Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I have a Squier Jazz Modified Fretless. It rocks. Neck is Phenolic so it is nice and fast. The hardware seems very decent for a bass in this price range. The pickups are a Duncan Design and really surprised me. Very good value for the the cash!!

i.m.h.o. in order to be a good fretless player you have to use your ears and not your eyes.

Why limit yourself to one sense? We got 5 of 'em!

And light travels faster than sound.....

Yeah, I've played some really stinky notes in my time.

Here, check out this fretless!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/02-Fender-Standard-Jazz-Bass-Fretless-J-Badass-bridge_W0QQitemZ130120157302QQihZ003QQcategoryZ64400QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I never realized it but with the "lined vs. unlined" argument, fretless bass has it's own "pick vs. fingers" debate. But it's even stupider, I never thought THAT could happen.

It strikes me as very strange that; in music, an art form, where something is created from nothing, where music flows from one's brain, thru their hands, to their instrument, and then to the world, that people would want to place so many rules upon it.
Personally, I'll continue to be a rebel simply by doing what I want.

Well said, Ronn.

Whatever it takes to get it out of you....

Well you guys convinced me, my upright's going back to Bulgaria for fretlines and so are my 72 Ric, 72 P and 2004 Ric fretlesses. (well, not Bulgaria)

Forget lines, you should put frets on your upright.

I thought of that Ronn, with big MOP triangular inlays, it would be a Rickendoghouse.

Awesome.

I remember someone asking on the Ric corporate forum some time ago about whether they should remove the bridge pickup cover from their 4003. I replied that you only live once and you should do what is best for you, even though I am keeping mine on my two.

I also play trombone and remember when the bassist in a jazz band I play in (I play bass trombone) told me I should go fretless on bass since I was kind of used to that with my trombones. I joked that it drove me crazy enough with my trombones to not have set note positions, as each of them are slightly different for note position. A trombone also many positions (not just 7) as you need to adjust for intonation on each one.

If I went fretless (bass #8?), I'd probably go with the lines to err on the side of decent intonation, which is really the most important consideration. Electric bass players tend to play higher than first position (first 5 frets), making intonation even touchier. You'll still get that fretless sound either way. My 1/3 cent.

BTW gang, I did spring for a sunburst Japan market Fender Jaguar bass recently. It felt kind of weird to get my first Fender after all these years, but my Rics are still #1 and I love that 60's/crisp sound I get from the Hagstroms. Those single coil Hag pickups are special - at least to me.

Speaking from experience the only real difference is when you are way up on the neck, there the lines can help. They can also hinder though as fretless bass is really a new way of thinking, you use your ears much more than your eyes and if you have lines you might never get out of the habit of staring at the neck while you play. I don't know about anyone else but I never look at the face of the neck when I play either type anyway, I look at the dots on the side of the neck if I look at it.

I am looking at the dots on this Pace Bass upright with dots at 3rd 5th, etc. I glance to get my target. Once I have the one finger where it belongs, muscle memory takes care of the rest. I am getting better at listening by the minute!!!!

Here's an update on my collection getting more "well rounded". I had my '87 4003, a decent P-bass (knock off updated with real vintage Fender pickups, better pots & tuners), and the 4003DCM.

I sold the DCM and will end up with these:

- '87 Rick 4003
- '99 Alembic Essence 4-string
- '07 Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Fretless
- Same P-Bass
- TBD passive 5-string (looking now at '07 Fender American J-Bass)

I thought about going more high end for the fretless but this Squier gets great ratings online, and I am not even sure how much I will like fretless (sure is fun to play in the store though!).

Still looking for alternatives for the 5-string.