De-Fret??

[miles'tone]

7 hours ago, DTB said:

I already play fretless. 
 

and they don’t do a fretless version of the BBNE2. 
 

It was my main bass before I started playing fretless and I miss the build quality and the weight, tone and feel. 

My take on playing music is that the player is actually the instrument, the conduit for the music. A bass is simply a tool for the job.

You have your favourite tool, it's ok to change it so it's up to the job at hand.

Imho of course.

[miles'tone]

This chap's work and reputation look to be worth at least a phone call and a chat about it:

 

https://www.81guitarworks.co.uk/

[pete.young]

6 hours ago, DTB said:

 

Think I will put some Cobalt Flats on it

I'm interested to see how that goes. I have Elixirs on mine.

[itu]

5 hours ago, Sean said:

...the BBNE2 then. Flagship Yamaha bass. 

I do not follow Fender or Yamaha or many other brands as they just do not fit me. That's why I didn't remember that it is a neck through. 

 

But my main point was that as it is a fine instrument, I would keep it as it is. Self made modification may be fine, but there are other possibilities, too. A skilled luthier can make a good fretless version of it. Same dimensions and everything, the playability between those two could be very interesting. And a good luthier may suggest some tiny modifications that support the fretless sound, too. 

[NickA]

Fretless rules.  I have a fretted MK2 Wal which I hardly ever play...because I have a fretless and that's what I almost always pick up. Fretless sounds and feels so good.

 

But: two reasons not to mod your bbne2.

 

1. That's an expensive bass to go modding.  I defretted a bass once but it was a plywood jazz copy.

 

2. Apart from being thro neck the bbne2 appears to have those mother of pearl plates ( forget their name) on the fingerboard.  Those would have to go and be filled with matched ebony. Difficult and expensive.  A whole new board might be easier...and that might upset the neck stability.

 

On balance if say great idea but not on this one!

[Gizmo]

23 hours ago, DTB said:

The dot markers on my lined fretless are the same, in the middle not on the line. 

 

On my lineless/unmarked board they are located on the fretline/note position. 

[DTB]

15 hours ago, pete.young said:

I'm interested to see how that goes. I have Elixirs on mine.

I will let you know, was going to do it today but both my wife and son are off sick. Honestly, I am the one on the chemo medication and told don’t be around sick people and I the only one who doesn’t catch these colds etc. 

[DTB]

9 hours ago, NickA said:

Fretless rules.  I have a fretted MK2 Wal which I hardly ever play...because I have a fretless and that's what I almost always pick up. Fretless sounds and feels so good.

 

But: two reasons not to mod your bbne2.

 

1. That's an expensive bass to go modding.  I defretted a bass once but it was a plywood jazz copy.

 

2. Apart from being thro neck the bbne2 appears to have those mother of pearl plates ( forget their name) on the fingerboard.  Those would have to go and be filled with matched ebony. Difficult and expensive.  A whole new board might be easier...and that might upset the neck stability.

 

On balance if say great idea but not on this one!

The block inlays i think are fine. I saw someone playing fretless with similar inlays. They are no where near where you would fret a note in any case. 

[DTB]

One of the luthiers I contacted said he would be okay with defretting it and to take it along so he could have a look and give me a quote. 
 

but in any case I will be leaving it as is, apart from the new strings. 
 

at least that is today’s answer 😁

[NickA]

It'd be a great bass  if you did it.  😬

thing about the block inlays; this has of course been discussed 😁

 

[DTB]

Played it again today. 
 

The frets HAVE TO GO!!!!

 

Gonna talk with Luthier on ‘phone with a view to taking it in for him to see the work involved and getting a quote, but they are coming off one way or another!

[DTB]

I have been lucky enough to be able to play all sorts of instruments in my life. 
 

Fretless bass is one of my absolute favourites closely followed by alto sax. 

[tauzero]

On 03/02/2026 at 11:58, DTB said:

The dot markers on my lined fretless are the same, in the middle not on the line. 

 

Conventionally that's where the dot markers go on a lined fretless, whereas they go where the frets would be on an unlined. I had the markers moved on a Sei lined fretless with very faint lines so they were on the fret positions, and another faintly lined fretless already had them on the fret positions. Conversely, I have a defretted Squier VM 5 Jazz - maple board and black lines, with the dots remaining in place, and that's not a problem.

 

I'd be inclined to find an equivalent fretless rather than have it defretted.

[NickA]

My Wal has dots where your fingers go. Loaned to a friend who proceeded to play it a quarter tone flat ... until he realised and stopped looking at his fingers.

[tauzero]

I have encountered a fretless Squier, presumably unlined as the dots were at the fret positions, which had subsequently been fretted. It was astonishingly hard to play as I couldn't work out where to put my fingers.

[DTB]

Sorry for the radio silence, not been up to much last few days. 
Currently looking for a second hand BBNE2 to buy and send off for defretting. Then I have one of each. 

[MattW]

Ho had a defret done on my Yamaha.  Don't know where abouts you are in the country but I thoroughly recommend Ian Malones Guitars in Billericay, Essex to get a quote on the work if you're local. 

 

Theres.pics ans a nice Instagram time lapse of the work in the sales ad here:

 

 

[DTB]

I wanted to use cobalt flats on the Yam once it is done, but they are only available in one gauge and the 130 doesn’t fit in the string slot properly and sounds awful. 
so back to square one. I think this project is going in the too difficult folder. The Ibanez headless is looking more likely now. 

[AlexMUK]

I was considering the same (defretting a 4 string Jazz) and instead Bernie Goodfellow made me a new lined neck, which feels fabulous. I can swap the original back quickly and easily if I ever feel the need.

 

The new neck was made to his usual impeccable standards and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.

 

 

On 03/02/2026 at 13:59, itu said:

Do not. Do not de-fret it. Do not. 

 

Meet a luthier. Ask him/her to build you a fretless neck to the instrument. This will be a very good and valuable investment to the bass and to yourself. You shouldn't mess with a fine neck. You just need another. 

 

If you do (or do not) like the combination of the neck and the body, you can go back to the luthier and order a suitable body to the extra neck (be it fretted or fretless).