NFBD! 2000 L-2000

[KenC]

This is hands-down the most attractive instrument I've ever owned: a 2000 L2K, with an unlined fretless neck.















The body is swamp ash, with what I believe is a honey finish (my color vision is far from perfect). The neck is bird's eye maple, with an unlined ebony board. The only flaw is a missing tone knob, which will be easy enough to replace.

The neck has a great feel, in terms of shaping and finish. It's far thinner than my older ('80-'82) L1Ks and L2K. The shape is very similar to my first-style SB-1. This bass is very easy to play, and to play fast. I believe the neck finish would be considered satin, but since almost all of my experience is with Leo-era instruments I'm honestly not quite sure how to tell satin from a light tint.

There's a bit more wood buzz than I prefer up through the fifth fret (as it were), so I will probably replace the strings with a set of La Bella Original 1954s to get more tension and a deeper fundamental. If anybody has a recommendation for a different flatwound I would love to hear about it!

The one drawback with this bass is that it really highlights the limitations of my current practice amp. I've been playing through the G-K combo I use for the upright, and it just lacks the beefiness needed for an L2K. Oh well, I guess that will be the next round of GAS...

Ken

[yowhatsshakin]

Holy smackeroni! That is one beautiful instrument Ken. Congrats

- Jos

[Xochitl]

Stunning! I was just admiring the SH fretless L2K prototype and I see this bass! I'll end up blind with such beauties! Unlined fretless boards are the sh%t! And yes, this colour is honey!

I'm pondering trying fretless bass but (money aside) am afraid of going unlined... Well, I hope I'm not hijacking too brutally but if someone could tell me what I should focus on when buying an used fretless, it' be much appreciated.

[KenC]

Holy smackeroni! That is one beautiful instrument Ken. Congrats

Jos,

Thanks! Of course, my plans to spend the weekend bonding with the bass were blown out of the water by that storm that rolled through on Friday night. I had no power until early this morning, and I really didn't want to drip sweat onto the metal trim. So, all I managed to get in was a couple of five-minute mini-sessions. Tonight will be some serious playing after I'm done with work.

BTW, this was the other outcome of the GAS your last Lunch Reports induced (the first was the '86 ASAT). Next time you think about taking a turn as LR, please give me advanced warning so I can prepare financially!

I used to be able to walk past newer instruments without serious temptation. I can't say this one has converted me from my Leo-era ways, but it definitely changed my outlook.

Ken

[KenC]

I'm pondering trying fretless bass but (money aside) am afraid of going unlined... Well, I hope I'm not hijacking too brutally but if someone could tell me what I should focus on when buying an used fretless, it' be much appreciated.

My Fender hybrid (P neck on a J body) spent some time fretless in the mid 80s, with wood filler in the fret slots. The filler was lighter than the rosewood board, so I guess it would have counted as being lined. I struggled constantly with intonation on that one, so much that I ended up refretting it. So far the L2K doesn't seem to be giving me any intonation problems, aside from a couple of double-stop fingerings that require a slightly wider stretch than on the fretted bass.

If you prefer the look of an unlined fingerboard, then go with one. I prefer dot markers on the side of the neck, since they are more visible from a playing position. The dot markers will be at the positions they mark, not between them like on a fretted neck. You should be able to get the hang of the in-between positions (corresponding to the even-numbered frets) with a little bit of practice. Developing muscle memory for the positions and a good ear for intonation (or improving your pitch recognition if it's already strong) will be much more helpful than visual aids, in any case.

I think I prefer a shallower neck for fretless playing, compared to my fretted basses. A narrower nut might also make a difference, but I really don't have experience on enough fretless basses to have an opinion on that.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Ken

[Xochitl]

Thanks, Ken. Actually I was looking to buy an used one. But I think it may be sold as I don't see the ad anymore. Well... another time.

[KenC]

They're out there. Check the TalkBass forum if you haven't already. There seem to be about forty people looking to sell or swap basses at any given time.

Ken