Would you pull the trigger on this trade?

That's sounds like a win win! You have the opportunity to trade for a bass you know you like but...different.

I would encourage you not to be intimidated by the Fretless aspect, in fact, be excited! There will be side marker dots where the actual frets would be which makes the transition easier. I don't think lined Fretless basses are any easier unless you are bending your neck to see the top of the fingerboard. Plus, the look of an unlined board is classy. Those vintage reissues are solid basses and I am sure other TBers will chime in to concur.

Fretless basses are just plain fun. My experience is that there is a transition but it is an enjoyable one. It could even breath some new energy into your playing.

Go for it my low end friend and let us know how the journey goes!

 

The question is why Wouldn't you make that trade?

 

I don't know the values of either bass but swapping a MIM for a USA sounds good to me. If you haven't bonded with your P bass then why keep it.

If you have a good ear you should soon be playing with moderate intonation, good intonation comes with practice, perfect intonation with lots of practice.

I bought a fretless J clone on a whim, 3 weeks later I was playing gigs with it. My intonation was good enough that none of the other 3 band members noticed I had swapped to fretless (but I knew it needed a lot of work).

 

Call Fender, with serial number...

 

That doesn't really help since the serial number is stamped on the neck, not the body.

The reality is someone could have taken the neck off or any Fender bass and shoehorned it into the body.

 

Coffee... need more... thanks! How 'bout this...

... call Fender. Better?

 

Worst case scenario, if you can't stand the fretless, get another fretted neck and switch back and forth. I have a jazz parts bass I flip between using a precision neck and a squier fretless.

I can usually change the neck and set the intonation and action in about 15 minutes or less.

 

That seems like a decent trade to me. Caveat: I'm not you, though.

 

Fender didn't make a fretless jazz in 62, so the whole "reissue" part doesn't add up. It's probably got an aftermarket neck. Do the trade anyway; fretlesses are great.

 

If you get it, and don't care for it, I would not install frets.

 

While owning a fretless wouldn't be the worst thing in the world, it just wouldn't jive with any of the projects I have at the moment; therefore, it would collect more dust than any fretted bass. You could get it and swap out the neck, but you could also do that with your current bass. Anyhoo... to answer your question, no, I would not pull the trigger.

 

Why would you keep a bass you "never got used to"? Make the trade unlined fretless is the way to go and if you don't use to it, sell, trade or buy a second neck for it.

 

Get that fretless!

No really. Get up and leave the house and come back with it!

Please update this thread

 

I had a lined fretless and never looked at the lines but had side dots. If you don't have them, I'd have that done before jumping to frets. I was sure I needed the lines on mine, and I suppose I did use them, but eventually stopped paying attention to them.

 

FYI: No one needs a P-bass. Leo got it right with the J!

I have had the same thoughts on P basses over the years and always come back to a J. Personally I find the tone of a P
uninspiring and dull (bring on the backlash).

Now that being said, there is a reason people love P basses, I just don't get it. Only YOU can answer this question.

That Fretless J is super cool though.

 

That thing is awesome! Unlined fretlesses are where it's at, don't be intimidated. That sounds like a great trade to me - I recently scored a similar MIJ jazz bass with unlined neck, absolutely love it. I'd do it

 

Instead of holding on to a bass you never bonded with, and likely won't, trade it for a different one that has a familiar, comfortable playability, a totally different sound, and will challenge you to further develop your ear and playing skill.