Linus27

My three fretless beauties. Top: Fender Precision 70's ressiue with American Vintage Pickups and custom Shuker maple neck finished in high gloss. Sounds fantastic and is beautiful to play. Middle: ESP 400 Series Jazz with Bartolini pickups and custom Shuker ebony neck. Made in Japan in the mid 80's at the Fender factory and is basically a Japanese 60's Reissue Fender Jazz. Bottom: Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray with Pau Ferro neck.

I quite like that, wouldn't mind it myself actually. I have an ESP 400 Series Jazz from around 86 and it's a great instrument.

I love playing vinyl, I love picking up old original jazz records and listening to them how they were originally intended. They sound absolutely fabulous on my system, warm, rich and full of character. To me this is what vinyl is all about. I don't really buy any new releases as it's a bit pointless but I have bought a few older 80' albums or some of the half speed remaster's and they have sounded great.

That's the amazing Derek Forbes but he was having a bit of an off day at the beginning

It does have a lovely tone. What's with the head movement thing though, it seems odd like its not normal or its some part of the act???

Gorgeous tone though, just everything else about it is so very wrong.

Here you go He just seemed to love playing them and Vigier even made him a few custom models

That's reminded me, I think Derek Forbes also switched to fretless Vigier, possibly when he was playing in Propaganda. I should of remembered, I only interviewed him once and we talked about it and why he chose Vigier and not another manufacturer like Warwick, Ernie Ball etc. hahaha I do remember those basses as well, I think @ped or @Dood on here played one???

Giblin also played an unlined fretless Japanese Fender Power Jazz and an unlined Stingray with Simple Minds. Derek Forbes played an unlined fretless Fender Precision with a maple board and Malcolm Foster played an unlined acoustic fretless bass in his stint with Simple Minds.

That's gorgeous 😍

Seen a few of those for sale on Ebay and been really tempted for a bit of retro fun.

Well, you'll ever know, his most famous bassline after all is classically inspired so who knows where ones inspiration comes from.

Yes, Pino is recognised mostly for his fretless playing but he states that Jamerson is his biggest influence and goes on to say that Motown, R&B and reggae was what he grew up listening to. Even his fretless lines are so heavily influenced by Jamerson if you listen to them.

Yes that's correct, Fender produced the fretless Precision first, I think it was 1970 or around them. It was unlined and available with either a rosewood or maple board. Fretless Jazz basses didn't come till much later, the 80's I think, maybe even later.

Pino has cited that James Jamerson was his biggest influence stemming from his love of Motown. Franklin's biggest influence being Jaco however is correct.

A fretless Ibanez Musician is high on my list of wants. I have the Sting maple Precision with maple board, just need the fretless Ibanez Musician 😁

Thanks Dave, I appreciate it 👍

Little video from last night's gig playing with the Tim Shez Band with some fretless goodness 😁

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.

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.

Thanks everyone, it seems apart from the looks which some don't like (I personally love the looks) there are no negative comments about this bass and all the comments on the sound of it is really positive. Definitely got to get myself one.

Has anyone got or played the Ibanez SHH500F fretless bass? I really like the look of them and think it might make a nice addition to my fretless Stingray, Jazz and Precision. The Piezo pickup will be something different to what I already have and from what I've read, they make a nice warm, round acoustic tone. Anyone got one and care to share their thoughts? Good basses, nice to play, sound, build quality etc.

45 - 100 here. I don't like going any lighter for the G string as I tend to find you lose a bit of oomph if you do.

Thank you, easily the best bass I have ever owned and played which is probably why I've kept it my entire bass life and it wont ever be leaving me 😁

This is my current lineup. The top one is a Fender Precision FSR 70's reissue with a custom Shuker maple fretless neck finished in high gloss. It's a replica of the one Sting used to play and is fantastic. For a Mexican Fender it is fabulous although the only thing left on it that's Mexican is the body and I've got no idea what wood they use. Pickups are US Vintage Fender, the pots have been changed and the neck is made by Shuker. Currently strung with Ernie Ball Cobalt Flats. In the middle is my 1986/87 ESP Series Jazz which was made at the Japanese Fender factory and is based on a 1966 Fender Jazz. It's basically a Japanese Fender Jazz and even the components are interchangeable. Even the original neck has exactly the same headstock and could of ended up with a Fender, ESP or Tokai decal on the headstock. This bass has seen all the action over 35 years from playing thousands of gigs, recording multiple albums, live radio and TV shows so it's pretty beaten up and sentimental. Its fitted with a set of Bartolini pickups which give it a smooth but dark sound and works great for fretless. Currently strung with either Rotosound or Elite Stadium rounds. The fretless neck is a custom one made by Shuker but I do have the original neck which is the nicest neck I have ever played so I may return it to it's original fretted status. It's high gloss and theres just something about Japanese basses that makes them very special. The bottom bass is my 2013 3EQ Ernie Ball Fretless Stingray which is new to me but seems to be working out. I'm not a fan of active basses but have always loved the Stingray and Pino is a big influence on me so I thought I'd give it a go. The neck is Pau Ferro which sounds quite nice, a little bit hard but does have a fantastic grain to it. I've done 2 gigs with it so far and I'm quite happy, its certainly comfortable to play, especially the neck but tonally its not as expressive as the Jazz. I think it's a keeper though. Currently strung with Rotosound rounds. I'd like to perhaps get one more bass but I'm not in any rush. I'm thinking either a Japanese Fender Jazz, either the Traditional 60's Fretless or a standard one and then get Shuker to make me a custom high gloss fretless neck. This could then replace my current fretless Jazz and I can return that to being fretted. I also like the look of the Ibanez SRH500F and as that has a Piezo pickup, it might be a nice alternative to some fretless tones.