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You could have a look at the new Warwick Rock Basses - here's one on e-bay (US only) [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WARWICK-ROCKBASS-FRETLESS-STREAMER-STD-4-STRING-BASS_W0QQitemZ300407232845QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item45f1aa994d#ht_11022wt_1146"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/WARWICK-ROCKBASS-FRE...ht_11022wt_1146[/url] Don't know if they are out over here yet mind. You could also look out for a Warwick Streamer Standard - these had the ovankol necks of the more expensive basses (and a nice ebony fingerboard) but more simple body construction and passive MEC pickups. Had one for a few years and kind of regret selling it. Really nice tone. Should be able to pick one up second hand for £250-300 depending on condition. Worth a look !

+1 to the Status graphite neck - I have a P-Bass unlined fretless neck on a jazz bass of mine and it is the dogs danglies. I'd say it is a B-spec width rather than a big chunky C-spec - so not as traumatic for those coming from a Jazz bass. These guys are worth a try - [url="http://www.edenhaus.com/bass.htm"]http://www.edenhaus.com/bass.htm[/url] - got a nice ash Jazz bass body from them. Would seriously consider getting a body and neck from them to build a bass of my own too. You can always try E-bay. Finally - why not go see Mr Shuker on how to build a bass of your own - [url="http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/course.htm"]http://www.shukerguitars.co.uk/course.htm[/url] - I could get seriously tempted !

With the US models the law of diminishing returns plays a big effect. The biggest difference is that a US BG will have graphite inserts in the neck - so added stiffness will be the upshot - you may expect a little bit more definition to notes - in particular above the 12th fret on the E and A strings. I had a US BG for a while and certainly noted that . The quality of woods used will be higher. A nice touch is maple dots for the rosewood necks and ebony dots for the maple necks. Other than that you are paying for body/headstock colours that do not come on the standard Skyline instruments. Pickups/electronics are the same (Lindy Fralin) although I dare say you could spec in Laklands own pickups at added cost if you wanted them. I believe a bit more attention to detail is put in to constructing the instrument and the set up as well.

Here's a P-Bass with a blocked/bound P-bass neck [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13622&hl"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=13622&hl[/url]

I used to have one just like the one on top - yes - it was a tad heavy - comets and asteroids used to get deflected off their natural orbits round the sun. With that Moog circuitry on board you could destroy amplifiers just by bringing it into the same room as the amplifier - the on-board compressor was a beast ! Happy daze - not that my shoulder would agree with you......

Check them out..... [url="http://www.lakland.com/images/skyline-anouncement.jpg"]http://www.lakland.com/images/skyline-anouncement.jpg[/url] Like the Inca Silver Duck Dunn and Osbournes with blocks

Lindy Fralin do a P/J set but where the "J" is not a single coil but a humbucker just like the "P" - I believe they call it a linear humbucker. I had a set in a US Lakland Bob Glaub and sounded superb - the bridge "J" was a smidge more full bodied than a single coil "J" but had a nice amount of attack and clang - good for Who covers ! If and when I have a P/J equipped bass up and running again I'll certainly go down the Fralin route.....

I'll go with all the Percy Jones tracks on Brand X's Do they Hurt album - still freaks me out to this day - a virtual Percy Jones solo album. Palewell Park - Jeff Berlin - on the Bruford album Gradually Going Tornado. Jean-Jacques Burnels's solo on Genetix from the Raven album - lots of other great moments on that album too ! Geddy Lee's little jazzy break in La Villa Strangiato (you know the one). Jeff Berlin - Water on the Brain Part 2 from the Alan Holdsworth album Road Games. I'm not the biggest Jeff Berlin fan in the world, especially when he opens his mouth - but when he plays - he does have his moments...

Went last time he played the Crosskeys and really enjoyed what he got up to. Quite a different approach from the norm (whatever that is) but well worth a listen. [url="http://www.sirhowy.com/iagcprog.html"]http://www.sirhowy.com/iagcprog.html[/url] Venue is near Newport in South Wales if you're wondering where it is !

The Jazz bass neck pick up does come close - there is no doubt that with modern eq and effects you could get something darn close to a P-bass. Remember however that the P-bass pickup is a humbucker whilst in the Jazz is a single coil - so it is going to have a good bit more bottom end thump than a single coil. You could of course get some twin coil Jazz bass pickups - like the DiMarzio Super Jazz pickups - i.e., they don't suffer the electromegnetic interference that normal Jazz bass pickups do and tonally, certainly in the neck position, have a good bit more welly than standard Jazz bass pickups. [url="http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/"]http://www.dimarzio.com/site/#/pickups/[/url] I have these on a fretless Jazz and find them more versatile than "normal" Jazz pickups Wasn't Pink Floyds "Hey You" David Gilmour on his JayDee fretless - wonderful tone - wonderful playing.......

