I I mjrn Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Recently saw a film on PBS called Driven to Play about the "North American Rock Guitar Competition". I must confess that as good as the top contenders were, they weren't really that great except a guy who played a fretless guitar. It had a very metallic timbre (exactly why, I'm uncertain) &, of course, allowed some interesting pitch movement but the main thing was his seemingly flawless intonation (& there were no fretmarkers, even!). What concerns me here, though, is taking an inexpensive guitar & removing the frets to practice this myself----both as an ear& fingering exercise & for the sound. What would be the best filler for the slots? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Eldon Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Whenever I'm filling guitars, I use DAP Plastic Wood. They have a variety of different kinds for different woods. It works with any stain. You can get it cheap at Home Depot. http://www.purevolume.com/seaneldon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Hey, I saw Ned Evett on that Guitar special too. Evett play a Fernades with a Glass FingerBoard along with the Fernandes Sustainer. As for filling the slots try an Epoxy. That is what I have used with good results. Here are 2 extensive sites with FORUMS that focus on FretLess or UnFretted Guitars. UnFretted.com KronoSonic.com Both FORUMS have Links to the best ways to UnFret your Guitar. VVV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Funk Jazz Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 hey Michael, i'm glad i was wrong about you. no hard feeling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 No Problem. Also, remember to use different grades of SandPaper to smooth your neck down before & after the Epoxy; if you choose that way. VVV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bbach1 Posted June 26, 2004 Share Posted June 26, 2004 Just a second now. How could there be any other Michael Vick in this world except THE Michael Vick of the NFL? It's like having another Magic Johnson or another Eric Clapton. bbach Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Werewolf by Night Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 Or another Beck... Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Tom Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 I took the frets out of a cheap bass once (never did finish that project...yet) I made some thin strips of maple, for a contrasting color to the rosewood, and glued them in there. After the glue dried I sanded down the excess maple. Afterward I put tung oil on the fretboard to keep the maple from getting stained with sweat and gunk. It came out really well, and the maple allows you to still see the positions. I stole the idea from a fretless bass I saw a long time ago that I believe was made by Peavey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted June 27, 2004 Share Posted June 27, 2004 "Please don\'t settle for mere imitations.....Access the unbridled-audio-sensations of a true original & inventor of the World-Famous "Dandelion-Shuffle" (Is Gonna Get U), MICHAEL VICK!" AC Also, Jaco ripped the Frets out to make his main UnFretted Bass too. VVV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I I mjrn Posted June 27, 2004 Author Share Posted June 27, 2004 Originally posted by FunkJazz: hey Michael, i'm glad i was wrong about you. no hard feeling? Oddly, I have no idea what you are speaking of, Funk Jazz... At any rate, I'm particularly interested in what materials will suffer least from expansion/contraction differences with the original wood...which in my case, at first will probably be rosewood (inexpensive acoustic) but later might be maple. Thanks all! Anyone else? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperFreak Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 I'd be really interested to see that movie. I'll have to check if PBS make it available on Video and if I can order it. I've been intrigued with fretless guitar for years. I tried, semi-successfully, to create a fretless hybrid nearly 15 years ago. ie. Frets for E-A-D, none for G-B-E It worked reasonably well. I used a Japanese made Fender Squire, and had a local luthier fret up a 24 fret neck as above. He thought I was totally insane... I used it on a couple of atmospheric pieces a new-age KB playing friend of mine recorded, and live with a 4 piece pub-rock outfit. Live I tuned it to an open G and played 'slideless slide'. It certainly turned a few heads...until a W-bin fell onto it and broke the neck (and my amp and Charvel...) How can we fight ignorance and apathy? Who knows! Who cares! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Materials More Materials VVV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njrocker Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 A book of mine talks briefly about how Jaco Pastorius de-fretted his bass. He used whatever worked (forks, pens) to get the frets out. Then he filled the spaces with ¿wood putty? and coated the fingerboard with ¿polyurethane?. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruupi Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Pat Metheny has done some work with a fretless guitar. It really has an interesting sound. I wouldn't want to try it though, I can barely play in tune with frets . My soundclick site: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=397188 My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/gruupi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sylver Posted June 28, 2004 Share Posted June 28, 2004 Hey, I actually have something to add: http://www.godinguitars.com/gtrsglissentar.jpg Or, if you prefer 6 strings: http://www.godinguitars.com/gtrmultiacnylonfretless.jpg Cool stuff. I wonder how they play? I really don't know what to put here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I I mjrn Posted June 28, 2004 Author Share Posted June 28, 2004 Yeah, Sylver, there are a lot of fretless guitar sources...but I don't wanna buy one til I develop the ability to play it properly, hence the defretting an inexpensive model idea. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted June 29, 2004 Share Posted June 29, 2004 Yes, the Godin Guitars above are excellent! Try these LINKS for even more information. Fret Not Guitar Repair UnFretted Hints & Tips As for making your own; there are no real rules. I unfretted my Korean TeleCaster almost 10 Years & love it. I just had a soldering gun, pliers, 2 grades of sandpaper, epxoy & the guitar itself. The rest is up to you. Good luck, it is a totally different world to say the least; being UnFretted that is. MAV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Red 67 Posted July 30, 2004 Share Posted July 30, 2004 What's the price for the 6 string Godin? Big Red's Ride Blog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mavick Posted August 2, 2004 Share Posted August 2, 2004 Here is their site http://www.godinguitars.com I have heard for prices anywhere from $900 & Up, Up, Up. I have played their Multiac Fretted Version, & it is a stellar work of art to say the least. MV Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guitarzan Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 Originally posted by Sylver: Hey, I actually have something to add: http://www.godinguitars.com/gtrsglissentar.jpg Or, if you prefer 6 strings: http://www.godinguitars.com/gtrmultiacnylonfretless.jpg Cool stuff. I wonder how they play?the fretless multiac plays sweet. i was looking at one that a guy was selling because of losing his job. i am not sure of the prices, but i am sure they are more than reasonable. some of them have synth access. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=193274 rock it, i will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gifthorse Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 You mean ANOTHER WIERDO!!! Just kiddin of chorus! I am sure you would be cool hang with micheal. I would guess your favorite shape is a 'rhombus' cuz it is kinda weird and the name rules. You should make a guitar that looks like a rhombus (gotta love silent 'h'--for me it is love/hate--maybe the H stands for the hate aspect) You can call this guitar the silent H because you will NEVER record with it. You can record a song that has absolutely no sound and 'brag' to a bunch of your mime friends about how your not into being normal and that the Rhombus guitar should be felt not heard. After you do all this, order a low carb pizza with rubber cheeze to my apt. I will know its from you. http://flagshipmile.dmusic.com/ http://www.myspace.com/gifthorse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gifthorse Posted August 3, 2004 Share Posted August 3, 2004 By the way that last post was directed at Micheal Atonal http://flagshipmile.dmusic.com/ http://www.myspace.com/gifthorse Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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