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SOLD - Wilkes Fretless
£299
North East UK


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Posted (edited)

Beautiful example of late 80’s Doug Wilkes Fretless, set up by himself about 5 years ago. Brazilian mahogany body, Canadian rock maple neck, Indian rosewood board, Schaller hardware. One humbucker and one neck set piezo pickups. Sounds and plays like a dream, fantastic value for money.

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Edited by MB1
  • Like 8
Posted

I had the same in Black with an ebony board + quarter markers!

Was my main Bass most of the mid-late'80's...…. served me very well!

GLWTS

Gaucho

 

Posted

That's a crazy, crazy bargain for a high-quality, hand-made vintage bass. Would bite your arm off if it had cheat lines!

Posted

Fabulous luthier and fabulous bass - I agree entirely with the above!  Crazy bargain - these are beautiful instruments and the equal of pretty much any contemporary hand-built in the UK

Posted (edited)

The famous ‘slap plates’ bass! I must now go to my happy place and repeat the mantra, “I don’t need three fretless basses.”

EDIT: Oh hang on, that’s the piezo p/up (should’ve gone to a more reputable optician). I think I’m safe - phew!

Edited by ezbass
Posted
26 minutes ago, ezbass said:

The famous ‘slap plates’ bass! I must now go to my happy place and repeat the mantra, “I don’t need three fretless basses.”

EDIT: Oh hang on, that’s the piezo p/up (should’ve gone to a more reputable optician). I think I’m safe - phew!

You’re right about the slap plates - that was exactly their purpose.

I had one of these in the ‘80s, mine being exactly the same but in black, and equally markerless 🙂

I believe the actual name of the bass was a “Wilkes Percussive Fretless”.

CB 

Posted

I owned this bass for a while Years ago it is an excellent example of Doug’s work. A steal at the price. GLWTS

Posted

Definitely percussive with "slap plates" !

Ash did I not sell you mine many years ago???

Gaucho

Posted
46 minutes ago, Gaucho 5 said:

Definitely percussive with "slap plates" !

Ash did I not sell you mine many years ago???

Gaucho

Yes probably I’ve had four of them over the years. Always searching for the right bass and then I go back to my old Precisions and the Grabber! 

  • Like 1
Posted

Here's the full text of his apology, posted in 'Status',  a newbie can't be expected to navigate himself around our site as well as us old uns..!

'Hello everyone, just wanted to offer apologies for my perceived rudeness. I have been targeted by courier scammers on other platforms so may have become over sensitive. Sorry. I should have been clear I will only sell in a direct meeting and that’s not easy in these crazy times. 
Having said all that, the bass is still there and I’m sure I can work out how to deliver to the lucky buyer

Best


Mike'

  • Like 6
  • Thanks 2
Posted (edited)

Tidied the post. Please keep all personal comments to PM's.
Back to selling the bass.

Thanks
Si

Edited by Sibob
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 2
Posted

This has got to be #1 on the Ludicrous Bargains list this week. Superb classic bass for an absolute steal. GLWTS!

23 hours ago, Bassassin said:

Would bite your arm off if it had cheat lines!

At that price, you could get a luthier to add lines and you'd still have a bargain bass.

  • Like 3
Posted
41 minutes ago, Rich said:

This has got to be #1 on the Ludicrous Bargains list this week. Superb classic bass for an absolute steal. GLWTS!

At that price, you could get a luthier to add lines and you'd still have a bargain bass.

At this price, you could even view it as a “losing the cheat-lines dependency” trainer 🙂

Only small complaint I had about my Wilkes Percussive Fretless back in the day was that the body was heavy. Someone else will be able to confirm or deny my memory in that regard.

CB

  • Like 1
Posted

Yes, but I had mine back in the day when there were very few lightweights around..... and I was a much younger, fitter and devilishly handsome Gaucho back then …...:tatice_03:

  • Haha 1
Posted

Just heard from Mike- who was very nice after the intial misunderstanding- the bass has been sold. So good luck to whoever got it. 

  • Rich changed the title to SOLD - Wilkes Fretless
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