Fretless whit good price/quality ratio..?

[Bias]

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I’m looking for a fretless with a good price/quality ratio (max 300 ).[/size][/font][/color]
[color=#000000][font=Helvetica][size=3]Any suggestion? I've seen that Harley Benton produces some fretless starting from 150 euros. Does anyone knows how they are?[/size][/font][/color]

[krysh]

get a used mia guild pilot from the states. needs a bit time to find one but worth searching for.

[HowieBass]

The Squier Vintage Modified Fretless Jazz is well regarded (as are most Squiers these days, great instruments, particularly the VM, Classic Vibe and artist series). The Squier's ebonol fingerboard means you can use rounds if you like and not worry about undue wear plus it's lined which will really help with correct intonation.

[muttley]

If you don't want a Fender-a-like, go secondhand! Here are some examples:
Ibanez SR400 (the Korean-made model with P/J pickups)
Cort Curbow
Yamaha RBX270 (I think this is the right number, maybe 260)
Vintage V1004
Westone Thunder 1 or 1A
Warwick Rockbass

You'd be able to find any of these for, at a guess, around £150 s/h. Maybe slightly more for the Westone and Warwick. If you decide to move on, you'll easily get your money back.

[TheGreek]

There was a really nice Bass Collection Nanyo on Gumtree recently in your budget

[alyctes]

+1 for Yamaha RBX. I have an RBX200 with a few dings, cost me £100. Fab little beast.

If you go for a Harley Benton, be aware you may have to change/lower the nut - I had one 3-4 years back which was very good for the money but the nut was more suited to a fretted bass. I can't say what the 2014 ones are like.

Edited September 20, 2014 by alyctes

[Grangur]

If you like active soapbars then the EAP LTD basses are amazing value for money they're about 380 new. You should be able to get a used one for about 200.

The neck is really smooth and fast and the sound is great.

[BassTractor]

Don't listen to Grangur, Alessio! He knows nothing of these things. Those EAPs are terrible. Better take my advice:

If you like active soapbars then the ESP LTD basses are amazing value for money they're about 380 new. You should be able to get a used one for about 200.

The neck is really smooth and fast and the sound is great.

[SlapbassSteve]

The Squier vintage modified bass is the best looking(if you're into Fender like me), but the 'ebanol'(plastic) fretboard is something I utterly despise, it sucks all the life out of the tone... I'd sooner have a real fretboard that I have to sand down a little every year or so.

The company 'Vintage' make an Icon series Jazz bass which is done up to look like Jaco Pastorius' bass of doom, the headstock looks a bit odd and the relic'd finish on the body feels cheap, but to me personally it's the best playing and sounding fretless bass about for within £150-200 mark.

Anything with a Westone, Yamaha, Cort or Ibanez badge is well worth a look too!

[HowieBass]

[quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1411296498' post='2558169']
the 'ebanol'(plastic) fretboard is something I utterly despise, it sucks all the life out of the tone...
[/quote]

Ebonol is a paper phenolic, a composite that includes plastic, it's also referred to as micarta. You'll find composite boards on various basses including Vigier fretless models where they call it 'phenowood' and Greg Curbow's basses that used 'rockwood'. As with many things I guess it's just personal experience regarding what/if any tonal colouration occurs with it. I know some people hate it whilst others love it... YMMV.