MM Stingray 62 Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) Why aren’t Ernie Ball making fretless basses anymore? Edited April 28, 2023 by MM Stingray 62 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nige1968 Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 (edited) Covid / market forces? They have slimmed their range an awful lot but left the door open to bringing them back at some unspecified time. This forum might be the place to ask: https://forums.ernieball.com/threads/can-we-get-some-fretless-options-again.73076/ Edited April 28, 2023 by nige1968 Sp 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Stingray 62 Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 I’m getting one next week but a friend of mine is looking for one. They don’t tend to come up for sale that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killerfridge Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 They don't come up for sale often because they are incredible - no-one who owns one will sell! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ezbass Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 36 minutes ago, nige1968 said: Covid / market forces? They have slimmed their range an awful lot but left the door open to bringing them back at some unspecified time. This forum might be the place to ask: https://forums.ernieball.com/threads/can-we-get-some-fretless-options-again.73076/ They need Pino (or someone as high profile in the bass world) to play his fretless on a popular song again, with some like Laurie Latham mixing, that’ll surely spark some GAS in those who haven’t considered one and EB would probably more than happy to fill the gap. However, with the price of US models these days, maybe they should release them in the SBMM range. I defretted a US SUB (by I, I mean I had The Gallery do it and a top notch job it was too), which I eventually sold (smacks self sharply on back of head), sounded great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uk_lefty Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 I really really want a left handed fretless Stingray so if you come across one...! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Stingray 62 Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 No problem but right handed ones are hard to find so left handed ones must be almost impossible. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub_junkie Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 I just sold one. Lovely bass that was set up perfectly, I just preferred my G&L fretless (J pickups and ebony board vs humbucker and pau ferro) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 G&L fretless?? Now where did I leave that?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MM Stingray 62 Posted April 28, 2023 Author Share Posted April 28, 2023 I’ve never actually played a G&L but it’s definitely on my list to try one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueMoon Posted April 28, 2023 Share Posted April 28, 2023 G&l fretless basses are quite rare……….but available on s/h market from time to time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dub_junkie Posted April 29, 2023 Share Posted April 29, 2023 I bought the StingRay fretless with a view to seeing if it could oust my passive G&L JB-2 fretless. (I only want to keep the one fretless) I've owned a couple of Musicman fretless basses in the past and they are wonderful, it was just hard justifying keeping it when it cost me almost twice what the USA made G&L did. One thing about the MM is that I really loved the mid control on the fretless. I've tended to prefer 2EQ on fretted StingRays but the 3EQ was great on a fretless. Nothing that couldn't be adjusted for on your amp but with a fretless, better having it on the bass making it feel that bit more intuitive imo 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 On your marks... There's one for sale in the market place.... GO!! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted May 2, 2023 Share Posted May 2, 2023 (edited) There's also a Ray copy on eBay for £360. "One problem I’ve tried to fix and got half way with: the marker dots on the first octave are placed slightly wrong. So I’ve ‘redacted’ them and marked (using an accurate tuner) where they should be. The dots after the 12th fret are correct! " https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134547115664?hash=item1f53a20e90:g:ZL4AAOSwa0pkSWA8&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0HgvWhvgCP9xeuWkz7dBxJKgJu5C%2BeMsEcbVXULm3EdljcZu5kCHDFtgBwHkPkSB9%2F6ymKnwj3LNW0iEevoO6CCFnBlRXtBl%2F0WDE3yoeGIdDrerrDfZBeMWScOFLANgBRD479%2FxXEXe6teq7xljxq2RJf%2BnTBwM%2FrZsRvsltbX2oY5jbYHhBfCp9kfMXN0JSoK9oAycFIYP4tWtlQ2QLscFWXLfMyWg920pgIsJsA7BJI1tyRTmobxuimLyKMe%2BKV%2BXBD1%2Fvv1vTnL9unIM1Tw%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR8Tj2d77YQ Edited May 2, 2023 by TheGreek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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