Budget Fretless Bass with a 'wider than Jazz' nut?

[CIM]

I thin the subject says it all really - I am looking to dip my toe in the world of fretless, probably better with a lined bass to start with anyway (but would consider unlined) but Jazz-proportioned necks seem to be the drill on most basses in the say sub £500 zone.

Since getting a 5 string a few years back I find switching to a Jazz width 4 string 38 mm / 1.5" nut frustratingly narrow. Amazing what a difference a few mm's seems to make...

The taper on a Jazz neck has always puzzled me a bit - perhaps there is some merit for head weight reduction but it gets pretty wide further up the neck anyway so I never really saw the appeal from a player point of view.

I think my ideal fretless would be a P-J style 4 string with a P-proportioned neck (e.g. like the Tony Franklin Fender model), but I am not aware of anything in my price range that comes close.

I have considered going 5 string fretless just to get a more substantial neck - and this my be my ignorance but I really don't understand the apparent dominance of 38mm Jazz width nuts. To make an analogy, a Stratocaster or Telecaster nut is far wider at say 44mm and most guitarists seem to get on fine with those.

I can't help wondering if Jaco had played a bass with a P neck on it things might be a bit different now

Frustratingly, nut width aside, the Squier vintage modified fretless looks like it would be a great starting point.

Maybe a self assemble from parts is the best answer but if anyone knows of a decent 4 string fretless model currently available with a more generously proportioned neck, I'd be very interested to hear about it.

[lemmywinks]

A Mighty Mite fretless neck should fit a Squier, you'll get a decent amount for the original neck too as Jazz necks are popular

I have an unlined ebonol one on a bass and it's really nice.

Alternatively have a Precision defretted, shouldn't cost too much. You could get a Squier. MIM or possible a Japanese one for your budget



Oh and Jaco did have a P neck on his fretted, he used it for practice - probably so he was faster when he went back to his fretless!

[CIM]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1020015' date='Nov 11 2010, 01:21 PM']A Mighty Mite fretless neck should fit a Squier, you'll get a decent amount for the original neck too as Jazz necks are popular

I have an unlined ebonol one on a bass and it's really nice.

Alternatively have a Precision defretted, shouldn't cost too much. You could get a Squier. MIM or possible a Japanese one for your budget[/quote]
I was hoping to avoid the DIY route to save a bit of time but I suppose a neck swap is a more simple task than a complete build from parts. I have assembled a bass before so it is an option.

Any ideas how much a pro defret should cost?

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1020015' date='Nov 11 2010, 01:21 PM']Oh and Jaco did have a P neck on his fretted, he used it for practice - probably so he was faster when he went back to his fretless![/quote]
Interesting. This one I presume...

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILMHq_yZ7Hs"]Jaco on a fretted bass[/url]

[lemmywinks]

Whereabouts are you? You may have a good luthier nearby

The Gallery have a great reputation for defrets and charge £90 which is very reasonable given it's the Sei Bass workshop:
[url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/workshop.cfm"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/workshop.cfm[/url]

If you can get the bass down there then that's a no-brainer.

[lemmywinks]

Just noticed this on eBay:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-SQUIER-PRECISION-SPECIAL-BASS-CASE-RARE-/170562764684?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item27b6553f8c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-SQUIER-PRECIS...=item27b6553f8c[/url]

The seller is a member on here (same name) so maybe give him a shout? That plus a P neck would be sweet!

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1020015' date='Nov 11 2010, 01:21 PM']A Mighty Mite fretless neck should fit a Squier, you'll get a decent amount for the original neck too as Jazz necks are popular

I have an unlined ebonol one on a bass and it's really nice.

