Fender Tony Franklin Fretless Precision Bass - Lake Placid Blue Reviews

I've played a Fender Jazz 5-string for nearly 10 years. After playing a few fretless basses, I decided on the Tony Franklin for the variety in pickups, overall look and quality of the guitar. I have not been disappointed. Despite this being a passive-only guitar, the overall volume and noise levels are outstanding. The tonation is spot-on. Overall, it's a blast to play.

This bass is amazing and justifies its price-tag well.
The craftmanship feels much better than your typical Fender mid-range bass and it arrived setup and ready to play.
For reference, I own two other P/J basses with a control for sweeping between the P and J pickups. This bass's tonal difference from the P to the J pickup stands out more than my other basses, so you get a much more distinct change in tones when using the switch.
The hipshot tuner feels more solid than the one I installed on another 4-string.

Beautiful instrument, I can't believe the price for an American made Fender bass. The hipshot D-tuner is a nice bonus too, Sweetwater made it easy, I paid the extra small fee for the pro set-up before they sent it out. Plays like a dream with nice low action and plenty of "mwah".

This is an AMAZING Instrument!!! Fit and finish .... also AMAZING!! thanks to Sweetwater for the great attention to detail,, I truly believe their 55 point check ensured that I received a Bass I would not regret!!

Purchased this and all I've done is upgrade the bridge to a KSM Foundation system and change the strings. All of this is obviously to my personal preferences. It was tremendous out of the box. The sustain, sound, feel, intonation - everything about this rig is delicious. Thrilled to have jumped on it - it's my 5th Fender ... Sweetwater takes excellent care of me -

It had been 37 years since I had owned a quality fretless...THIS bass is QUALITY. I've had this instrument for a little while now, having spent the last year+ returning to fretless bass. Initially I was looking at the Fender Player Series (lots of wonderful reviews) and I wondered if I'd want more eventually and my search led me to the Tony Franklin Fretless. Everyone that owned one (or more!) had raves regarding them and now I can see why. Very comfortable neck (it really draws you in) and all the bells and whistles I would've wanted from a custom build. Sweetwater shipped it pretty close to perfect with their usual aplomb. It really is a top-shelf instrument that I look forward to growing with in each passing day.

I've had other fretless basses but this one is the killer one. The tone is incredible and the playability is butter. Please believe when I tell you that the sound this bass produce is incomparable. I have Fender Pbasses, Jbasses and PJ's and other brands but this one is a KEEPER. The ebony fretboard gives this baby an unique tone. Thanks to Julio Jimenez, my sales engineer, for helping me with this buy. Sweetwater is the best in this business. Buy this bass before Fender rise the price or even discontinue it because is hurting the Original 60's and 50's series.

The 3-way P/J pickup config can make every tone I want. It is gorgeous and plays like a dream. Right out of the box it was ready to go - good job Sweetwater. Even the detuner was spot-on. I've been playing for decades, but this is my first fretless. I couldn't be happier.

This is my 2nd franklin fretless and it doesnt dissapoint. Of course fender basses never do. Ive had high end basses before. Ernie ball pedulla and so forth. To me this bass surpasses them. Excellent feel! Warm full sound. Fantastic balance. Dont be afraid to make the transition to fretless and if you do...purchase a fender tony franklin! Thank you fender for as always making the best basses and thanks to sweetwater for the best service!

I bought this bass a month ago and wanted some time to get to know it. Since then, I haven't put it down! If you are thinking about buying a fretless bass, this is it! Plenty of versatility in regards to sound and musical styles. There are varying tones to chose. Three way pickup selector is great because you can change pickups on the fly. The split pickup has plenty of p-bass thump, both pickups together- a jazz bass, and the bridge pickup- Jaco sound. The drop tuner is an added bonus. The neck feels great with its 9.5" radius and side dots for playing. Don't worry about the lack of fret markers on the neck. After a little playing, you'll get used to it. Lacquer finish on the body and neck is excellent. Matching blue headstock is a nice touch. Solid bridge and electronics- no issues. Comes with a hard shell case. An excellent bass!

I Love this Bass. I'm a jazz guy and this fits in the mix. That Double Upright Bass Growl and Sustain is there. It helps that this isn't my first experience with a Fretless Bass. ( but it is with no fretboard Lines or markers ) NOTE: IT HELPS TO STAY IN TUNE AND KNOW YOUR FINGER POSITION. The Bridge Pickup on this bass is Spectacular. I'm not a person that uses a pick or a big time Slapper. Finger Style is my choice. I did change the strings to Thomastik Infeld Jazz Bass JF344 Nickel Wound Flat Wound. What a Voice these Strings added. " Special "