Recommendations for 3/4 Size Bass - fretless if possible

[DavidMcKay]

Hi

Looking to get my 11 year old son a 3/4 electric bass as he hasn't taken to double bass. He went to lessons at school for 1 term and is keen to keep playing and he does like electric bass.

What would you recommend I get him?

Is it possible to get a 3/4 fretless? He would like to play fretless if at all possible.

Not a big budget - and he will be taking it to school and back for music lessons so it will probably get chipped and knocked about a fair bit!


Cheers,

David

[chaypup]

I would get him a normal size bass, but a short scale if you want. He'll only have to change up to normal size in the end and Starting full size will give him a head start. Look at Tal Wilkenfield's hands - tiny!

[DavidMcKay]

Thanks Chaypup - I'll look into short scale.


Cheers,

David

[Twincam]

Harley benton do a cheap short scale and it has a slight downsized body. Not a bad pickup if i remember right. Its 52 pound so you could rip the frets out yourself and you've not spent much. I used one for a week or two when i fancied trying a shortscale without spending much money.

http://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbp90bk_shortscale_ebass.htm

[DavidMcKay]

Twincam


Yep - happened upon it when I was searching earlier today.

I phoned a local guitar shop for a quote and they said they'd de-fret it for £90 - which included a full set up.

Thats twice the cost of the bass!

As for ripping them out myself - I could google how to do it - but do you have any tips or pointers?



Cheers,

David

[kodiakblair]

David

De-fretting is easy enough but gets fret pullers.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fret-Puller-for-Guitar-Bass-Luthier-tool-Bridge-Pin-Puller-Hardened-Steel-/131339829251?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item1e9476c003

and heat the frets with a soldering iron first to loosen them, then it's just a case of filling the neck with a veneer,trim them off then sand and coat.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pick-Your-Own-Wood-Veneer-Marquetry-Sheets-Can-Choose-Iron-on-or-Unglued-/290934693119?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&var=&hash=item43bd0f1cff

£6.50 for the pullers and £2 for veneer.

Or you could look for a Westone Thunder II fretless,they were medium scale basses.

[iiipopes]

It is pricey, but I believe Fender Japan makes a 32 inch scale fretless Jazz Bass

[Twincam]

Yeah as for a defret you can do it the correct way, or you can basically get a knife and get them out that way some pliers also help. I did this to a bass once purely as an experiment the bass was not worth anything!. It worked but it did not look great, i then got some filler and put that in sanded it down, then used flatwound strings. It worked ok. From a distance looked ok i guess.
You could then use household varnish over the top and then use nylon tapewound strings which would not mark the finish. Very cheap and very DIY but on a cheap harley benton shortscale and for a project i think that would be ok.
That is your cheapest option im thinking. Although a pro defret for 90 pound aint bad. My way costs all of a tenner, apart from the nylon tapewounds of course.