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Post subject: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:21 pm
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Roadie
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Location: Delray Beach, FL
NFD!! New Fretless Day!

Been GAS'n for a Vintage White Fender Jazz fretless lately...well came across one on eBay. This very nice Fender Japan Jazz. The serial number puts it in the early to mid 80's, and is in great condition. Do not think it was played much, the fretboard is in great shape. Very minor wear. And only one very small ding on the bass.

Fairly light weight. Not sure if it is Alder or Basswood. Don't know if they used Basswood back than :?:

It has a very nice playing neck and sounds like....well a Fender Jazz Fretless! Took off the White pickguard that came with it, looks better without it.

I believe this is a non-export model. I don't recall seeing any un-lined Japanese fretless basses here in the US back than....and still.

Image

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Delray Bass Co. Custom P-Bass
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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2013 8:49 pm
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Nice bass!!!

I remember during the late 90s these unlined fretless jazz basses were sold for $350.00 (standard series). However, I don't remember if those were from Japan or Mexico.

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Wed Jul 31, 2013 6:53 pm
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Ditto on the NICE BASS remark.

Swell looker. I'm a sucker for light colors.


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:11 am
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SWEET!!

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:52 am
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I have one in black. The Japan made Jazz basses are beautiful instruments. Mine is an unmarked fretless, too. I also own two fretted Japanese Jazz basses. One is a beater and the other is like new. All are black with white PGs. I believe they were exported to the US during the 1986-86 Factory transition from Fullerton Ca to Corona, CA coinciding with the sale of Fender to it new ownership.

I don't have any pictures but it is just like yours only in black with a white PG.
The most unusual feature of these basses is the exposed grounding strap like those used on the original early 60's Jazz basses.
They can become corroded and lose contact with the bridge over time,
Just keep the bass clean and you shouldn't have any problems.

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:07 am
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awesome bass !!! bass, ... :D


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 3:14 pm
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Congrats on a great buy! Beautiful bass. I recently got a fretless too. Really glad i did, it's a whole new world.

Enjoy!


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:18 pm
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BCbassman wrote:
I have one in black. The Japan made Jazz basses are beautiful instruments. Mine is an unmarked fretless, too. I also own two fretted Japanese Jazz basses. One is a beater and the other is like new. All are black with white PGs. I believe they were exported to the US during the 1986-86 Factory transition from Fullerton Ca to Corona, CA coinciding with the sale of Fender to it new ownership.

I don't have any pictures but it is just like yours only in black with a white PG.
The most unusual feature of these basses is the exposed grounding strap like those used on the original early 60's Jazz basses.
They can become corroded and lose contact with the bridge over time,
Just keep the bass clean and you shouldn't have any problems.


I also had a white fretted Japanese Fender, got it new back in the late 80's. It was my main bass for many years on the road. Had a D-Tuner installed...the rest was stock.

Image

Old picture of me! Now that bass did not have the ground strap. Wish I still had it, sold it to someone in Wyoming back in 1990.

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1972 Fender Jazz
Fodera Monarch Standard Special Madrone
Roscoe Century Custom 5
Bacchus Craft Series 5 String Jazz
Crews Maniac Sound Jackson 5 Fretless
Delray Bass Co. Custom P-Bass
NS Design Omnibass Electric Upright
Breedlove Solo Acoustic Fretless


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:49 pm
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bassclef wrote:
I also had a white fretted Japanese Fender, got it new back in the late 80's. It was my main bass for many years on the road. Had a D-Tuner installed...the rest was stock.


that sucks,..... there's about 6 basses that I've owned that I regret selling :(


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 6:18 pm
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Congrats...I love white basses. I have an Oly White 99 USA std, which is my #1.
If the Alice in Chains project that I'm in ever gets to play out, I may buy a fret less neck for some of the acoustic numbers.

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:56 am
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I'm wondering - where are the side dots on yours? I had one that I probably bought around 1985 (in Tokyo) and the dots were where they would be on a fretted bass - it was so hard to play! It's only in recent years that I have acquired fretlesses (fretlessi?) with dots where the frets would be.

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:41 am
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hieronymous wrote:
I'm wondering - where are the side dots on yours? I had one that I probably bought around 1985 (in Tokyo) and the dots were where they would be on a fretted bass - it was so hard to play! It's only in recent years that I have acquired fretlesses (fretlessi?) with dots where the frets would be.


Good question....being that it's unlined I'm guessing that the dot markers would be positioned where the fret line would normally be ,........ My Jaco Fretless has the side marker dots on the fret line,....I bought mine new in April 2008 but it was made in 2007 ,.. I later realized that I got one of the last one with the side marker dots on the fret line as not long after I got my bass I noticed & heard from others here that the side dot markers are now positioned in the middle between the frets......same as the current American Standard Fretless Jazz bass,....The Tony Franklin Fretless P-Bass with P/J set up unlined fret board has the side dot markers positioned where the fret line would be,......I've been very intrigued by this Bass & have been thinking about getting one, it has a unique bally sound & the fret Board is Ebony so no worries with round wound strings......Hey Bassclef what type of strings do you have on your fretless & what condition is the fretboard in ? I'm guessing the fretboard is Rosewood..


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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:57 pm
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I like it!

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 2:54 pm
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I like the markers on the fret. I understand the change, side markers on 99% of basses are between frets - should be an easy mental transition. But I had no trouble adapting to the marks on the fret and prefer that.

My 74P has them on the fret. I love it.

My Jaco J, unlike James, was produced after 2007 and has the marks between.

With the mark between the frets, you have to mentally visualize the space between the frets and do the computation. On the fret, it just works, at least for me.

In both cases I am talking about solid, challenging pieces where you find a need to peek at the fingerboard more often, to keep spot on. Simpler works, where navigation is not visual, either is fine. I have noticed that I am fingering my fretted basses much, much closer to the fret since I started playing fretless.

On the other hand, and I don't have an answer for this, the Jaco seems to play more easily......feels better. I can find no logic for that.

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Post subject: Re: NFD! Huh?
Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 7:30 pm
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hieronymous wrote:
I'm wondering - where are the side dots on yours? I had one that I probably bought around 1985 (in Tokyo) and the dots were where they would be on a fretted bass - it was so hard to play! It's only in recent years that I have acquired fretlesses (fretlessi?) with dots where the frets would be.


Like most unlined fretless basses, this one has the side dots at were the fret would be. But not every fret, every other. So they start at (on the E string) G, A, B, C#, than jumps to the 12th fret E. Than after the 12th fret they start again at the G fret position and so on.

If you haven't played a unlined fretless, it takes a bit to get use to. I've played lined fretless bass so many many years, so in the case of this new bass muscle memory for my fingers really come into play. So it is easy for me to play.

_________________
1972 Fender Jazz
Fodera Monarch Standard Special Madrone
Roscoe Century Custom 5
Bacchus Craft Series 5 String Jazz
Crews Maniac Sound Jackson 5 Fretless
Delray Bass Co. Custom P-Bass
NS Design Omnibass Electric Upright
Breedlove Solo Acoustic Fretless


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