Superceded by new FS post

[Schnozzalee]

I put up whatever price breaks even or would please me first, buyer second. I'd expect that as a buyer too. Only when i'm in financial trouble will I drop it below. If it takes someones fancy, they'll pay for it without making a lower offer - I always seem to do that with Charvel gear :wub: . Also I dont think a fretless should be worth less than a fretted ever. Getting it fretted is criminal, I started on a fretless and the feel/sound is beautiful but I wouldn't play it exclusively, half the time though at least.

Fretless P's create my favourite tone, I reckon I could manage the neck too. Question is P retro or no P retro?? Lovely bass, would pitch an offer if I could own more than one

I love S/R/T finishes...and lamp

[Musicman20]

Thats a beautiful fretless Clarky, and looks worthy of even more money than you would like for it. Amazing condition for its age.

[Schnozzalee]

Rosewoods a harder board than maple for starters, so less wear. 78's are more common too (I think!) Personally, I think you should give a couple o months worth of play to see if you like it first. You got TI's on it so your already half way lol.

[Clarky]

Thanks for your comments chaps. The irony is Vintage & Rare is still showing my bass for sale on their website at £1,795! Link: [url="http://vintageandrareguitars.com/web/our-catalogue/Fender/Electric-Basses/item/6285"]http://vintageandrareguitars.com/web/our-c...asses/item/6285[/url]

If someone is after one of these rare beasties in near-mint condition in (to my mind) the perfect combination of sunburst/tort[or black]/rosewood I am sure they will find this thread when they search the FS forum and can PM me.

[Sibob]

At least this has kept it at the top!

Si

[johnnylager]

[quote name='Clarky' post='848279' date='May 26 2010, 10:23 AM']...a Nash Jazz)[/quote]
Splitter.

[Clarky]

[quote name='johnnylager' post='849251' date='May 27 2010, 10:52 AM']Splitter.[/quote]
The neck on Nash JB-63's has P width (1.625 inch) and is well chunky (its actually chunkier than my 72P) ... So its a Precision-lovers Jazz. Was going to say a man's Jazz but that would get me flamed (and it sounds a bit porno)!

Edited May 27, 2010 by Clarky

[Shaggy]

[quote name='Clarky' post='846340' date='May 24 2010, 10:58 AM']Thanks Shaggy! Check post 3 in this thread - shows it with its Bass Doc-crafted tort pickguard [/quote]

Doh! Lush - didn't see those first time

Glad you didn’t pull the rug on this; no way is it overpriced. V&R prices seem a bit steep to us tight BC’ers but are generally a pretty good gauge of book price since the vintage market is largely collector-driven. Davo’s bass was mega cheap – I would have snapped that up if I hadn’t been skint then. As pointed out too; maple boards look fab but you’re pretty much stuck with flats on them so as not to chew the board up, so a rosewood board is far more versatile. (I'm building a "vintage" maple-board project now, but only because I've already got an ebony-board fretless)

Absolute worse case – as long as you go for something a tad pricier, you should be able to p/x back with V&R and get what you paid back against it or close to it - they’ve always got some tasty old Fenders in. But as I reckon we’ve got similar tastes (old P’s, Ricks & T’birds) I absolutely urge you to try a ‘60’s Thunderbird if you possibly can, or failing that a bicentennial / 70’s one. You won’t look back, especially being well sorted Fender-wise already.

Edited May 27, 2010 by Shaggy

[Clarky]

Thanks for the comments and the advice Shaggy. Very much appreciated!

[Clarky]

Well, got my digital scales today and I was wrong. This weighs 10lbs dead on. So does Sid and my Nash Jazz. My Alembic weighs 9.7 lbs and my T'bird about 9 lbs. My only light bass it seems is my 72 Precision (8.5 lbs). Funny thing is I didn't think there was that much between them all! Which either proves I am butch or just rubbish at guessing weights ...

Edited May 28, 2010 by Clarky

[Happy Jack]

I can't "feel" a difference of much less than a pound without scales. If I pick up a bass, I can usually gauge its weight reasonably well, but I'm never surprised to find that I'm 1/2 a pound out.

The bit of me that can gauge the weight really accurately is my left shoulder! If I play a bass weighing more than 10lbs for 30 minutes or so it starts creaking.

