56 replies to this topic

[jahloon]

There are currently a few items on e-bay described as Takamine fretless guitars, with the first three frets intact, so you can still play chords.
The guitars are Jumbo types with no cutaway, and while they are made by Takamine they are actually the Jasmine S35, a students model that can be purchased new for around $99
One offer on e-bay had a buy now price of over four times that!
Don't know who removed the frets, if it was a factory job or not, but given the first three frets are still there it is going to be difficult to set up action for good fretless operation. Careful with your money out there! --J

[Villager]

There are currently a few items on e-bay described as Takamine fretless guitars, with the first three frets intact, so you can still play chords.
The guitars are Jumbo types with no cutaway, and while they are made by Takamine they are actually the Jasmine S35, a students model that can be purchased new for around $99
One offer on e-bay had a buy now price of over four times that!
Don't know who removed the frets, if it was a factory job or not, but given the first three frets are still there it is going to be difficult to set up action for good fretless operation. Careful with your money out there! --J

I suspect these are actually school guitars - not intended to be fretless at all, just cheaper than a student model because there are less frets and action can be lower because there is nothing for the strings to buzz on.
Why a school guitar? Well if you pass out guitars in class there are all the show offs zooming dischordantly up and down the fretboard. With only three frets you can concentrate on Cum-Bai-Yah without any interference.
Drawbacks? You can't tune adjacant strings - no fifth or fourth frets, so what you saved on not fitting frets has to be balanced by every student buying an electronic tuner. Oh well, you can always sell them on e-bay. V

[gazmungus]

Yeah, saw that!

I'm pretty sure that was never a factory model, & when you search for it now, only 1 item comes up...

some of the stuff I've seen on ebay, tut, tut!

professionally removed?

gaz

[jahloon]

I think you are right, Villager, makes no sense to leave three frets on a student guitar, has to be a school model. If Takamine had produced a fretless guitar it would be to match Godin and Fernandes acoustics, not to service the entry level of the market. --J

[Villager]

Perhaps Takamine have made a fretless guitar for the Japanese market - Where FG is popular and Tim Donahue is a God. (Tim lives in Japan, I believe, with a large following) Nothing I can track down on the web though, V.

[jahloon]

(Tim lives in Japan, I believe, with a large following)

Not wishing to split hairs but surely it should say he has a large following, otherwise it means he lives with a lot of followers. How did you find Tim's section on Chords? - Jeff

[Villager]

(Tim lives in Japan, I believe, with a large following)

Not wishing to split hairs but surely it should say he has a large following, otherwise it means he lives with a lot of followers. How did you find Tim's section on Chords? - Jeff

Point taken, your nit picking is of a quality hard to equal.
Tim's bit on Chords is really quite excellent value - knowing how to make the chord sound in tune from initial fingering, very interesting, and thanks for following with the musical examples real quick, but I think I need to hear the originals to know what I'm aiming at. V

[jahloon]

Point taken, your nit picking is of a quality hard to equal.

I'd rather it was just my picking, but thanks for the feedback! Jeff

[Villager]

There are currently a few items on e-bay described as Takamine fretless guitars, with the first three frets intact, so you can still play chords.
The guitars are Jumbo types with no cutaway, and while they are made by Takamine they are actually the Jasmine S35, a students model that can be purchased new for around $99
One offer on e-bay had a buy now price of over four times that!
Don't know who removed the frets, if it was a factory job or not, but given the first three frets are still there it is going to be difficult to set up action for good fretless operation. Careful with your money out there! --J

I've seen this guy selling one of these three times! He must have a shed full. Funny thing is the same people are in the bidding pushing the price up each time. We would not allow that at the village craft fair. V.

[jahloon]

I've seen this guy selling one of these three times! He must have a shed full. Funny thing is the same people are in the bidding pushing the price up each time. We would not allow that at the village craft fair. V.

Indeed not. There is quite a lot of that going on. A friend at work just missed bidding on an item and then got an e-mail saying the two highest bidders had dropped out, would he like to purchase at his last bid price? I said he should bid at the price below when the other two bidders hiked the item. Better still, walk away, you are getting ripped. --J

[Villager]

And he's at it again! This time the bidding is up to $114, don't know about a shed full, must be a garage. V.

[Villager]

I don't like to harp on but that guy has another Jessica (Takamine' cheapo) fretless for sale, same ad same action, on e-bay. Just in case you haven't seen this thread before that model can be bought for $98. This is the fifth time we've seen this sale although there are others, perhaps those who have bought them previously. Vill

[Villager]

I don't like to harp on but that guy has another Jessica (Takamine' cheapo) fretless for sale, same ad same action, on e-bay. Just in case you haven't seen this thread before that model can be bought for $98. This is the fifth time we've seen this sale although there are others, perhaps those who have bought them previously. Vill

And again, this time the bidding is up to $19.98, how many has this guy got????

[Villager]

And again - the seventh one we have seen... Fretless ebay auction

Soon there may be more of these than Vigiers!

(If you don't know the history - read the whole thread)

[Villager]

And again - the seventh one we have seen... Fretless ebay auction

Soon there may be more of these than Vigiers!

(If you don't know the history - read the whole thread)

So the auction ended at $250 - and suddenly the last bid was retracted....
See the Bid History