From: rgonzal@gandalf.rutgers.edu (Ralph Gonzalez)
Newsgroups: alt.guitar.bass,rec.music.makers.bass
Subject: Cheap fretless choices
Keywords: fretless
Date: 31 Dec 92 16:50:34 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.makers.bass
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.


Hi. I just conducted a short search for a new fretless bass, and
thought I'd post the results. I didn't spend too much time, so I'm
sure I missed a few good alternatives...

Yamaha RBX200F (or 250F?) - list $300, discount $?, bolt-on maple neck
with rosewood fingerboard, one P pickup. A bit plain-looking but
easy-to-play fretless with inlaid fret markings.

Samick Thunder (fretless version) - list $370, discount $269, bolt-on
maple neck and rosewood fingerboard, P&J pickups, gold hardware (so?).
I didn't see this in person but am told that Samick makes basses for a
lot of other companies and is good value for money.

Hohner JBFL - list $439, discount $?, bolt-on maple neck and phenolic
fingerboard, two J pickups. A Jazz copy, I didn't try this one but saw
it in the Bass Player 1993 Buyer's Guide. Yellow body may be a matter
of taste!

Fender Standard Jazz (fretless version) - list $499, discount $349,
bolt-on maple neck, rosewood fingerboard (no fret markings), 2 J
pickups (of course). Nice action and neck. Easy-on-the-eye.

Carvin LB-20 (fretless version) - $519 factory-direct, neck-through
with natural-finish exotic-wood body, ebony fingerboard. The fretted
version ($629) won top honors in Bass Player's recent roundup of
inexpensive basses (I haven't personally played it). Apparently this
guitar has excellent tuners and pickups and is very attractive and
nice-sounding.

************

I wound up buying the Fender. I figured it was a safe bet in terms of
giving me the "Fender" sound I wanted (the fretted American Standard
version costs more and did well in the aforementioned Bass Player
roundup). Also, Fenders apparently have good resale value. I was
attracted to the unmarked fingerboard (position markers on the side).

I would have liked a natural-finish body like the Carvin's -- the
Fender comes in only black or white (I chose black). On the other
hand, this would have probably required using a different wood for the
body which might have affected the instrument's sound. (Using harder
woods would presumably contribute sustain but might give it less
character?)

Also, at $349 discount (plus about $80 for a hardshell case), the
Fender was in my price range. I bought it locally, but was quoted the
same price at the mail-order discounter Factory Music (617) 829-0004.
That's where I was quoted the discount price on the Samick, too.

Another option was to buy a used guitar. This is possibly the best
route, but I don't have the time (due to our 10-month old boy) or
patience to shop around. Used fretless guitars are not that common.

One more possibility was to buy a new or used fretted guitar and have
the frets removed. If it's done right this is probably ok, but I don't
think you can ever get it quite as smooth as a guitar which has never
had frets. Also, this would have added $100 or so to the cost, and
seems kind of a waste. (I'm impressed that Carvin actually seems to
charge less for their fretless models -- makes sense, doesn't it?)

I haven't gotten much time to play my new guitar yet, but am looking
for ward to it. Next step is to upgrade my homebrew amp...

Any comments?

-Ralph
-- 
Ralph Gonzalez, Computer Science, Rutgers Univ., Camden, NJ
Phone: (609) 757-6122; Internet: rgonzal@elbereth.rutgers.edu
--