Fretless Basses

[Berto]

I currently have a stingray 4 and am thinking of getting a fretless to go with it. Any suggestions? Thoughts about a fretless stingray?

P.S i do have a limited budget

[Nick]

Really the best way to go fretless is probably a used mim standard jazz bass (I'm not sure if they ever made P basses). I've seen them in plenty of guitar stores for $300 sometimes as low as $225, and I used to have a pretty nice one that was upgraded with a thumbrest and badassII bridge that I bought for only $325.

From what I understand the fretless MIM's go for less than fretted.

[SKC Willie]

I'd go with some sort of Jazz if I was going fretless.

MIM basses are hit or miss. If at possible you should play one before you buy it. But I guess that goes for any guitar/bass purchase.

[matt.dines]

there's a squier vintage modified jazz bass
it sunburst only i think its about 220sqid i think
looks nice

[Ankhanu]

there's a squier vintage modified jazz bass
it sunburst only i think its about 220sqid i think
looks nice

Was gonna suggest that too.
Sunburst, w/o pickguard (like a non-reliced Jaco bass), duncan designed pickups, and a lined ebonol fretboard... given the super low price, these things play and sound great. I'd get this over a MIM Fender; and I tend to be one of those people who says not to waste your money on the cheap product when you can save a little longer to get a better one. I really think that the better option than the Squire VM Jazz is WAY more expensive (at least $1000 vs. <$400)

[Nick]

They might be hit or miss but the one I had was amazing and looked and felt like an MIA Fender in my hands.

I can't vouch for the pickup's tone because I'm not a bass player and I can't tell what good tone is.

[Bacchus]

The Squier Jaco-a-like is actually very, very good. The pickups are Duncan Designed, and sound great. It had quite a lot more thump than I was expecting and perhaps not as much growl, but that's more likely to have been the amp I was using.

[SKC Willie]

I haven't had much experience with Squier Jaco look-a-like but I've heard mixed things about them.

And yes, for the last year, I played two MIM Jazz basses in my band. They were both great after pickup swaps. I have always thought people were quick to write off the MIM Fender line but they make some quality stuff.

Also, one last note, if you're not sure you'll like it, just pick up a fretless from Rondo, then decide if you want to spend the extra dough on a better one. It will be fun to play around with and won't set you back much.

[Billy3000]

I really don't understand the bad rep that MIM fenders have. My first guitar was an MIM strat and I still love it. The bass that I'm currently playing the most is also an MIM jazz bass. I swapped out the pickups and put in a badass bridge and it sounds amazing! I also own an MIA standard p bass and a music man stingray, and a '78 musicmaster bass and I play my MIM jazz more these days than any of them. I've never played the fretless MIM's but I would imagine that they're pretty awesome, my experience with MIM fenders has always been good.

I also own an MIM '72 tele deluxe reissue, and tom delonge strat and the quality on all of them is amazing.

[matt.dines]

i had a MIM strat with tex-mex pick ups in it
it was a really uninspiring guitar
i got it really cheap so i thought for that price i cant complain
dont get me wrong it wasnt awful but
for the price i have had much better quality squier guitars imo
im not slating the whole MIM range
but when the only experience you have with a particular guitar
isn't a great one and you hear other bad stuffs about them
your gunna feel a bit bias'd

[cobascis]

My brother defretted his ibanez gio which is a bit like a jazz bass. Illl put up pics in a bit.