[Clarky]

Bump for a beautiful fretless Fender that I am too cr@p to play!

[Beedster]

[quote name='Clarky' post='852811' date='May 31 2010, 06:33 PM']Bump for a beautiful fretless Fender that I am too cr@p to play![/quote]

I know it's really annoying to get a post like this on a a For Sale thread, but FFS stick with it Clarky. Have you given this bass a chance? No. Do you need the money? No. Are you short of basses? No. Your tastes and needs will doubtless change over the coming months/years, and when they do, you'll wish you'd stuck with this beauty for sure. And if not, and if it's as good as you say, stick with it if only for the financial investment, it is not a good time to sell. Fretless bass is NOT hard to master, you may need to tweak your EQ/monitoring a little to make sure you use your ears as opposed to your eyes on stage, but in my experience, that process means you EQ to the total band sound as opposed to the 'bass sound in your head' anyway, so generally a good thing. I'm no great player but I love to gig fretless every now and again, it sounds different, the timing changes slightly due to the way the note grows, the band, and sometimes even the audience seem to like it, and I have a real sense of achievement when I come off stage.

I'll look after it for you if you like

C

[Jerry_B]

Practice practice practice, I say Playing a fretless can be tricky to start with, but it pays to persevere. And then one day it just 'works' And this bass is too nice to shut away in a cupboard.

[waynepunkdude]

I'm with you buddy, I'm trying to play Lovecats on mine.

[tino]

[quote name='Clarky' post='852917' date='May 31 2010, 08:25 PM']I hear you mate and appreciate the sentiments and efforts to dissuade me! In fact, given the distinct sound of tumbleweed since I put this up FS, I think I will put it away in a cupboard and treat it as an investment and - when I have more time - maybe take it up again. Mrs Clarky has similar sentiments and she's a wise owl (not that I married an owl, for the avoidance of doubt).

OK, beat into submission by Beedster and Mrs Clarky - its withdrawn! I need to pay for my Nash though so the Thunderbird has to sell!

PS, Chris, the Nash is a Jazz I guarantee you would actually like![/quote]
Dont suppose a Rickys any use to you??? against the Fender ........I tried fretless once,I left the band the very same night!!! By left I mean.....

[martthebass]

[quote name='Beedster' post='852905' date='May 31 2010, 08:14 PM']And if not, and if it's as good as you say, stick with it if only for the financial investment, it is not a good time to sell.[/quote]

I'll certainly agree with this Chris. Think I'd have to drop the price of my Fretless Ray to £500 before it went.....ain't gonna happen.

Clarky, glad you've decided to give it another go mate.

[Jerry_B]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='853007' date='May 31 2010, 09:38 PM']I'm with you buddy, I'm trying to play Lovecats on mine.[/quote]

That's a good one to start with, as it has a similar sound to a fretless (double bass, I think). If anything, it's harder to train the ear to play songs on a fretless when the originals are played on a fretted bass. I started with some of the easier Bauhaus and Tones On Tail bass lines before moving onto their more advanced stuff.

[Clarky]

OK a month has elapsed since I put this on ice after heavy pressure from certain quarters! I haven't played it and have had no desire to play it. I am not a fretless person and likely never will be. It's simply too much money tied up in a beautiful bass that's sat in it's case and I can think of other things I could use the money for. So it's back up for £1500 ono or trade against a quality 5'er (Sadowsky, Alembic)

PS Chris before you try and dissuade me again I could always buy another fretless at a later date if I ever needed/wanted one but I really can't see that happening!

Edit: as this runs to three pages, the best pics are in post 3 (with new Bass Doc-sourced 70's style tort guard on) and post 1 (the Vintage & Rare pics with its original black guard on - which is safely stored in the case)

Edited June 27, 2010 by Clarky

[Clarky]

More specifically, would trade against

Alembic Essence/Elan/Europa/Orion 5 (don't like Rogue, Elan or Series bodies shapes)

Sadowsky Metro or NYC 5 (black/oly white/sonic blue/seafowm gree - sorry, not lurid quilt maple tops eg, bright blue/red etc)

As usual, would prefer hard cash! Would go down to £1400 for a quick cash deal with handover in London (by quick I mean in next week, or goes back to £1500 ono)