Hellzero

If you have the money and the back, go for Glockenklang. I have used their gear, and now I'm playing an AER BassCube, because it's quite light and ultra powerful for broken backs.

Using active set-up with a passive bass could be an answer, even if you don't want one. And it's very fair from you not to modify other bass players amp set-up : that's so rare.

First kisses, then there it goes :

Status with a BendWell will be a 32" scale and lots of them have 16.5 mm strings spacing at the bridge. The Fender Stu Hamm was 32" scale too, but with standard strings spacing. My Alpher was 33" scale with 16.5 mm strings spacing. ACG or any other real luthier can make you wathever you might want. I recognise that those medium scale basses are a delight to play.

You are right, Trash Metal like Heavy Metal was awful in the 80's : certainly the worst recordings ever, absolutely crap sounding, totally lacking inspiration and, even worst, dressed like sissies. And I was more on the metal side in the early eighties than on the jazz scene.

Or simply use your fretless the way it's built :

Or the Neuser Fretless System aka NFS :

Try this, the Mikey convertible basses :

After having owned truckloads of Fender's, I can't simply play on these planks. That's the problem when you've played some real luthiers basses. Sad news, but awfully true.

Rush terrific XYZ

This because punks hated them so much without reason, except the fact they were really talented and gifted. The yes Drama album is under rated and one of their best with Trevor Horn singing, playing fretless bass, composing and producing. The 3 wonderful pieces.

@dannybuoy USPS as I wrote.

Don't forget Religion I-II :

P.I.L. debut single was some kind of awful noise. Enjoy.

And another icon of the 80's electro punk scene. Einstürzende Neubauten's Tanz Debil. Specially found for @Barking Spiders

@Happy Jack Ask him to get a quote by USPS, you'll be amazed by the difference. That said, apart from BestBassGear shipping to my wife's sister in France (as it's free over $100 USD and the French customs don't tax the way the Belgian ones do), I don't buy anything anymore in the USA. Period. Oups, bought a second hand Michael Manring / Thonk bass transcriptions book through eBay USA and just received it today without any hassle.

And to me, the best track of the 80's with the best line-up out of their best album, here it goes live and mad. King Crimson's Indiscipline :

Yek yek, not the original version, but an instrumental one, years later, and not even an 80's track as it was released in 79 :

?!?

And I could go on for days, like everyone here, I guess.

Killing Joke with that massive hit :

Talk Talk, of course :