What the heck are these frets about ??

[Dobe]

I understand fanned frets but:

http://www.barncaster.com/Barncaster/Gal_11_Kaiser.html

Am I missing something ? Just dont seem right.

[MikeEdgerton]

I'm going to guess that either it's some sort of instant non-standard tuning or compensation much like the way a mandolin bridge is compensated but I've never seen anything like that. I can't imagine walking into any luthier with that thing to discuss a fret job...

One of the forum luthiers will chime in with what it actually is I am sure.

[Dobe]

[QUOTE=MikeEdgerton;1015130] I can't imagine walking into any luthier with that thing to discuss a fret job...

"What do you mean you can't do it? You said no problem !"

I found that after looking at this droolworthy Bocote neck:

http://www.12fret.com/content/2011/0...-coodercaster/

[Stephen Perry]

Interesting approach. Normally one would compensate nut and saddle, leaving the frets alone. Should one want better compensation. These tempered instruments are bad enough, then add frets and things really go to pieces!

[kkmm]

Adobe Photoshop ? is this a possibility ?

[labraid]

Looks like compensation to me. Anyone's guess why the instrument is that out of tune up and down the neck with regular frets to need this. And if you bend the strings, guess how that note is going to bend.....

[ibanezed4yrs]

well.. if you guys play guitar, you know that even after intonation, sometimes chords dont always sound right, even when you think you're in tune.. (the culprit is usually the he G string.. my peterson stroborack tuner has a "sweetener" setting for guitars that compensate for this).. anyways.. this frettjob is actually a scientific way of compensating for the correct pitch on every note.. thats all

[MikeEdgerton]

I've played guitar for over 40 years and think my ears are pretty well developed. I've never seen a guitar, not even one without a compensated saddle that was that far out of tune. It's a nice exercise.

[Pete Jenner]

I would think bending the B string would present some problems.

[Paul Hostetter]

I've played several of these things, my pal Henry Kaiser owns a couple of electrics (including that first one, linked above) and an acoustic with these frets. They're fun. They don't really do much except excite people who see them. A lot of tech for a minimum of results, acoustically anyway.



Makes you really think hard about intonation, though.

[MikeEdgerton]

They don't really do much except excite people who see them. A lot of tech for a minimum of results.

Makes sense. Do they cut the slot with some sort of CNC machine?

[Paul Hostetter]

Yep. And the frets are cast.

[MikeEdgerton]

Alright, that really makes more sense.

[Paul Hostetter]

They look like shiny little worms laying across the fingerboard. Except they hold still.

[MikeEdgerton]

Can you imagine picking one of these up when you were inebriated? I blink at things that look wrong when I'm sober...

[Paul Hostetter]

It's like with fan frets: don't look!

[TijnBerends]

I usually solve the intonation problem just by playing louder.

[Stephen Perry]

Guitars sounded fine to me when I played piano. After violin, everything with frets is out of tune, and the piano is hopeless!

[Big Joe]

This is just one of several attempts to tame tempered tuning. I have not seen one yet that is truly functional and works with every position on the fretboard. They do look cool, but I would not really want to have to do a lot of refrets with those .

[Stephen Perry]

Yup, I'm with big joe on that. The best system I've personally worked with is simultaneous nut & saddle compensation, which can be surprisingly effective. A pain. With gamba, I'd adjust intonation during performances by lightly shoving the frets that were out this way or that. Advantage of tied gut!

[allenhopkins]

What happens if you put a capo on?

[MikeEdgerton]

What happens if you put a capo on?

This recording plays....

[PJ Doland]

Looks like the "True Temperament" system to me.

They make a variety of different fret layouts, optimized for playing in different keys.

[Paul Hostetter]

This recording plays....

You got it.

[allenhopkins]

This recording plays....

Thank heavens Robot B-9's there to keep me out of trouble...

But, as of yesterday, we'll never hear that voice again... Dick Tufeld's dead.