I could get by with a fretless, but had no need for it. I bought it when I was gathering up several "different" Ricks that came up for sale, but kept it only for about a year. I'm not a real musician, so my feelings on fretless or fretted don't really count. I've been more of a collector, and by way of osmosis, kind of an authority. All of my knowledge of Rick basses is translated into the book, but there is still more to learn.