Unlined fretless options on the cheap?

[Jonesy]

GAS being GAS, I've been playing with the idea of picking up a fretless over the past month or so. Maybe I'll play it loads, maybe it'll gather dust. Who knows? Either way it sounds like fun and something else to learn.

 

I've never picked up a fretless before the other week, but had a go on a couple of lined fretless in a shop, just to get an idea of what they're like....

 

Player Series Jazz - seemed Ok, fretboard was really dry, but that can be sorted.

 

Ibanez SRH500 - I liked it a lot more than I thought I would tbh, but wouldn't normally go for something that looks like it was designed after 1975.

 

Since playing those I've realised 2 things......I think I want to go unlined for more of a challenge and I don't want a sunburst J with no scratch plate.

 

I was thinking of spending £400 max and reckon my options are......

 

Revelation P bass. I'd probably prefer a PJ, but don't want sunburst.

 

Dimavery MM fretless

 

Fazley PJ fretless (although it is sunburst)

 

Or I look at lined options.....

 

Ibanez SR370. Despite what I said about the SRH500 looks, I quite like the 370 for some reason and have heard good things about the power span pups.

 

Or go left field......

 

I have a Harley Benton PJ that I bought as a deco and must have ended up with one of the only duds. The necks warped, but I could pick up a HB fretless and put the neck on the PJ body.

 

Or I do the same with a couple of Squiers and put a fretless neck on a non jazz body.

 

Has anyone got any views on the basses above or can throw some other ideas out there??

 

At the minute I'm leading towards the revelation as I've heard good things.....

 

[Waddycall]

I put one of these on a loaded squire jazz body I got off eBay. I also added a MM pickup later as well as a Kiogon loom.

necks really good. I had a lined fender neck on it originally but I wanted the challenge of going unlined and I didn’t need like the look of the fender fingerboard.

https://www.dv247.com/en_GB/GBP/Goeldo-NJFLF-Fretless-Neck-for-4-String-Jazz-Bass-Rosewood-/art-GIT0009714-000

 

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by Waddycall

[Jonesy]

Nice! Really like it without the control knobs too. 

 

Did you have to do much fettling with the neck, or does it drop straight in? I'm guessing it doesn't come predrilled too? And one last Q......are there side dots on the neck in the right place?

[zitherman]

I had never played fretless but i bought an ibanez portamento.really easy to play with great tones available.its unlined but has tiny fret markers that are allmost invisible to anyone watching.only sold mine when my jazz gig finished.i would think you would find one for your price bracket

[Jonesy]

I do like the look of those and when I was searching through the forum the Portamento was getting a lot of love. If one came up second hand and in budget I'd jump at it as I've heard nothing but good things.

 

However......trying to balance GAS vs the waiting game will be difficult!!

[Waddycall]

7 hours ago, Jonesy said:

Nice! Really like it without the control knobs too. 

 

Did you have to do much fettling with the neck, or does it drop straight in? I'm guessing it doesn't come predrilled too? And one last Q......are there side dots on the neck in the right place?

There was no nut, no tuners, and no predrilled fixing holes so it takes a little bit of work but it’s not tricky.

there are side dots at 3,5,7, etc note positions (not between fret positions like some)

[Paolo85]

That's probably what you meant with buying a HB for the neck but unlined there's the HB B-450fl. I have never tried it though

[Bunion]

Not mine, just on the market place 

[MrSpace]

2 hours ago, Paolo85 said:

...HB B-450fl...

I have this one, I am very happy with it. And yes it is fun! Less than half of your budget though. Completely unlined. Dots are aligned with the fret positions, not between the frets. 

Edited July 6, 2022 by MrSpace
Finger trouble

[Jonesy]

2 hours ago, Waddycall said:

There was no nut, no tuners, and no predrilled fixing holes so it takes a little bit of work but it’s not tricky.

there are side dots at 3,5,7, etc note positions (not between fret positions like some)

 

Ta for the extra info. I could get away with doing most of that, but would have to tap out when it comes to drilling holes I reckon.

 

2 hours ago, Paolo85 said:

That's probably what you meant with buying a HB for the neck but unlined there's the HB B-450fl. I have never tried it though

 

Ah, I didn't know HB did an unlined fretless. Ta for the heads up, I doubt that neck would fit in the PJ body I have, but the bass itself is another option.

[Paul S]

I had a Westone Thunder 1a fretless and it was quality. At the time the 'industry standard' for value fret less was a Squier VM Jazz and the Westone totally outclassed it. 

[Jonesy]

Good shout! I've seen a couple of thunders come up here and there and will keep an eye out for one.

 

I hear P&O also look out for them when they need boat anchors, what was yours like?

[Paul S]

Covered in barnacles but I just scraped them off 😁

[Franticsmurf]

I have a Harley Benson JB75 fretless (lined). Mine is great, set up remains as it was out of the box, nice tone. Very, very heavy though.

[Russ]

A good bargain is the Revelation RPJ-77 - good build quality and excellent pickups. Unlined too. Can be had for £250-ish. 

