fretlesses? Guessing not easy... i have fretless fingerboards of ebony, rosewood, and a strat with uncoated maple. Don't worry about wear (is there an echo in here?).

I have a TF neck, like it a lot but don't remember how tone varies as you go around 7th and above 15th fret. I have to play a fretless neck unplugged for at least 45 minutes, flats and rounds, adjust truss rod/bridge saddles etc, to see if i like it. And i've had a couple planed for $$

.. I sort of understand 7th fret dead spots, but more concerned about unpleasant tone above fret 15.

and any excuse to post pix... the ebonies. The neck on top is magic, the other 2 are ... pretty good, they all look the same but one sounds much better. and just FYI the bottom one is an allparts with a Warmoth sticker.

 

[CaptainLeisure]

I used to own both a '79 fretless P and a 2006 TF. The '79 was a decent bass, but the TF was way better.

 

[Stewie]

I have a 76 rosewood neck. Ive only had it reworked once since I bought it new. With the same strings, my epoxied maple neck has a crisper sound with or without amplification. I like maple, but the Franklin would be my choice

 

[bass.slinger]

I own the TF and highly recommend it - if you are in the US, you can do better than $2400 (I got mine last month for $2100 delivered - not a B stock). PM me and I can give you the store info.

When I was in London before Christmas, I got to play several 70s fretless precisions at the Bass Gallary. My favorite was a 1970 A series neck (rosewood fingerboard) followed by a 1978 (also with rosewood fingerboard) and both basses had alder bodies. Although I really liked the A series neck, $5000 was a little too rich for me and I got the TF instead. To me, the TF has more bite (not factoring in the J pickup) and the ebony fingerboard feels awesome. Also, you can adjust the truss rod without removing the neck, or cutting a slot in the body - unlike the vintage Fenders.

If the A series had been a 1971 (my year of birth), I probably would have gotten it…even though the TF sounds great.

 

[Thummel]

Get the TF for all the reasons mentioned.

 

[GIBrat51]

Hey folks.
Just fishing a bit here for some input.

I'm considering a fretless Fender p-bass (I'm not going the J route, so no input needed there).

I have currently 3 options available (all unlined).

1. 1975 alder body, maple neck, maple! fingerboard, 4500$. All og, in very good condition. This is definitely more a unicorn because of the maple fingerboard, which is in good shape but of course, and despite it's clear coat, is more prone to wear.
2. 1979 (light) ash body, maple neck, indian rosewood fingerboard, 3300$. All og, excellent condition. This is nice to me since 1979 is my yob. Again the untreated fingerboard is in good shape but of course, prone to wear, but not as much as the maple.
3. 2024 Tony Franklin, blk, b-stock for 2400$. Has very slight signs of wear. It checks a few boxes: ebony fingerboard (a little less prone to wear), additional pu, 3 way switch.

So, what would you choose and why? (Haven't gone the poll route here: I'm looking for your input, not a definitive number).

Well...
For myself? None of them. Not because they aren't nice (although the price seems more than a little high), but because they are not available left handed. But, if I were right handed - and not mostly tone deaf -, and willing to pay that much? I'd probably go for the Tony Franklin model, simply because of the Ebony fingerboard. I need a lined fretless bass, which all 4 of mine are. And, 3 of them have Ebony fingerboards, too. Which, AFAIC, is the only way to go, unless the fingerboard's synthetic. My '93 Canadian Fury Anthem fretless bass has a Pau Ferro fingerboard (also known as "Bolivian Rosewood"). It was made to wear tape wound strings (don't ask me how I know), and, far as I can tell, has never worn anything else. Pau Ferro is a fair bit softer than Macassar Ebony, and believe me - it shows... But, in all fairness? It IS 32 years old...
One of my fretless basses is a '24 G&L Custom Shop Kiloton lined fretless. It's a pretty fair analog of a P-Bass, in that it's MFD pickup is in the same place as the P-Bass's split-coil pickup. I like it - a whole lot...

 

[Stubbrnmule]

TF is a great bass. Always get compliments on its tone. Only complaint I have with it is a tad bit of neck dive. Doesn't bother me really but it's the only bass I own that has it. I do love the sound of the fretless with the bridge pickup soloed. I also like the 3way selector switch on that particular bass.

 

[Hoochie Coochie Man]

I bought a Tony Franklin used here on TB and the previous owner changed out the tuners for a lighter set without the drop D. The original tuners were included, but I have no intention of installing them. I have some other nice basses and the TF is right up there with my two American Deluxe basses.
The ebony finger board is great. I highly recommend that you try one.

 

[Dana R Gregory]

Definitely the Tony Franklin. You can get some excellent sounds out of the three way selector. I had one strung with chromes and I was able to get both a fat vintage sound as well as a nice Jaco like growl. The drop D tuner comes in handy as well. Definitely worth a look.

 

[Val Tremola]

My TF is probably the best bass I’ve ever owned. My opinion

 

[jimmydean]

Gotta go with the TF , fantastic tone , feel , weight ......quality instrument .

 

[MtManiac]

I’d take the TF *any* day, all day, every day.

Reasons:
1) gimme new versus “vintage”, I don’t believe in vintage mojo, and besides - the 70s have long been derided as Fender’s worst years. Yeah, lots of people say otherwise… however, meh. New please. IMHO, 2008-present have been Fender’s *best* years yet.
2) price - I mean it’s bad enough that it’s $2400, but I am unable to be convinced that any P bass - and I *looove* P basses - is worth any more than that.
3) the TF looks cool as hell
4) the TF implementation of the PJ and the selector switch seems useful.
5) Tony seems like a *great* guy, and did you hear that amazing harmonics slide at the beginning of “Radioactive”??
6) ebony is dead sexy
7) edited again to say PJ. It comes in handy, especially with fretless.

 

[Mister Magic]

TF, no contest imo, regardless of the prices.

Why (for me)? I cannot imagine a 1970's (or any vintage era) Fender Precision would approach the quality of a Tony Franklin. Also, an ebony fingerboard, second pickup and *probably* a narrower neck (1.65" nut I think?). They also sound very rich, especially with some pickup blending.

I am biased in favor of newer Fenders despite having previously owned only vintage Fenders for 15-20 years.

I was really hot for a TF fretless, but I just could not get on board with the fragile paint, unlined board and the generally heavier weight. I still had to talk myself out of one. I also think the LPB TF models are the most beautiful USA production Fender models being made today.