What is the story behind David's frets?

**Larry S Sherman** · May-01-2012, 7:31pm

Cool David Lindley performance...but I'm curious to know what is up with the fret spacing?

Larry

**Pete Summers** · May-01-2012, 7:48pm

Looks like a dulcimer fretboard. Definitely got some drones going.

**MikeEdgerton** · May-01-2012, 8:36pm

+1 for a dulcimer fretboard. It is certainly not your normal mandolin family fret spacing.

**Jacob** · May-01-2012, 8:43pm

That is not a dulcimer fretboard.
There are more rather than less frets.
The extras between the 12 tone frets appear to be quarter tones.
These are found in Arabic music.
Oud players use these, but with no frets, it's really hard to tell by watching their fingers.

**Jim Garber** · May-01-2012, 10:44pm

This tanbur from David's site has the same fret pattern and I bet it is similar to the moveable frets on a saz which is one of his favorite middle eastern instruments.

**mandopete** · May-02-2012, 10:31am

Originally Posted by Jim Garber

This tanbur from David's site has the same fret pattern and I bet it is similar to the moveable frets on a saz which is one of his favorite middle eastern instruments.

I saw him performing at the River City Music Festival in January and he referred to the saz as "the national instrument of Claremont, California".

**robertburdick** · May-02-2012, 7:44pm

It's definitely microtonal fretting, it certainly sounds like it takes from a maqan except for the double stops. I'm guessing that it's saz as suggested above. This is pretty typical of middle-eastern instruments. I like how he transitions to that blues melody

**the padma** · May-02-2012, 8:14pm

Saz spacing and the stuff behind the frets is Probably EIR.

blessings
duh Padma

**MikeEdgerton** · May-02-2012, 9:38pm

We have an answer from a knowledgeable source, thank you The Padma.

Why do I have this uncontrollable desire to say Mariska Hargitay?

**the padma** · May-03-2012, 12:07am

Originally Posted by MikeEdgerton

We have an answer from a knowledgeable source, thank you The Padma.

Gee thanks for your kind words there Mike.

Regarding fret positions.

Mandos, ukes, guitars, zookies, basses all use equal temperament fretting. Not the best solution but is better than the alternatives.

Dulcimers also use equal temperament, they just remove the frets you don't really need to play with in one key.

The Turks got their own thing going down and have been at it for a lot longer than us. They usually have or used to have adjustable frets but now days, they are pretty well fixed.