Jaco has ruined fretless

[Jonbob]

I'm being harsh, Jaco is awesome, but of course there are others, Pino, Tony Franklin and a whole host of others who have dabbled and come up with something beautifully creative.

 

My point is, however, that all "budget" fretless basses appear to think we want to be Jaco clones rather than individuals.

 

The standard is, especially for fender styled instruments, has become the stereotypical sunburst jazz bass, now usually with a lined fretless neck.

 

I like jazz basses, I like p basses, I don't like sunburst finishes and I'd prefer a non lined neck! Arrrgh

 

How about a simple squier pj in black with an unlined neck? Franklin style? Or a Jaco noir? Red? Natural....Surf Green?.... don't know maybe I'm on my own here.

 

I have a tatty old hacked about ibby roadster fretless maple neck in white, it's great but I'd like to match the rest of the collection somewhat as it stands out like a sore thumb...maybe a refinish is in order.

 

 

 

 

[Doddy]

Sire make a fretless in a bunch of different finishes. Sure, they have lined fingerboards but it's not really a big deal. Most people who are going to be buying a budget fretless will likely be people who are just starting to dabble on fretless and will probably prefer fret lines.

[kodiakblair]

@Jonbob

 

How about a black 6 string for £150 , is that different enough ?

 

[lownote]

Try the Revelation.  Under £200 new, in a white or red P bass, PJ or Jazz style.  Beautifully made, unlined with dots on the main fret positions. Here's mine.  I've put a KiOgon loom in with Tonerider pups but the original Entwhistle pups and looms are mighty fine.

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by lownote

[Linus27]

Oh dont get me started on this, absolutely boils my blood, partly because I physically can't buy a bass I want as it's not available and especially the whole lined fretless neck thing. I have no issue with people wanting to play a lined fretless bass but c'mon, at least give us the option. Fender back in the 70's released the fretless Precision and can you buy one now, nope, not unless you want a cheaper lined Squire or a super expensive high quality signature model. Absolutely nothing in between. How about Jazz basses, again, nope, not unless you want lined. I grew up listening to Pino, Sting, John Giblin (Kate Bush and Simple Minds), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Derek Forbes (Simple Minds), Paul Webb (Talk Talk), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Mick Khan (Japan) to name a few and who all played unlined fretless basses. I adored their unlined fretless Fender Precisions, Stingray's, Wal's and Ibanez Musicians. I'd never even heard of Jaco until the late 90's and lined fretless basses were not even a thing. 

 

I gave up in the end and had my own necks made for my Fender's and bought a Stingray when one eventually became available. With the amount of special editions, remakes and models Fender churn out each year, I just wish they would make a bog standard US Jazz and Precision with an unlined fretless neck or at least make it an option to choose lined, unlined or fretted like a few other manufacturers offer. At least be brave and make an FSR fretless Jazz and Precision if you don't want to take too big a risk, just make sure the neck is unlined. I just think its incredibly lazy of Fender and I have predominantly played Fender's for the last 35 years. I'd love to give my money to Fender for an unlined standard fretless Jazz or Precision but sadly they don't make them and haven't for years so my money went to Ernie Ball. Rant over.

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by Linus27

[lownote]

I am a unlined fan, but doing a SBL jazz course with the need to go north for soloing and chords I did find that quite hard.  £138 for a very nice lined Harley Benton jazz bass (Jaco clone ) gave me the option of easy navigation up the dusty end.. So I prefer unlined up to the 9th fret and wouldn't mind a hand above that, either width lines or stub lines (a la Ibo Portamento).  I think when I order my custom Overwater I'll ask for a hybrid neck of that spec. 

[SpondonBassed]

1 hour ago, Jonbob said:

a sore thumb

 

AKA a purple Warwick.

[SteveXFR]

Just be grateful you aren't a lefty as well, then your choices will be even more limited. 

I guess the problem is a lack of demand. 

