1.  Yes I know personal made fretless guitars do exist on the internet.

2. Don't ask me why I would want a fretless guitar...why wouldn't I?

You can play chords on it, but then you'd need bitchen intonation for that. Or you can do vibratos all the time to disguise it. 

To the OP: Do it. Fretless guitars sound really nice if you slap some heavy flatwound strings on it, detune it a whole step and play it like a classical guitarist would do (fingerstyle).

Don't forget to protect the fingerboard somehow; I suggest various epoxy or polyurethane coatings to avoid string wear.

While you're at it, get some gunstock oil and use it to finish the back of the neck. 

If you want to learn more stuff, there's quite a bit of info at talkbass.com. I know it's a bass website, but there's a f***ton of useful information that applies to every ocidental stringed instrument out there in the Luthier section.

It is very nice.  The shape of the back is incredibly comfortable and the fretless fretboard looks amazing.  The guy I talked to on the phone who worked on it took the time to inlay the fret slots with mahogany.  So it's a very nice rosewood neck with mahogany inlays.  I will certainly upload some pics and hopefully link an audio sample when the guitar is complete.  

And how many more of these bad fretless jokes can we have?  Fretless piano, fretless vocals...

That is the approach I was originally planning on taking until the guy at Warmoth offered to take one of the necks that weren't finished and inlay the fret slots with mahogany.  This seemed better as I've heard that even people with experience chip the fretboard a bit when removing the frets.  Seeing as I've never worked on anything wood related at all that wouldn't end well.

I was considering it, but I actually have many guitars including one I previously made.  That one had nothing but tung oil and a satin finish polyurethane on it (didn't know any better at the time) and It's actually my favorite feeling guitar.  I just love the feel of really smooth wood in my hand. 

 I asked somebody about what they recommended and they started on with "well if you don't want to void our warranty" and I cut them off right there and said, it's a fretless neck, I completely reshaped the headstock and neck in every way, and I stained parts of it green.  The warranty is long gone."

Thats me!  No not really, but thats the best fretless video I've found. It helps that it's not distorted beyond belief and used in a shred kinda way (not a fan).  Also he picks up an ebow which is similar to what I'll have going on with the sustainer pickups (works basically the same way).

now i want one too... but I don't think I have the patience or skills to make one...

Here's how that is going, I've just finished the wood and put on the tuners.  I really have no idea what I'm doing wiring a guitar other than switching out pickups and i bought that sustainer system, so I'm definitely having someone wire all the electronics.  I have someone in mind that would do it for pretty cheap,though I'll obviously still pay them well.  I'm very satisfied with how the body came out.  To note, that hole where the control knobs would be isn't really going to be there at all, it's going to have to be made much larger for the sustainer panel.  The panel is very badass because it's clear and you can see all the electronics inside. 

If anyone is interested I'll get pictures of the neck.  The fretless rosewood fretboard is pretty smooth looking.

You could do it.  Skills are irrelevant.  I've NEVER done anything technical or worked with wood before this experience other than applying tung oil to a carvin kit that I had someone build me (was too young).  I'm only 18 and any labor I've ever done was generic chores or generic jobs (movie theatre, restaurants).  I was never taught anything about any such things either.   A little research and finding a kit site (or just use Warmoth) is pretty simple and they send you EVERYTHING you need.  Granted you'll most likely want someone experienced to do the wiring but if you or a friend can't do so then a local music store wouldn't charge much for such work.  If finishing wood is you're worry then doing a clear Old English and Tung Oil finish is pretty damn hard to mess up and looks VERY nice.  

Also you could always just order a fretless neck off Warmoth, you can find a neck to fit most standard guitars.  If not just call and talk to them and theres a good chance they'll work it out.  You also have to call when placing the order online about the neck being fretless, as it isn't an option on the site.  All you'd have to do then is apply a clear coat of something (or paint/stain/whatever you want), put on the tuners (which I just did in twenty minutes) and screw it onto the body.  My neck was done the most expensive way possible.  I could have gone with a completely blank fretboard or one with inlays but no frets (so I could fill it with wood putty), but I took them up on the offer of a rosewood fretboard with mahogany inlays where the frets would be.  This was essential because a blank neck would be absolutely ridiculous to play if you weren't experienced on a fretless guitar......which most of us aren't....Anyway, mine was $180 all neck related things included.

Indeed the neck is absolutely amazing.  Not even taking into account the fretless aspect, its just so thin and smooth to play on.  I definitely prefer then to the Fender necks they are "imitating"

I would love to do this but im afraid im a poor starving student at the moment, and besides I need to restore the 1965 12 string (acoustic) Ultravox I inherited before I go and build a fretless guitar!

The track I posted in another thread has two very minimal fretless tracks.  I recorded it with the intention of keeping it very ambient (Brian Eno?) and playing a "lead" over it with more fretless (as well as adding in other things).  So you can hear it in the latter part of that, but I'll upload it soon with lead over it so the fretless is more prominent.  A friend is currently borrowing my nicer mic.

Thats very strange that you mention everything that you just did.  I didn't remember this comment at all and just before making the fretless I'd gotten into finger picking and I haven't touched a pick in over half a year.  Now I recently realised tuning BEADGb is incredibly nice sounding and I put on size 13 flatwounds.  I play everything I'd normally play still if I have to, but more importantly it's a hell of an instrument that seems very distant form being a guitar (the optional unlimited sustain helps).  And yes I can play chords absolutely fine (I did make the intonation  dominant, but it's fretless so really just make the neck absolutely flat.)  

All you have to avoid is things like when doing a the generic bar chord shape the third finger and pinky that get the fifth and octave....not really happening.  Getting two fingers ACTUALLY horizontal (since theres no frets) doesn't really work.  But I always did lots of weird chord shapes any way so it's only made me more forcibly creative.

I'll probably record a solo fretless performance as well.

I remixed it very slightly.  I mixed it on my dominant headphones before and noticed today that on anything else the low end too ridiculous.

that video is private, so it cant be viewed

 

wow!

where do I start at to get into these guys?

 

http://www.stewmac.com/tradesecrets/ts0139_fretless.hzml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ts0139" rel="nofollow - http://www.stewmac.com/tradesecrets/ts0139_fretless.hzml?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ts0139  

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/shop_image/product/41184-godin-acs-natural-flame-limited-edition-large.jpg

That second "sentence" doesn't even have a topic.