Alternatively have a Precision defretted, shouldn't cost too much. You could get a Squier. MIM or possible a Japanese one for your budget



Oh and Jaco did have a P neck on his fretted, he used it for practice - probably so he was faster when he went back to his fretless![/quote]

I've tried a surprisingly good fretlees the other day that my missus pulled me away from buying, it was a Cort Curbow or sommat... it had ebanol fretboard and the body was some kinda graphite compound too but boy oh boy it sounded and played like the canine danglies. Try one it was in the £300 mark.

here is a pic / link [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cort-Curbow-4FL-fretless-bass-guitar-and-Gigbag-/150515768018?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item230b705ad2"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cort-Curbow-4FL-fret...=item230b705ad2[/url]

[CIM]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='1020782' date='Nov 11 2010, 10:28 PM']I've tried a surprisingly good fretlees the other day that my missus pulled me away from buying, it was a Cort Curbow or sommat... it had ebanol fretboard and the body was some kinda graphite compound too but boy oh boy it sounded and played like the canine danglies. Try one it was in the £300 mark.

here is a pic / link [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cort-Curbow-4FL-fretless-bass-guitar-and-Gigbag-/150515768018?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item230b705ad2"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cort-Curbow-4FL-fret...=item230b705ad2[/url][/quote]
They look interesting although I briefly tried an Ibanez ergodyne a few years back (a second hand one) and I didn't like the smell! The luthite body gave off quite strong smell of plastic fumes which kind of spoiled it for me.

Hopefully the Curbow is better - but I would have to try before buying something so unusual...

[CIM]

[quote name='lemmywinks' post='1020711' date='Nov 11 2010, 09:26 PM']Just noticed this on eBay:
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-SQUIER-PRECISION-SPECIAL-BASS-CASE-RARE-/170562764684?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item27b6553f8c"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FENDER-SQUIER-PRECIS...=item27b6553f8c[/url]

The seller is a member on here (same name) so maybe give him a shout? That plus a P neck would be sweet![/quote]

Not a bad idea for a source for a budget body but the neck is then the next challenge.

Does anyone sell new Mighty Mite fretless ebonol necks in UK these days? Or similar?

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='CIM' post='1020873' date='Nov 12 2010, 12:26 AM']They look interesting although I briefly tried an Ibanez ergodyne a few years back (a second hand one) and I didn't like the smell! The luthite body gave off quite strong smell of plastic fumes which kind of spoiled it for me.

Hopefully the Curbow is better - but I would have to try before buying something so unusual...[/quote]

The one I tried didn't have any nasty wiffs, none that I could notice anyway. I might go back and buy it and tell the missus it fell on my lap... lol, and it had a Bartolini pickup which was very responding.

[Raslee]

Actually i've got an aged looking Warmoth P neck, fretless, Rosewood, that i'm considering selling...it's very nice (I'll even throw in a decal )

Edited November 12, 2010 by Rasta

[simon1964]

[quote name='CIM' post='1020878' date='Nov 12 2010, 12:39 AM']Not a bad idea for a source for a budget body but the neck is then the next challenge.

Does anyone sell new Mighty Mite fretless ebonol necks in UK these days? Or similar?[/quote]

My fretless is a Squire Claissic Vibe Jazz with a Might Mite Fretless P neck (Ebonol). I bought the neck from ebay in the US. I'm not aware of a UK supplier.

Another option is to pick up a cheap fretted P neck and defret it. I'm pretty cack-handed at DIY, but did defret a Squire P neck years ago, and its not as daunting as you think. There are some good guides on line.

[TheRev]

I've got an early 90s Bass Collection (look at the 'obscure musical backwaters' post in the bass guitars forum) which has been defretted, so it's lined, and fitted with EMG PJ pups and BTS active EQ. It doesn't get used much since I started playing double bass so I'm looking to move it on. The nut width is 40mm, but the neck profile is shallower than a P neck.
Sound like you sort of bag?

[CIM]

Thanks for all advice and offers of gear. I'm not quite ready to take the plunge yet, still figuring options out - I managed to check out a few fretless basses this weekend which has helped.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

How about getting a cheap Pbass & chucking on a brandoni fretless precision neck - or do something like I did & build a bass around a brandoni neck & body?

[attachment=63907:fretless_precision.jpg]

Edited November 14, 2010 by Jean-Luc Pickguard

[Jerry_B]

If it's of any use, I had a similar thread recently on the same subject - [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=109197"]here[/url] - it may answer some questions.