[Jonbob]

3 hours ago, Linus27 said:

Oh dont get me started on this, absolutely boils my blood, partly because I physically can't buy a bass I want as it's not available and especially the whole lined fretless neck thing. I have no issue with people wanting to play a lined fretless bass but c'mon, at least give us the option. Fender back in the 70's released the fretless Precision and can you buy one now, nope, not unless you want a cheaper lined Squire or a super expensive high quality signature model. Absolutely nothing in between. How about Jazz basses, again, nope, not unless you want lined. I grew up listening to Pino, Sting, John Giblin (Kate Bush and Simple Minds), John Taylor (Duran Duran), Derek Forbes (Simple Minds), Paul Webb (Talk Talk), Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel), Mick Khan (Japan) to name a few and who all played unlined fretless basses. I adored their unlined fretless Fender Precisions, Stingray's, Wal's and Ibanez Musicians. I'd never even heard of Jaco until the late 90's and lined fretless basses were not even a thing. 

 

I gave up in the end and had my own necks made for my Fender's and bought a Stingray when one eventually became available. With the amount of special editions, remakes and models Fender churn out each year, I just wish they would make a bog standard US Jazz and Precision with an unlined fretless neck or at least make it an option to choose lined, unlined or fretted like a few other manufacturers offer. At least be brave and make an FSR fretless Jazz and Precision if you don't want to take too big a risk, just make sure the neck is unlined. I just think its incredibly lazy of Fender and I have predominantly played Fender's for the last 35 years. I'd love to give my money to Fender for an unlined standard fretless Jazz or Precision but sadly they don't make them and haven't for years so my money went to Ernie Ball. Rant over.

 

How beautiful are these.... exactly what I'm talking about

[Jonbob]

3 hours ago, lownote said:

I am a unlined fan, but doing a SBL jazz course with the need to go north for soloing and chords I did find that quite hard.  £138 for a very nice lined Harley Benton jazz bass (Jaco clone ) gave me the option of easy navigation up the dusty end.. So I prefer unlined up to the 9th fret and wouldn't mind a hand above that, either width lines or stub lines (a la Ibo Portamento).  I think when I order my custom Overwater I'll ask for a hybrid neck of that spec. 

Even the Harley Jaco clone is now lined. At Harley price I'd have consider buying a black fretted and a Jaco clone then swapped the necks, alas not possible anymore

[Jonbob]

3 hours ago, lownote said:

Try the Revelation.  Under £200 new, in a white or red P bass, PJ or Jazz style.  Beautifully made, unlined with dots on the main fret positions. Here's mine.  I've put a KiOgon loom in with Tonerider pups but the original Entwhistle pups and looms are mighty fine.

 

Just checked out the red one, mighty fine looking!

[Old Horse Murphy]

I completely agree with the (for me) uninspiring preponderance of lined Jazz/Jaco clones, so decided to go down a different route and make my own. 
 

The unlined rosewood neck is from a Fender Japan Jazz, EMG pickups and loom and a custom made P Bass body. I think all in it probably cost me £600, which was IMO a good deal compared to what is available in the market that gives me something somewhere close to what I wanted. 

Edited January 29, 2022 by Old Horse Murphy

[Boodang]

As a lifelong fretless player the lack of choice is deeply frustrating. I think there was more variety back in the 80s & 90s. It's a shame when a new bass comes out they don't add fretless as an option, even if it's a special order.

A while ago I went into my local shop to ask if they were going to get the Squier VM Jazz fretless in stock (it has a resin board which is quite rare) but they said no as it would probably just hang on the wall for years. Things like that are what drives to you to just get a custom bass and have done with it.

Having said that, the Ibanez SRF looks an interesting option.

[paul_5]

20 minutes ago, Old Horse Murphy said:

I completely agree with the (for me) uninspiring preponderance of lined Jazz/Jaco clones, so decided to go down a different route and make my own. 
 

The unlined rosewood neck is from a Fender Japan Jazz, EMG pickups and loom and a custom made P Bass body. I think all in it probably cost me £600, which was IMO a good deal compared to what is available in the market that gives me something somewhere close to what I wanted. 

