nmiller
Member
I was browsing a music shop when I came across this specimen hanging behind the counter. The serial dates from 1973. The tuners and bridge have been changed, but I may have tracked down a replacement bridge; at least the one on it now works for the time being.
When I saw it in the shop, I actually thought it was a maple body. Sure enough it is a regular hog body, but with a tighter, more vivid flame than I've ever seen. It sounds as good as it looks; it doesn't have as much sustain as my other JS-II, but you can't beat the synth-like sound of a fretless. It plays better than my other one, too; I prefer its thinner neck and lighter weight. While I'm not much of a bassist (I just keep one around for recording), I actually feel more at home on this board than on one with frets. Best of all, it set me back less than $600, which easily leaves enough to replace the bridge and tuners.
I haven't seen many fretless JS-IIs; does anyone know how many were built?
When I saw it in the shop, I actually thought it was a maple body. Sure enough it is a regular hog body, but with a tighter, more vivid flame than I've ever seen. It sounds as good as it looks; it doesn't have as much sustain as my other JS-II, but you can't beat the synth-like sound of a fretless. It plays better than my other one, too; I prefer its thinner neck and lighter weight. While I'm not much of a bassist (I just keep one around for recording), I actually feel more at home on this board than on one with frets. Best of all, it set me back less than $600, which easily leaves enough to replace the bridge and tuners.
I haven't seen many fretless JS-IIs; does anyone know how many were built?