Note (maple) fretless Ibanez Roadster in background ! The natural maple fretless he used in the late 70's is the bass I always associate with him - it apparently got stolen - so after a bout of fretless Ibanez, Spector, Hamer (8-string fretless, for one video !) he ended up with 53 and 55 P-basses. I don't know but with all that money you'd think he could afford to get a nice new bass If you want a replica of his natural fretless P-bass then the closest you will get for reasonable money is Fender Japan P-bass - the model number is PB70-84US/FL I got one in 2006 and took the neck off it and put it on a 3-tone sunburst P-bass body - love it to bits.

Great job ! Here's hoping you can record a wee sample of what it sounds like as was mentioned earlier. Interesting to note the tonal differences between the Hipshot and original bridges. I'm still gassing after a montezuma brown 4003 with gold pickguard/truss-rod cover and toaster neck pick up - one day. Now you NEED a fretted one

Bummer ! I'm out of the country that day with work. Could have brought Nash 58 P-Bass, Jazz bass with Status fretless P-bass neck, Jap Maple Unlined Fretless P-bass, Jap Fender P-Bass with Dark Stars and block inlays, Lakland 55-02 with unlined fretless maple fingerboard, Sadowsky Metro 24 with VTC - oh and a Schroeder 15L cab/Genz-Benz Neo-Pack 350. Would like to have a mini-Welsh bass bash in the new year to beat the gloom......??

Oh yes - one of the reasons I love bass and one of the players who inspired me to play bass. My first ever gig was the Stranglers at the Glasgow Apollo in Sept 1979 on the Black and White tour - supported by The Skids no less - even had strippers for Nice n' Sleazy - wey hey !

Here is mine..... img[attachment=34868:fmpb1.jpg]/img This one sings as well - what is it with those maple fingerboards - the coating ? Would like to get a rosewood fingerboard fretless P-bass to keep her company one day. I always associate fretless P-bass with Percy Jones - Early Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour, Morrocan Roll or Livestock or with Brian Eno - Another Green World. Gotta have a bit of Percy to cheer you up !

These are a hoot [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZrv9BQFvSA&feature=PlayList&p=77D2C811D8E8E8D0&index=0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZrv9BQFvSA...8D0&index=0[/url] In fact the drummer sounds remarkably like the first drummer we rehearsed in a blues band I was in when I lived in Brum..... You've got to listen to the Jaco Pastorius, Paco de Lucia, Zeppelin etc etc

Just wondering if there are any photos of the 5-string T-Bass available yet. I feel some GAS developing !

Who was it that knew somewhere in Crosskeys - old rehearsal venue - was that you Jase ? Failing that I know that the Crosskeys Hotel could be a goer - the Islwyn Acoustic guitar club have regular gigs there - could have a word with Rob who organizes the gigs there. The do cater for bassists - I've seen Nick Beggs and Steve Lawson there..... Old G - do you want me to get in touch ?

Hmmm - all this Rickenbackery talk is giving me GAS - stop it dammit ! Montezuma Brown - Gold pickguard/trus rod cover - toaster pickup - vintage knobs (the all black ones) and a horseshoe pick-up cover - now that would do. There is something similar on evilbay at the moment I notice - a 2005 model. So - would the 2005 model have a P-bass style chunky neck ? Another question for the Ricky experts out there - do the 2009 basses have chunky P-bass style necks ?

You got yourself a real beaut there - that wonderful Japanese attention to detail strikes again. Let us know how the gig went.

The Jazz body came from Edenhaus guitars in the States via e-bay - [url="http://www.bhefnerco.com/bass.htm"]http://www.bhefnerco.com/bass.htm[/url] - kind of like warmoth. Pick-ups came from e-bay, as did the bridge and electronics. Got Martin at The Gallery to lacquer the body - satin polyurethane - nice and tough - he installed all the hardware and set things up - initially had a Japanese fretless P-bass neckfor it . Have always fancied a Status neck mind - so ordered one in Jan - sent over the body to Rob G and he attached the neck and set things up. Picked the completed bass up from Status in Feb. Rob is such gent to deal with - real easy going. Dawn is super sweet to deal with too. Yes - I got to see/try out some goodies at the factory. The mkII King bass 5-string was being finished and got shown some nicely tinted streamlines. Hmmm - a five string fretless streamline. That would sing wouldn't it ?

Reasonably new Status P-bass neck equipped Jazz Bass. It's lurvley - as you might imagine Ash body, badass III bridge - through body string anchoring, DiMarzio Ultrajazz p/u's, dual concentric pots, hipshot ultralight tuners. Neck p/u does a very good impersonation of a P-bass - the more bridge p/u you add however, the more growly it gets. Thinking about a 5-string fretless T-bass or 5-string fretless S2 classic bolt-on now - although I did note someone had a very nice 5-string fretless King Bass for sale over at the statii site. Making enquiries as we speak........ [attachment=24711:statj1.jpg] [attachment=24712:statj2.jpg]