You should get a proper tool to pull the frets. If you take the time to properly set it up for success then it’s not very difficult.
You’ll be a fret puller
Broad tip soldering iron.
Thin Japanese saw
Thin wood veneers
Teflon sheet/ strips.
I’ve pulled the frets off one bass but pulled and filled many $5-10 ukulele from yard sale just to practice.
@Al1885 does the idea of going fretless make sense? Playing? Converting instead of buying? Short scale VS long scale?
It’s best to buy. Lots of work involved. If you are German and very patient and like to geek stuffs out it’s cool. Just make sure that your impatient Dutch side doesn’t come out. I assume it’s quite similar to my Asian side 
Dutch and Asians are a lot alike: always funny and excellent drivers 
I am very very patient though, if necessary. But it must make sense. If it’s better to buy the bass above then I will.
Oh: flatwounds??!
Knock it off, you’re making me want a fretless bass.
I also have half considered upright bass storage. The space is not really an issue, but enough that I need to negotiate it.
No I’m Jaco all the way. Round.
Hahaha! Why is everybody so Jaco minded? (please don’t answer!)
Does it not make sense to have smooth strings for sliding??! (please answer ^^)
@billn - all that GAS stuff in the other threads does not make sense. But fretless does
How about my fretless idol - Jack Bruce of Cream
Does he play flats?
The father of modern electric Fretless bass.
SIT Stainless Rounds
Okay, potential detour, but in my opinion flats sound really good when you’re at home playing, but in a group rounds cut through a lot better
For whatever reason I don’t feel a whole lot of attraction to EUB. I see why they appeal to people, but I think if I get an upright bass I want a big awkward acoustic one. My orchestra bias strikes again I guess.
That would be me!
If I convert a bass to fretless, can I convert it back using the original frets? That would make the decision easier: buying fretless or converting…
You’ll get that no matter what but with round you’ll have the option of being bright and chimmy.
You can always EQ out the highs and mids, a lot harder to add them in when they ain’t there
Convinced!
Make or buy?
Buy
Make /convert
No
Once pulled you don’t want to reuse the frets. The bell shaped crown get crimped when you pull the fret. Unless there another specialty tool you can pull frets without damaging it.
No matter what you need to fill the gap or have a bowl.