 

Assembling/building your own is absolutely the way to go with fretless, unless you're prepared to drop some serious coin on having a luthier do it. The beauty of the Fender bass is that necks and bodies are pretty much interchangeable, and if you don't mind putting a bit of work in you can reward yourself with an amazing instrument that's significantly cheaper than it would be anywhere else.

 

My main squeeze looks a lot like yours - oiled and sealed wood is my favourite finish too.

[SpondonBassed]

18 minutes ago, Boodang said:

As a lifelong fretless player the lack of choice is deeply frustrating. I think there was more variety back in the 80s & 90s.

 

True enough.  I bought mine in the eighties.

 

 

Edited January 29, 2022 by SpondonBassed

[Linus27]

It is deeply frustrating but what's more frustrating is that Fender do make fretless basses, for example the Squire Jazz and Precision and the Mexican Fender Jazz but they are all lined. The only unlined bass they make is the Tony Franklin signature Precision which is over £2000. So it's not like they are not embracing the fretless bass but they are being incredibly lazy or naive to not cater for the player in the middle who wants a solid workhorse and have the option of an unlined board. Even having it as an option or the option of buying a separate neck from their store like you can with other components would be a start.

[NickA]

Doesn't cost much to get an unlined board fitted to a standard neck... you get to choose the wood (!or wood substitute) too. 

[Grahambythesea]

Whilst I’m happy with a lined neck, it does seem a bit bizarre, it must be cheaper to make an unlined neck, less cutting.

[lemmywinks]

Harley Benton have the Progressive as previously mentioned as well as a violin bass for £166 and the fancy neck through for £255:

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_beatbass_fl_vs_vintage_series.htm

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_hbz_2005fl_nt_deluxe_series.htm

 

Gear 4 Music have a cheap starter fretless with an unlined board too.

Edited January 30, 2022 by lemmywinks

[BlueMoon]

I have agree that the choice of unlined fretless basses from the more common manufacturers is quite limited. I grabbed a MIJ jazz from the early 90s. Inexpensive and plays nicely.

 

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, Grahambythesea said:

Whilst I’m happy with a lined neck, it does seem a bit bizarre, it must be cheaper to make an unlined neck, less cutting.

 

I suppose it depends how much of the process is automated. Lined fretless has the side dots in the same place as fretted, so the process is identical until the frets or fretlines get stuck in.

[Grimalkin]

20 hours ago, Jonbob said:

I'm being harsh, Jaco is awesome, but of course there are others, Pino, Tony Franklin and a whole host of others who have dabbled and come up with something beautifully creative.

 

My point is, however, that all "budget" fretless basses appear to think we want to be Jaco clones rather than individuals.

 

 

 

 

 

Jaco was Pino's and Franklin's biggest influence. The lines are there to allow someone to play in tune along the whole scale length of the board. The problem with unlined basses, is that woodpeckers tend to burrow in and build a nest above the twelfth fret. Nice an quiet up there.

[Grimalkin]

The bottom line is, do you want to go for style? Or substance?

 

The main reason for an unlined board IME of asking, was that they looked cooler.

 

 

Edited January 30, 2022 by Grimalkin

[Boodang]

I've always been an unlined player until a few years ago when I picked up a Squier VM fretless for the only reason it had a resin board... but it was lined. I don't know why, but at first the lines confused the hell out of me, I was all over the place. But I persevered and now I like it, especially up the dusty end. 

However, there is one interesting affect. On the unlined, I have no preference for a tonal centre but with the lined I find some keys more comfortable than others .... it's almost like unlined is a blank canvas whereas lined is more caged. 

PS. I do like the resin board which is now my fav finish for a fretless. Just need to find an unlined one now.

[chris_b]

Jaco ruined fretless for me.

 

I was getting on just fine with my self de-fretted bass, then Jaco came along and showed what fretless could really do and moved the whole game so far out of my reach that I had to go back to frets!!