zawinul Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 I've spent weeks, no probably months researching buying my next fretless bass and hit bricks walls everywhere Fender made fretless basses, but no longer make active fretless's!!! wtf....so I could get one and fit actives, pain... Musicman £1800 too expensive Sterling £800, no where to try one near me Rickenbacker no longer make fretlesses Ibanez portamento are vile as are ESP, hated then when I tried.... Warwick, no lines on basses and so it go;s on.... so few options I will probably have to go custom, Sandbery, ACG, etc ,but I don't want to sopend £2000 on a bass, just don;t have that kind of money but I sort of resent having to do this as fretted basses come at all prices, finishes etc O know fretless is a minority but I would have thought one company would make a decent lined active fretless IF anyone knows what Im missing please tell me!!!!!!! nothing on ebay, nothing on basschat, nothing in bassdirect....,,,,, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassBus Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 What are you actually looking for? You have thrown out some very good basses there. What is it about ESPs you don't like. You certainly won't get a chunky Fender style neck with them. They are very good basses for the price though. Why not consider a passive and use an outboard preamp? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Machines Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Don't dismiss MTD http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Fretless_Bass_Guitars.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skelf Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Active fretless bass standard Series £1210.00 so not the £2K mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franzbassist Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 [quote name='skelf' timestamp='1445452420' post='2891641'] Active fretless bass standard Series £1210.00 so not the £2K mark. [/quote] This +1000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3below Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Used German Warwick corvette (as on this parish from time to time). Circa £450 to as low as £375. Neck profile to taste, thick or thin. Get a fretless ebony neck version and have lines put in or get a fretted one defretted and lines put in. £175 ish by Shuker guitars. Warwick fretless with dots at 3,5,7 etc is easy to intonate, would be relatively cheap to have extra dots put in side of fingerboard if you find you need them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 [quote name='skelf' timestamp='1445452420' post='2891641'] Active fretless bass standard Series £1210.00 so not the £2K mark. [/quote] I know I will have to succumb at some point :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Get a passive fretless Fender and put on John East Retro preamp in it. Sorted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1445453570' post='2891652'] Get a passive fretless Fender and put on John East Retro preamp in it. Sorted. [/quote] yeah thats an option, but I just wish I could just go out and buy something...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 21, 2015 Author Share Posted October 21, 2015 some good advice here... I know its the place for bass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sibob Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 Maruszczyk, nuff said Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ead Posted October 21, 2015 Share Posted October 21, 2015 [quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445453504' post='2891651'] I know I will have to succumb at some point :-) [/quote] Don't fight it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CamdenRob Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 You could always get a fretted one and have it defretted? It would have lines by default.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 [quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445450779' post='2891621'] fretlesses [/quote] [i]fretlii. [/i] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 This? [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/sterling-by-musicman-ray34ca-fl-black/96664"]http://www.gak.co.uk/en/sterling-by-musicman-ray34ca-fl-black/96664[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Well you've just described my favourite sub-£1000 fretless bass as 'vile', so there's probably nothing I can add to this thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Spector ! Look at the legend series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 [quote name='Rich' timestamp='1445527591' post='2892178'] Well you've just described my favourite sub-£1000 fretless bass as 'vile', so there's probably nothing I can add to this thread. [/quote] sorry not meant to offend anyone maybe I got a dud one!! i played a fender tony franklin recently and thought that was awful too, same shop i'm not sure they know how to properly set up fretless basses, its not always easy!! i know i've have to cave it and either get Alan to make me one of his beauties or bite the bullet save the pennies and get the Wal I lost... actually sounds like a a song: The Wal I lost was complete Wal, the Wal I lost etc and I'll never never never Wal again!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 23, 2015 Author Share Posted October 23, 2015 [quote name='Mykesbass' timestamp='1445519462' post='2892087'] This? [url="http://www.gak.co.uk/en/sterling-by-musicman-ray34ca-fl-black/96664"]http://www.gak.co.uk...-fl-black/96664[/url] [/quote] Yeah looked at these , are they active? would need to demo, no stores seem to have them...played a fretted, nice punchy sound Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted October 23, 2015 Share Posted October 23, 2015 [quote name='zawinul' timestamp='1445598156' post='2892668'] Yeah looked at these , are they active? would need to demo, no stores seem to have them...played a fretted, nice punchy sound [/quote] According to the EB site they are. There's always the very generous 30 day policy at Thomann, and similar distance selling rules from all internet shoppers. Also, the EB UK distributor used to be very good at getting stock to their authorised dealers if someone was interested in a model the dealer didn't have in stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zawinul Posted October 24, 2015 Author Share Posted October 24, 2015 I'll check a MM but the necks are quite thick. I want the thinest neck possible, narrow string spacing, only a custom builder can really do want I want I'm a picky git!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 What was wrong with the ibanez then, thin neck, narrow string spacing. The only think I have had narrower was a ray5 (which also come in fretless), as do G&Ls Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 The Ray 34CA has a Jazz type 38mm nut width as opposed to the standard Ray which has a Precision type 42mm. I've had a lined 3 band EQ fretless Ray in my time and it was exceptional, however if you're particular as to what you're wanting, I'd be speaking to the man from Moffat...seriously good value for a custom bass for the figure quoted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkHeart Posted October 24, 2015 Share Posted October 24, 2015 Buy my mockingbird, rip the frets out get it set up properly then youve got a monster sounding bass that is a bit different for peanuts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grangur Posted October 25, 2015 Share Posted October 25, 2015 Zawinul, it's a fact of life that your chosen favourite supplier, Fender is a mass market manufacturer of instruments. A reality for such companies is that if they are going to make a model of bass they need to know they can sell them in considerable numbers. You've said yourself that active fretless is a bit of a niche weapon of choice so Fender making one simply isn't going to happen at a low price. You simply need to get over your prejudice against anything that isn't a Fender. Besides, why not be honest about your prejudice and not attack all the other perfectly good instruments that other folk enjoy playing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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