4001 Fretless with fretlines???

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 9:57 am

There's a 4001 Fretless with fretlines on ebay.

It's the first time I see a 4001 Fretless with such a feature.

There's no news under the sun, I quess.

rickcrazy · Post by **rickcrazy** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 11:51 am

Maybe that 4001 is a one-off. What's the story here? Don't nobody go saying this one's a fake! Maybe someone added the fretlines and refinished the fretboard (to a very high standard, I must say.)

eddier · Post by **eddier** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 12:13 pm

I always wanted a zero-fret, fretless.

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 12:40 pm

I don't see a zero fret in the close-up of the upper neck and headstock:

I have an old '60s Vox Cougar hollowbody bass which has a factory zero fret. Nice touch!

jeff_ulmer · Post by **jeff_ulmer** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 1:25 pm

That's about the only way a fretless is any use to me. If Rick had this as an option, I would consider one, but I don't play fretless enough to use an unmarked fretboard.

ricnvolved · Post by **ricnvolved** » Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:48 pm

I have a Zeta Crossover 4-string that is an unlined fretless. Making the transition from frets is manageable, but it does take considerable work. (DUH!!) The difficulty increases the higher you go up the fretboard. You will find out very quickly how good your ears are at discerning pitch, and if they ain't good, then playing fretless will not be fun or practical.

A lined fretless makes things a LITTLE easier, but not as much as you might think. Like the unlined version, you STILL have to fret the note where the fret was/should be. If you subconsciously forget and fret the note in the "middle ground" area between the fretlines the way you would on a fretted model, then you're automatically going to be flat. I'm not sure I can explain why, but my 4004 Cheyenne I (now converted as a lined fretless) is about as difficult to play as my Zeta. The fretboard dot markers are pretty much useless in that situation. I find the SIDE dot markers on my Zeta much more useful. Again, I'm not sure I can explain why. Regardless, it takes steady practice and is not for the timid.

Are there any other fretless players here in the forum who can add their own experience and perspective?

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 12:57 am

Gary,
By "zero fret", the seller means "fretless", IMHO.
Just a misintepretation on the seller's part.

Look at the image above, the tuner bushings are black.

Interesting.

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:04 am

This one looks like it has had the frets removed and filled. Rick never made them like this. In the post Grover era the bushings were black.
I was playing that darn Fdna fretless again today. Looks like a Rick 4003FGFLVP is on the cards for me.

banta · Post by **banta** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 5:23 am

If that board is original, then it didn't have frets to begin with. They might have added frets at some point and then removed them, but that board was originally fretless. It may have been a regular (fretted) 4001 and someone replaced the fretboard, though.

spamegg · Post by **spamegg** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 8:13 am

For the entire decade of the 1990's the only axe I was using was a fretless Charvel Jazz bass. It has an ebony fingerboard with no markings (dots or lines). It does have dots on top of the neck directly over where the fret *should* be (as opposed to in between the frets on a regular bass). I have another fretless with the lines accross the neck as well. I find the lines to be more of a distraction. Jeffery is correct that you've got to have a very good sense of pitch to play comfortably. The lines won't save you. Once you're acclimated, you'll find that fretless offers a lot of subtleties that you just can't get with frets (rolling in and out of notes, true vibrato, beautiful slides). But the flip side is you lose some of that biting edge on your tone. Fretless isn't as difficult as seems, you just have to use more ear, less sight when playing.

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Wed Mar 19, 2003 2:32 pm

Personally, I think this bass came from the factory as fretless nd someone added and then removed the frets. Checkout the dots. They aren't even in the middle of the frets.

anonymous · Post by **anonymous** » Thu Mar 20, 2003 2:53 am

Agreed, JWilli. A 1978 4001FL.

paul_yan · Post by **paul_yan** » Tue Apr 08, 2003 7:44 pm

Here's another one on ebay now:
1983 4001 FL Jetglo with fret lines.