Fretless 1975 sunburst Ripper - originally supplied fretless...?

[Highlander]

Was it fretless from new...?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/GIBSON-RIPPER-BASS-FRETLESS-1975-RARE-TOBACCO-SUNBURST_W0QQitemZ160383888811QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item25579fedab

[Hornisse]

Yes, they did make them like that.  I've only seen the sunburst/Ebony ones though. 

[Highlander]

Cheers for clearing that one up for me, Robert...

Are there any other bass's they've supplied fretless from new...?

[Hornisse]

I remember seeing a Victory fretless years ago.  That is the only other one I can think of at the moment.

[uwe]

I have a fretless Ripper, Victory, Q-90, Les Paul DeLuxe and a prototype Junior shape. I saw what looked like legit fretless versions of a G-3 and a nineties TB on ebay. They do exist. Back in the good old days, if you asked for one nicely they made you one.

[Highlander]

Uwe, et al... What would your favourite fretless bass be, Gibson or otherwise, and which type of neck - plain wood, lacquered, maple, ebony...?

I'm very pleased with my RD... the sound and playability is superb, regardless of my mods...

[doombass]

If I'm not mistaken The Ripper is the only model officialy offered as a fretless.

[barend]

Gibson would not be my first choice for a fretless bass. But a fretless G-3 might sound good if you play it in position 1 (bridge and middle pickup together) if you are looking for a jazz bass type fretless sound.
I wonder why out of all basses they made a fretless version of the Ripper (instead of another model).

[Dave W]

I wonder why out of all basses they made a fretless version of the Ripper (instead of another model).

It could be that Gibson saw it as competition to the fretless Precision, which I think was Fender's only production fretless at the time.

I think of the Grabber as closer to a Precision, but I'm not a marketing expert. 

[uwe]

All my Gibson fretless basses sound fine, maho is as good a combination with fretless as maple or alder. But my fretless Grabber, which is most likely an aftermarket conversion, sounds raunchiest, spluttering tone all over.

That said, I don't know yet how my natural Les Paul Money Bass will turn out whom I'm having convertet to fretless as we speak.

As regards choice of boards, I probably have a slight preference of rosewood over ebony for the more pronounced mids, I've never played a fretless maple board though I'd like to try one.

I also have a P Bass sixties reissue from the eighties in fiesta red with an aftermarket rosewood extra-thick fretless board and that sounds awesome as well. A lot of good fretted instruments have an excellent fretless "sleeping" in them.

Uwe

[barend]

It could be that Gibson saw it as competition to the fretless Precision, which I think was Fender's only production fretless at the time.

I also don't like fretless Precisions so much. The only one (for me that is) who could make that sound good is Percy Jones from Brand X. I prefer the bridge type pickup fretless sound.

[SKATE RAT]

if i ever win the lottery,i'll make it my life's mission to put frets on all the fretless basses out there 

[patman]

There's a guy in Cincinnati that gigs with a fretless Ripper. It sounds great. Jacoish with a little more bottom.  Very distinctive sound... I could pick it out of a crowd of fretless basses (by ear) very easily.

[uwe]

For me that "honkey" Jaco sound never did anything. I like a fretless sound with body. You can get that out of a JB too if you don't relegate the poor thing to bridge pup use only.

[Hornisse]

Stanley Sheldon is all over Frampton Comes Alive using a maple board Fretless P bass.  I love the bass tones on this record.  The short solo he does on Doobie Wah is cool.