Which should be defretted?

[Logic_11]

I think the peavey's tone would be better as a fretless than the SUB, but I wouldn't de-fret either. Not only do you have a killer fretless, but it irreparably changes the bass, in a way which makes it much less attractive to a large part of the bass playing community. If you're wishing those basses were something else... then I'd sell em and get just that (my $0.02 of course )

Agreed.

 

[Killing Floor]

I'd snip the Peavey. You know that MM wants you to punch it a little.

 

[crankypants]

Defret and regret, I always say.

Actually, I just made that up.

 

[TheLowDown33]

Doc, my fretless Sterling (USA) is a really sweet bass. IMO, the "stingray" platform makes for a great fretless. The pickup position is just excellent for accentuating the mwah and the EQ seems to sit at the perfect frequencies.

 

[arbiterusa]

Doc:

You know I'm a fretless only guy. I was also a luthier at a famous builder for five years. Doing a defret well is something very few people can do. I've done a couple (pretty good even by my standards) and you know what? I should have left them fretted. Because the things that I liked about their sound when they had frets changed - A LOT - when I pulled the frets. And not a bit of it for the better.

You'll regret it, the moreso as those are nice basses.

ETA: some folks here suggesting just swapping necks. Yes! Status Graphite? DOUBLE YES! A Ray with a Status neck on it would be amazing.

 

[AndyPanda]

I am thinking about defretting one of these basses. Which do you think you would like fretless the most?

I'm just learning to play but if this is helpful to you, This is a no-name MM pickup with alnico magnets on a fretless I put together. It's passive with a series/parallel switch - pretty sure it's in series when I recorded this. Ignore my technique or lack thereof (I'm still a beginner now but I was much more of a beginner when I made this video) and ignore the awful faces I make while I'm concentrating - but so you can see what a MM pickup in the StingRay spot sounds like fretless.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

Doc:

You know I'm a fretless only guy. I was also a luthier at a famous builder for five years. Doing a defret well is something very few people can do. I've done a couple (pretty good even by my standards) and you know what? I should have left them fretted. Because the things that I liked about their sound when they had frets changed - A LOT - when I pulled the frets. And not a bit of it for the better.

You'll regret it, the moreso as those are nice basses.

ETA: some folks here suggesting just swapping necks. Yes! Status Graphite? DOUBLE YES! A Ray with a Status neck on it would be amazing.

I sold my SUB5 which would have fit a Status neck. Status says their necks don’t fit the Sterling which has an extra fret.

 

[DWBass]

Personally, I'd rather look for a fretless neck for either bass than to do a de-fret.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I'm just learning to play but if this is helpful to you, This is a no-name MM pickup with alnico magnets on a fretless I put together. It's passive with a series/parallel switch - pretty sure it's in series when I recorded this. Ignore my technique or lack thereof (I'm still a beginner now but I was much more of a beginner when I made this video) and ignore the awful faces I make while I'm concentrating - but so you can see what a MM pickup in the StingRay spot sounds like fretless.

Yeah sure, excuse your beginner performance! You know you sound good! Thanks for the video. I am familiar with sound of a fretless Stingray since I have listened to Pino Pallidino, Larry Klein, Tony Levin, a few others over the years. I really enjoyed your choice of my favorite Joni Mitchell song too.

 

[twinjet]

I'm just learning to play but if this is helpful to you, This is a no-name MM pickup with alnico magnets on a fretless I put together. It's passive with a series/parallel switch - pretty sure it's in series when I recorded this. Ignore my technique or lack thereof (I'm still a beginner now but I was much more of a beginner when I made this video) and ignore the awful faces I make while I'm concentrating - but so you can see what a MM pickup in the StingRay spot sounds like fretless.

Gorgeous tune, good sound. Also, that bass looks fantastic. I'm a mighty fan of the hog 'n maple of early G&Ls, and that bass is pretty much there.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Unless something changed, we in the US don’t pay VAT.

 

[luciens]

Doc:

You know I'm a fretless only guy. I was also a luthier at a famous builder for five years. Doing a defret well is something very few people can do. I've done a couple (pretty good even by my standards) and you know what? I should have left them fretted. Because the things that I liked about their sound when they had frets changed - A LOT - when I pulled the frets. And not a bit of it for the better.

You'll regret it, the moreso as those are nice basses.

ETA: some folks here suggesting just swapping necks. Yes! Status Graphite? DOUBLE YES! A Ray with a Status neck on it would be amazing.

I'll second this. I'm not a luthier, but I did my own work for quite a few years and did several defrets. But only one came out right (a defang on a Jazz Player series which I no longer have) and even it developed a buzz at a spot about 6 months later, which made me pull my hair out because it was so perfect when I finally took it off the jig and strung it up.....

But doing it right is a big job and requires high quality and expensive tooling. Lots and lots of elbow grease and being super anal about every little thing is no exaggeration...

That's why even if I do re-equip a DIY shop (lost all my tools last year), I can confidently say I'm not going to do another defret again unless it's just absolutely necessary.. .

I also like the swap necks idea, because either one of those basses would also sound great as FLs and I'd love to hear em!

L

 

[Bass Viking]

Confucious say: "Man with Pedulla should not perform defret."

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Or




I am thinking about defretting one of these basses. Which do you think you would like fretless the most?

‘I dunno, but I’ll bet it’s like pulling teeth...

 

[sleddogn]

come on doc, you know you want the TF fretless, i do too, lol

 

[ardgedee]

I guess the questions that needs to be asked are: What do you want out of your next fretless bass? Is there a particular tone or feel or playing style you're angling for that you can't currently get? Or are you just curious to see what one of them will sound like fretless?

 

[redstrand]

Slow down Doc, you better sell me the SuB back and get a different one for fretless

 

[NortyFiner]

Neither. Defretting is a risky business that can quickly go more wrong than right, and the more expensive the instrument, the more you stand to lose by it. If it were me, I would just buy a fretless bass. But if you really want to convert one, the safest route would be full neck replacement as others have said, so you still have the fretted neck if you change your mind.

 

[nilorius]

Hard to say, but i would do with USA SUB Sterling, couse i like the bridge humbucker sound in fretless.

 

[svlilioukalani]

I have de-fretted a bass in the past. Despite my poor workmanship the bass sounded and played fine.

I love to play a fretless bass. I have found, after owning way too many; Get a fretless with all the dots over where the fret was.

I have accidentally played bad notes after going to the wrong spot due to these funny dots. You can paint up the neck of the bass you de-fret, but it is still not quite right. I would recommend an all parts or Warmoth type neck if you can find in the will fit one these two basses. I bet either would sound great as a fretless.