I've kind of been looking around thinking about buying a bass again after all these years...

I stumbled on this... um.. am I missing something? Have things changed? Fretless? I don't think so....

http://washingtondc.craigslist.org/nva/msg/973485629.html

Seems kinda cheap.. :scratch2:

No not cheap at all
Actually, you need to be able to play bass well to be able to sound good on a fretless bass.

Jacko Pastorius was a fretless bass player. (One of musics dead best club members)

On a fretless, as a bass player, you are able to seamlessly roll and slide, pop and snap with out fret buzz or rattle. (solo)

There are fretless with inlaid marker lines but no frets (looks like it has frets from a distance) or completely bare boards which means of course that you have extensive knowledge of your instrument and its scale.

In the last band I was in, the bass player, a good freind of mine used a 1970 Fender fretless Precision Bass. I used to joke around with him that Fender was ashamed of his fingers. Seems like an oxymoron huh?
"fretless precision Bass"

Yeah.. I know ya gotta be good to play a fretless.. I've played a few fretless, and believe me, I'm not good...

However, I've never seen a fretless with inlays that look like frets, thats why I was asking. All I've ever seen likked like standup bass.. just a solid chunk of wood for a fingerboard..

nope, not cheap at all. Jaco is the best-known fretless player, but many other bass players use fretless basses. Sting often plays a fretless bass.

i think another reason why Jaco is so well known for his bass is because he de-fretted the neck of his jazz bass and sealed the fretboard with marine epoxy. not to mention the sound...

oh. well yeah most fretless fingerboards have no markings but i think fender has been doing that for less experienced players. they're making fretless Squier basses too; i'm sure it's not top quality, but for the money you really can't beat those.

I doubt seriously I would buy a fretless, or if I buy a bass at all.. just kicking the idea around.. I figure if my wife will have her organ back sometime this next year, I might as well get me something to play too... I was better with a bass than a guitar..

Just interesting.. I thought it was freted because of the markers.. never saw that..

Interesting, I had thought Fenders sold for more.. Been 25 years since I've even looked at any basses really.

Interesting, I had thought Fenders sold for more..

At that price, it's most probably an import. If it's American made, it's way under-priced.

doesn't Les Claypool play a fretless?

At that price, it's most probably an import. If it's American made, it's way under-priced.

True.
Fender is making the "same" model in many quality/price levels in places all over the world. US, Japan, China, Korea, Mexico.

No matter what model it is, thats the first question to be answered when looking at a late model Fender to buy.

doesn't Les Claypool play a fretless?

Yep... Six string fretless.

At that price it's probably a Mexican made Fender. $275 is a pretty reasonable price for it if so. American made Fender basses (of even recent vintage) should go for at least twice that much. I'd stay away from fretless models until you practice for a while!