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Pending £500 Mid 80s Wilkes Percussive Fretless PRICE DROP - *SOLD*
£750
SE/Kent/London

Cairobill

By Cairobill,
in Basses For Sale

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Cairobill Mentor

Cairobill

Posted
Posted (edited)

PRICE DROP to £500

Up for sale is my Wilkes fretless - a rare one from a somewhat unsung but excellent and innovative luthier who sat happily alongside the JayDees/ Statii and Wals in the bass friendly music stores of the mid-eighties. I was after one of these for a long time as I used to gravitate towards them at the Bass Centre back in the day. Sadly, I have to trim back and it's always six strings and fretlesses that go to the block first.

It's a fabulous sounding and great playing fretless. Extremely well made with a dark ebony board with lines, super stiff maple neck and a Honduran mahogany body. This is a bass with a lot of deep end and sustain. Action is great and it's a mwah-some, singy fretless if you get my drift.

The pickup in the P sweet spot is unusual; it's a Schaller Bassbucker and has a very hot output and (as mentioned before) a tonne of low end. Apparently these pickups used to go into the early Carl Thompson basses. These pickups sound very full and punchy. They also have a useful coil split switch which sets the bucker to single coil mode (for those moments when you want a bit less beef...there is a lot of beef on offer here). Schaller hardware completes the bass and is rock solid. 

Condition is pretty good given the age. The headstock, neck and board are in great nick while the body has a few dings but no missing finish. Looks pretty mean in its black plumage. 

The piezo slap plates work and add more attack if you were inclined to hit this bass with a thumb. 
The controls are vol/tone and piezo mix. I've found the piezo mix knob also works as a presence knob. It sounds great.

Comes with a gigbag. I could possibly ship in a keyboard box with the neck separated and lots of padding.

 

vid and pics!

 

 

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Edited by Cairobill
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cloudburst Proficient

cloudburst

Posted
Posted

I had one of these back in the day, holding on to it for quite a few years. Mine was the same colour - exactly the same, in fact, apart from mine being unlined.

 

From memory, the name for this model was the Wilkes Percussive Fretless.

 

CB

  • Like 4
dodgnofski Veteran

dodgnofski

Posted
Posted (edited)

Doug (Wilkes) is our local Luthier & his Craftsmanship is superb👍

Edited by dodgnofski
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three Veteran

three

Posted
Posted

Some excellent videos of Doug on youtube - brilliant luthier and fun raconteur. Decades of experience and accumulated skills.
 

A lovely example of Doug’s work here 

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Cairobill Mentor

Cairobill

Posted
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Posted
41 minutes ago, three said:

Some excellent videos of Doug on youtube - brilliant luthier and fun raconteur. Decades of experience and accumulated skills.
 

A lovely example of Doug’s work here 


Yeah - I had a jazz replacement neck from Doug not so long ago to use as a temp conversion on my Bravewood fretless. Fantastic work!

 

  • Like 1
alyctes Grand Master

alyctes

Posted
Posted

Sounds as if it would be nice with the bottom strings of a fiver, BEAD.  Out of my range, I'm afraid - GLWTS!

  • Like 1
  • Cairobill changed the title to PRICE DROP to £675 Mid 80s Wilkes Fretless Bass (with the 'slap plates')
  • Cairobill changed the title to £675 Mid 80s Wilkes Custom Fretless (aka "Percussive Fretless" with SLAP PLATES)
Misdee Veteran

Misdee

Posted
Posted

 I remember these basses well from when they were new. They were indeed up there with the best in those days. I always liked the elegant body shape. They did indeed use Schaller pickups on early Carl Thompson basses. They were designed by DiMarzio and licensed to Schaller. 

 

Very tasty playing as usual, Nick. You make that bass speak so well.

  • Like 1
Cairobill Mentor

Cairobill

Posted
  • Author
Posted
10 hours ago, Misdee said:

 I remember these basses well from when they were new. They were indeed up there with the best in those days. I always liked the elegant body shape. They did indeed use Schaller pickups on early Carl Thompson basses. They were designed by DiMarzio and licensed to Schaller. 

 

Very tasty playing as usual, Nick. You make that bass speak so well.


thanks! A bit wibbly at times but it gets the bass’s punch and heft across. The pickups have a very interesting sound. Big lows and mids along with a high output. It’s a great sounding bass. 

 

 

  • Cairobill changed the title to £650 Mid 80s Wilkes Custom Fretless (poss trade for old MIJ Semiacoustic guitar Ibby/Yamaha?)
woolf Experienced

woolf

Posted
Posted
On 29/09/2025 at 12:33, cloudburst said:

From memory, the name for this model was the Wilkes Percussive Fretless.

 

CB


Correct

IMG_3955.jpeg

  • Like 3
  • Cairobill changed the title to £650 Mid 80s Wilkes Percussive Fretless (poss trade for old MIJ Semiacoustic guitar Ibby/Yamaha?)
  • Cairobill changed the title to £500 Mid 80s Wilkes Percussive Fretless PRICE DROP
Beedster Grand Master

Beedster

Posted
Posted

Nick what is the slap tone like and how does the slap plate help (or hinder), I'm doing Graceland next year and there's a very big part of me that thinks that bass might be a rather interesting weapon for the gig? 

  • Like 1
Beedster Grand Master

Beedster

Posted
Posted

Thanks Nick, I play flats for slap - much less offensive and far more melodic to my ear - if it's still around in a week or so I my need to engineer a trip 👍

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