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Greatest bargain in Fender history!
By: James Vaughn
Submitted: 10/27/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Rating
Product Review
amazing bass! Hipshot drop D tuner, nitro finish !
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Custom shop quality
By: Angel
Submitted: 4/22/2020
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
The only flaw on mine is the ebony fingerboard is dyed, and there is excess dye at the heel end of the fingerboard.
Neck isn't quite as beefy as most Pbasses, but not as narrow as a jazz.
One of the finest basses I have held.
Ugly pickguard on the Lake Placid Blue, but at least it's not tort...
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A Tool For True Musical Inspiration!
By: Brett Sanders
Submitted: 2/10/2020
8 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
First of all let me say that I'm 45 years old. I've been playing various musical instruments for almost my entire life. I consider myself both very knowledgeable and savvy when it comes to gear. I'm extremely picky. Especially with tone and build quality. I'm not a gear snob by any means. I just prefer not to choose low budget gear. I believe quality is still out there and you get what you pay for. I've owned / own many top brands including Gibson, PRS, Fender Custom Shop, Warwick (Germany), Dingwall, Kiesel, etc. You get the picture right? The build quality of this instrument is right up there with any of those if not better. Tone wise this thing is a monster! Fretless Monster right? The DiMarzio Jazz pickup has a really sweet sound just as it should. It has a 3-way selector switch that allows you to play the pickups in three configurations. Jazz, J + P Bass, and just P Bass. All three sound simply amazing but the middle position is the real sweet spot for this bass. The neck is a dream and fits and feels terrific in the hands. Fit and finish all looked great and there were zero cosmetic blemishes. I got the 3-color sunburst and picked out the actual serial I wanted. It's a beautiful bass and so much fun to play. The ebony fingerboard was even completely uniform with no streaking which I happen to personally like. It has a D-tuner on the E string which is nice. If you're on the fence about trying a fretless for the first time like I was please don't be. Once you have this bass in your hands you will feel at home with it just as I did. Almost like an old friend has come home. It will be a new, creative, tool, in your palette. The possibilities are endless and you will have a new and exciting way of truly expressing yourself. You do have side marker dots so you will not be totally in the dark. I'm a big fan of Blue Murder and Tony Franklin. Check out his YouTube videos some time. He truly is a Monster of the Fretless Bass. I started taking his True Fire course after buying this bass and it has helped me make the transition to fretless more easy. It's a great course and I have learned a lot from the master. You definitely will not be disappointed in this bass. At the price point it's a steal in my opinion. This is a must have for any bassist to have in their collection. Go fretless!
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Awesome Axe
By: Rick G
Submitted: 3/30/2018
2 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Plays great out of the box, great tone, incredible fast neck, great balance, The only thing I did different was putting Rotosound Jazz Bass Flats on it, but she still has her edge. Beautifuly made product.
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Amazing bass, I can't put it down.
By: Chris C.
Submitted: 10/4/2017
1 person found this review helpful.
Product Review
Perfect fit and finish. Nice, light and perfectly balanced. Custom Shop level craftsmanship here. In my opinion the Tony Franklin Fretless Bass is made with Fender's most comfortable neck shape and width I love Fender P pickup and the DiMarzio J pickup. The J pickup is in the 70's position, just where it should be, especially on a fretless bass. Just a great bass.
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A Bass well worth the money. you'll love this fretless!
By: Shake
Submitted: 4/17/2015
6 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
Being a bassist for last 35 years, I've played,gigged,woodsheded and recorded with a number of great basses. I've always held a soft spit in my heart for Fender & Gibson's tho. I've wanted another fretless to replace my '78 Jazz for years, and have drooled over this one for what seems too long. Yes, she's a bit pricey.However once I bit the bullet and pulled the plug; I've got to say it's worth every penny and more.It literally feels and plays like a boutique bass or something from the Fender Custom shop, while still feeling amazingly broken in and warm. Everything about this is outstanding and finish is flawlessly awesome. Outta the box only required slight intonation set up and we were up and running. The ebony fingerboard is as gorgeous to the eye as the feel is to your hand, and the neck shape screams vintage comfort. The pick up p/j with selector switch, and tone control is killer and will have you dialing in any sound or tone you desire. For my particular style this is a home run, and just what the doctor ordered. The hipshot D tuner is awesome as well and proves to be both fun and function. Many people think fretless bass, unless in a jazz setting is a novelty; but I can see this being my main go to bass, and I'm a rock and blues player. I've not picked up anything else in my collection since acquiring this. For those of you worried about the price or the unlined neck. Mark my words, this is a bass that you will grow with, and it will become an investment in your bass playing. You may have to adjust your finger techniques slightly, but that's true with any new addition, especially a fretless. Take the plunge and order one today.The team at fender, and Tony Franklin,have designed a winner that will take you to the next level.
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Awesome Fretless Bass
By: Mike Clark
Submitted: 4/3/2015
3 people found this review helpful.
Product Review
I couldn't be happier with this bass! I have played Carvin fretless basses as they were more affordable and I owned a Pedulla 4 string fretless bass that played really nice but I didn't like the neck. I own a fretted Precision and a fretted Jazz bass and this Tony Franklin plays really well and has an amazing tone. I love the pickup selections it provides and use all three selections depending on the song being played - the neck is great and after a quick set up the action is perfect and again - tone for days!! This is a great purchase for the money as Pedulla's cost more and less expensive basses don't have this feel and tone.