 

https://www.revelationguitars.co.uk/guitar/rpj-77-fretless/

 

Edited July 8, 2022 by Russ

[Jonesy]

I'm going to sound extremely fickle here.......but I'd rather not another sunburst bass. Otherwise the revelation PJ would be my go to choice. In an ideal world I'd have an unlined PJ in lake placid blue......but without the £2.3k price tag the Tony Franklin comes with. However, I think revelation are the way forward. I spoke to them the other day and they should have the unlined P in the UK in the next month or so....but in white now as the red is discontinued.

 

The Dimavery MM is an interesting choice though. From what I hear they're up there with Harley Benton in terms of quality and equally cheap.

[Bunion]

What basses do you already have? You could get a fretless neck from all parts 

[Jonesy]

Good point!

 

I was thinking that the only body I'd be happy to put a fretless neck on would be the Harley Benton PJ. However, I do have a G&L SB2 Tribute that I could see if I could find a fretless neck for.....

 

The only unlined neck I could see on allparts was a finished PBass one for £407. I'll do some measuring and see if it'd fit. My only drawback is that I think I could get a decent fretless bass outright by the time I factor in the cost of fitting a decent neck. 

 

The G&L tribute Kiloton fretless is tempting (despite being sunburst and lined) at just over £480. It'd be nice to try one before ordering one in though. 

[tauzero]

As your budget seems to be constantly expanding, you could also look out for an Ibanez SRF700 - fret-marked but not lined, lots of sound options. You might be able to pick one up for £500ish, less if you're lucky.

[Jonesy]

My budget is about £400 max, but I'd be happier picking up something for nearer £200 to be honest. 

 

Has anyone played an Aria Magna fretless? There's an unlined one come up near me for pretty cheap. I found a thread with people talking about the fretted version and it seems the post MIJ Aria stuff is ok, nothing to write home about but decent enough if it's the right price?

[Brother Jones]

I hate to appear contrary, but...why does it have to be unlined? 

 

I've played fretless a lot, live, studio, you name it. And yes, side dots, muscle memory are very helpful. 

 

But so are lines. Even Jaco had lines.

[Jonesy]

I think in an ideal world it'd be unlined, but I'm not completely against lined. More like 80% against it 😆

 

From what little experience I've had playing fretless (which is only about 45mins, so very little!), it just felt like having lines was a bit like having stabilisers on. I don't look at my left hand lots when playing, but I kind of want to remove the safety net and I reckon unlined would be more of a challenge.

 

The other reason probably has something to do with Jaco. A lot of basses in the budget fretless world are Jaco clones and I'd rather not have a lined sunburst jazz without a scratch plate.

[bartelby]

4 hours ago, Brother Jones said:

Even Jaco had lines.

 

This is up there with "Jaco only needed 4 strings"  for tired old trites.
 

Surprisingly not every bass player wants to be like Jaco...

[Paolo85]

5 hours ago, Brother Jones said:

I hate to appear contrary, but...why does it have to be unlined? 

 

I've played fretless a lot, live, studio, you name it. And yes, side dots, muscle memory are very helpful. 

 

But so are lines. Even Jaco had lines.

I play fretless purely for fun. No band, no studio. That seem to be Jonesy's plan as well at the moment. Have owned two unlined and two lined. I find that I enjoy unlined much more. Having the lines pushes me to look more. Not having them pushed me to listen more. Ultimately I have settled on a lined HB JB75fl because for what I am looking for, you cannot beat it in terms of value for money. But sometimes I think about replacing it with an unlined. Which is why I am following this thread closely. But it looks like options are not infinite on a budget.

[Jonesy]

1 hour ago, Paolo85 said:

I play fretless purely for fun. No band, no studio. That seem to be Jonesy's plan as well at the moment. Have owned two unlined and two lined. I find that I enjoy unlined much more. Having the lines pushes me to look more. Not having them pushed me to listen more. Ultimately I have settled on a lined HB JB75fl because for what I am looking for, you cannot beat it in terms of value for money. But sometimes I think about replacing it with an unlined. Which is why I am following this thread closely. But it looks like options are not infinite on a budget.

 

Bang on. This is definitely something for me to have a go at rather than play in a band with (maybe one day I will though?) and I think the way you've put it about unlined forcing you to listen more is what I what unlined for too.

 

I think the only options for unlined at the bottom end are.....

 

The 2 Revelations......

 

https://www.revelationguitars.co.uk/guitar/rpb-65-fretless/

 

https://www.revelationguitars.co.uk/guitar/rpj-77-fretless/

 

DiMavery.....although I have no idea what it'll be like

https://www.ltt-versand.de/en/sound/musical-instruments/basses/34627/dimavery-mm-501-e-bass-fretless-nature?gclid=CjwKCAjwoMSWBhAdEiwAVJ2ndrAH0Bjks_No6ISjnQpGNsFee1MCAfe_N3qoQcydblywEdcI1S9oqhoC51UQAvD_BwE

 

Stagg BC300FL

 

Vintage V940FL

 

 

 

And that's pretty much it unless we're looking second hand and can pick up some sort of Aria or Westone. I think Warwick made a Rock bass fretless too.

 

Out of those I think I'm leaning toward a 2nd hand Westone (or similar, if one turns up) or a Revelation.