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Hi all. I was looking for a budget fretless 5 string but the only ones I could find were either out of my price range (say, Warwick) or hard to come by down where I live (Peru).

...so I thought about just getting a fretted 5 string (which for some reason are very popular here - you can hardly come across a 4 string) and turning it fretless. I was thinking along the lines of a Cort or Ibanez SR (the most readily available models).

What about construction? I've read about bolt-on necks being desirable for a fretless because of their frequency response tilting more towards higher frequencies. How about fretboard wood? Any recommendations? I plan on using Roundwounds.

Thanks in advance

Either of the two choices you mention would probably work well providing you like the bass in all other respects. In addition look for a Conklin Groove tools, Dean, Yamaha of the BB or TRB series but not the RBX (unless you really like that model).

Actually there are many more Asian basses of decent quality now than in the past, so your choices for an inexpensive bass are good.

Yes, bolt on necks seem to be the preference, and it is about tone characteristics.

Make sure the bass has two pick-ups, the bridge P/U is most important.

Try to get a bass with 19mm string spacing at the bridge. Cramped right hand technique can render an otherwise good bass into a closet queen.

If you are going to be using roundwound strings you have to be OK with rutting on the fingerboard unless you find a fretless bass with man-made fingerboard such as ebonal (Conklin GT, perhaps CORT).

You can always coat a wood fingerboard (ala Jaco). Once coated the resonance of the wood in the fingerboard is diminished but you gain mwah.

Thanks for the reply, mate. Perhaps I should've mentioned I already play a 4 string fretless, the hunt for a 5 string one was more of an "expanding my limits with a limited budget" sort of thing.

My main issue is trying to stick with a 34' scale and a slim neck, since my fingers are not very long. In this respect, SRs are ok.

About the string spacing, the way I see it, just like Guitar and Bass are two completely different instruments that happen to have design similarities, I view 5 strings as another instrument that happens to feel very similar to a 4 string.

There is a Conklin Fretless 5str GT up on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/CONKLIN-GROOVE-TOOL ... 230b60002e

I have found that fretless basses often command LOWER prices than a similar fretted instrument. This being (in my opinion) due to lower demand for fretless. Fewer players have the skill, so less demand.

This means that buying a fretted bass and converting it into a fretless is probably not a good decision from an economic point of view. You can find a nice fretless for a good price and not have to bother with defretting, filling, smoothing, etc.

On the other hand, if you already own a fretted bass that you regard as a good fretless candidate, then why not convert it. You are not out any new cash.

I remember when I wanted to buy a six strings bass fretless before I had mine. I was very difficult to afford one.


Ibanez for example don't sell fretless version for his six string basses.