Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

Hi folks I'm thinking of buying a fretless Ric. I currently have fretless jazz and a musicman both excellent basses but just fancy a Ric. Any info on models and availability would be much appreciated .

Right now the only model that is made fretless. is the 4003 and the company makes them only occasionally. Likely they wait for a number of orders to pile up and then they make a batch. Used ones pop up occasionally on the secondary market. Once in a while you may stumble on other models that were made fretless on special order. We have seen fretless 3001, 4001S, 4000, 4002, and 4003S, but good luck finding those!

And if you can't find one,you can make one! The Cheyenne ii model,with its unbound neck,and unfinished fretboard,makes a good candidate for fretless conversion,if you're not averse to a lined fretless look. Ask me how i know.....

woodyng wrote:And if you can't find one,you can make one! The Cheyenne ii model,with its unbound neck,and unfinished fretboard,makes a good candidate for fretless conversion,if you're not averse to a lined fretless look. Ask me how i know.....

Ugh! Lined fretless!!! You gots to be kidding, right?

jps wrote:

woodyng wrote:And if you can't find one,you can make one! The Cheyenne ii model,with its unbound neck,and unfinished fretboard,makes a good candidate for fretless conversion,if you're not averse to a lined fretless look. Ask me how i know.....

Ugh! Lined fretless!!! You gots to be kidding, right?

Stop it,now!
(Side note--Ooh,i see the unveiling has happened!!!) (your avatar)
---or has it?

I know,it's hideous,isn't it?
Avert your eyes!

That looks really good, are the lines maple?

jps wrote:That looks really good, are the lines maple?

Yes,they are. The conversion was superlatively done by the 12th Fret shop,in Portland,Oregon.
I am planning on them refretting my '72 at some point in 2016.

woodyng wrote:

jps wrote:That looks really good, are the lines maple?

Yes,they are. The conversion was superlatively done by the 12th Fret shop,in Portland,Oregon.
I am planning on them refretting my '72 at some point in 2016.

Come on, have them make it fretless!

Hi everyone and thanks for the replies. I had a sneaking suspicion they would be pretty rare. Almost by accident I find myself playing a lot more fretless these days. I've had lined and unlined necks and the look of horror on my band mates faces as I ventured up an unlined neck has convinced me it's lined all the way for me, doubtless due to my dodgy technique.

That defretted Cheyenne looks really great Woody, I'll keep an eye out for one. I've got two great (lined) fretless basses so I can afford to take my time but it's unlikely 4003fl is going to turn up in the UK anytime soon.

I had a great '04 4003FL that is now in the hands of another RRF member.

StevieDee wrote:...the look of horror on my band mates faces as I ventured up an unlined neck has convinced me it's...

...the way to go! I would love to make my band mates have that look all the time!

I think the 4003 fretless is a good companion to a fretless Jazz. They are both great, but the 4003 will be a bit woodier and thumpier sounding where the Jazz to my ear has less solid foundation but more upper-mid bark. (I know this is the opposite of what many say of the two basses.) The Jazz can be EQed to sound fairly close to the Ric, but I find it harder to EQ the Ric into Jazz territory. The way neck through changes ADSR is probably at play here too.

I have played two fretless Rics (a 4001FL, heavily modified, and a 4003FL) for many years in jazz, gospel, country and rock settings. All I can say is when I bring anything else (usually an EBMM or Fender I'm trying out, one time a Dingwall), people get mad!

Fretless Stingrays do sound great, too; Patrick O'Hearn used one (I don't know if he still does or not) and it sounded wonderful in his music.

jps wrote:Fretless Stingrays do sound great, too; Patrick O'Hearn used one (I don't know if he still does or not) and it sounded wonderful in his music.

I really liked the one I owned for a week before returning, the tone was great and probably would have improved with better strings, but I didn't like the thick body.