Your ultimate $1500 six-string fretless, please...

fretlessman71 · Post by **fretlessman71** » Mon Aug 02, 2010 8:21 pm

First post here! Nice t'meet'cha.

Thought I'd start with an interesting query: if you were given fifteen hundred dollars, and you were going to buy the best 6-string fretless you could imagine with that amount (no more, but maybe less if you can defend your choice), what would you get and why?

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Tue Aug 03, 2010 2:55 am

Yamaha TRB 6II F - Made in Japan. Modified with John East U-RETRO preamp.

Instrument $450 on EBay
U-RETRO Pre-amp $150 also EBay.
Jim Dunlop recessed strap-locks $19.00

3/4" spacing at bridge.
35" scale
Ash body
Tasty P/U's
Bolt on neck (that's good).
Good Hardware.
Beautiful finish.
Neck is superb, would prefer unlined but lined is OK.
Symmetrical body shape similar to a P bass. Easy to wear and sits in a guitar stand as it should.
Balances well, not neck heavy, although instrument is somewhat heavy.

Mine has a coated fingerboard, fairly certain professional 3rd party job.

I have had, and do now have, more expensive instruments but this is the one I play. Sounds great. Very good build quality considering it's not a custom. I get lots of comments about how beautiful it is. I tell them it's just an el-cheapo imported bass.

They sound good with the stock pre-amp but I like the sound of John East U-RETRO, especially for fretless.

This in not the newer TRB 1006, big difference.

redbeardred · Post by **redbeardred** » Wed Aug 04, 2010 6:56 pm

i'd start with warmoth's made to order gecko body and neck. mahogany body $245 with an all maple neck $320. that leaves me about 1000 bucks for hardware and electronics. might just be able to squeeze in a hipshot piezo bridge and john east pre amp.

Nofretz6 · Post by **Nofretz6** » Thu Aug 05, 2010 1:02 am

Give this guy a shout
http://www.clementbass.com/web/

Great custom basses at a reasonable price. He'll work with you throughout the build process. You can even send him hardware, electronics etc. to use to minimize your cost.
I've had four built (both fretless and fretted 6's & 4's) and couldn't be more pleased with each.

fretlessone · Post by **fretlessone** » Thu Sep 16, 2010 2:20 pm

I got this Brubaker Lexa 6 with epoxy for 1500 on Talkbass

FretLessSince68 · Post by **FretLessSince68** » Fri Aug 05, 2011 6:33 pm

My newest acquisition is an Aria Pro II Avante Steve Bailey fretless six stringer that I found used on eBay. I really love this bass!

Instrument $550 on EBay

3/4" spacing at bridge.
34" scale
Three piece Ash body
Tasty Seymour Duncan P/U's. A bit bright but the treble can always be turned down.
Two band active Seymour Duncan pre-amp.
Bolt on neck (that's good).
Good Hardware.
Beautiful finish.
Neck is superb, nice four piece maple, very stable and tweaks as it should. I really like the very comfortable radius.
Ebony fingerboard - unlined.
Symmetrical body shape. Easy to wear and sits in a guitar stand as it should.
Balances well, not neck heavy, instrument is not heavy.

Very good build quality considering it's not a custom, not sure where made but probably Asia. I get lots of comments about how great it sounds. I tell them it's just an el-cheapo imported bass.

One very important detail about this bass is that it required no modifications to satisfy my preferences in a fretless bass.

The 34" scale length makes it easy to play and strings are less expensive. The B string is focused and sounds good although a very minor decrease in sound quality compared to 35" scale.

This is a great bass, and a real find, IF you can find one. I blows my mind that this inexpensive bass excels beyond most of my other very nice fretless basses in terms of playability and tone. In the looks department I would have to say it gets a couple of points knocked off for a cheap pick-guard.