Paulhauser

I prefer the look of the unlined board but when I play it has to be lined. I never played enough to have a muscle memory on a level that allowed me to play clean on an unlined fretless. (when I was a kid I played chello. Due to the taper of the neck and the hand positions it seemed a lot easier to get to the right place than on the long neck of the bass. )

Spector released the Timbre model recently and it gets very good reviews.

Although it is at the top end (or maybe over) of your budget, I'd buy a used Spector Euro5. One of the best value modern sounding 5 strings out there. Also quite easy to flip if it turns out it is not your thing.

I sold my ABZ5 about two years ago and it took some time until someone bought it. I guess market changes all the time....supply and demand

[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1490763119' post='3267703'] These are all 24 fret i think ? [/quote] Ehh, forgot about that, you are right....

Ibanez Soundgears tick all boxes except for the 35". Look for earlier Prestige models that were produced in Japan or Korea. SR1006, 1305, 3005, 5005 comes to my mind. Great sounding basses with nice ergonomics. Also Spector Euro5' should be considered, 17,5mm spacing , 35" and modern, cutting through sound. Ergonomics are great, too, but you should try one before buying.

You should check FretFX. Unlike other slutions this does not require mods to the instrument as it is a string of LED markers stuck to the side of the fingerboard. You can order for different scale lenghts ad different colors. I have not yet any experience but want to order one of these as this is a lot less hassle than modifying the instrument. https://fretfx.com/

[quote name='radiophonic' timestamp='1489695939' post='3259088'] The DW is more of a jazz profile though isn't it? 1.5" nut? I'm happy with 1 5/8 ish but just want it a bit shallower at the nut. What are the Ian Hill ones like? I love the sound btw. Not considered a Sterling. Call me vain but the Spectors are very pretty. [/quote] The Ian Hill models have a 'regular' nut, but the neck is thinner back to front on those. Might be the perfect solution for you. And yes, Spectors ARE pretty :-)

Here is one pic with my Spectors then :-) [attachment=240724:17269383_1469388653093553_2000809018_o.jpg]

[quote name='Billy Apple' timestamp='1489500998' post='3257455'] I think the blue anniversary model has Barts in it? [/quote] Great bass you have there! I think the blue is the same as the red, but there were a few of the blue that had Barts in it and ebony fingerboard.

The Rebop is 500[font=Helvetica-Bold, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif][b]£ [/b][/font]cheaper compared to the 40th Anni models, which is quite a bit money. Definitely give both of them a try so you can see whether the ergonomics fit to your requirements. Sorry to hear your experiences, maybe if was a bad day...

Those anniversary models are great! Full maple body wings and some custom options (black strip on the neck, inlay) make these more special than the normal Euros and they are a limited run. As for the Rebop, if you are lookin at the PJ version of it, bear in mind that the P pickup is closer to the bridge due to the deep pocket insert than on the neck through Euro. Not that it is a bad or good thing, just good to know FWIW) I can't comment on BassDirect as I've never dealt with them. But they do carry the largest selection of Spectors in Europe AFAIK. edit: now that I've checked, the bridge pu is also closer to the bridge on the Rebop

I can not comment on the Rebop neck dive issue as I never had one, but I've heard about it. Doug Wimbish signature is a Euro4 with a different neck profile and otherwise quite indistinguishable compared to other Euro4's with orange color. So you can get away wit hthat :-) (the one in the classified is a US NS-2 with a DW neck profile. This is an option on the US 4 string instruments and is called DW because he was the first to ask Stuart for a 1.5" nut)

Nice find Michele, have many happy hours with it!