FRETLESS

matonfan101 · Unread post by **matonfan101** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:42 pm

Has anybody here ever played a fretless (not bass). It sounds really interesting, and would be a great way to expand my musical horizons. The only problem is getting a bloody guitar. You either have to pay thousands for a custom job for a guitar you might not even be able to play, or you unfrett your current guitar risking damaging it permanetly (and being left with no normal guitar). I was wondering if anybody had any advice regarding this instrument- are they so good that i should just go out and spend my life savings on one or what?

mangold · Unread post by **mangold** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:45 pm

http://www.dmbtabs.com/boards/viewtopic ... ess+guitar

seems too difficult to accurately chord. i mean how many of us fret the notes of a chord EXACTLY in the same spot each time? we have an inch to work with in most cases and that makes things like the nature chord possible... i cant imagine the dexterity and determination required to play this well could possibly be worth whatever unseen advantages it does have... smooth slides?

brian_ok · Unread post by **brian_ok** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:02 pm

imagine playing any of dave's stretches on a fretless guitar

bassman462 · Unread post by **bassman462** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:08 pm

brian_ok · Unread post by **brian_ok** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:09 pm

bassman462 wrote:

Is that the only benefit of a fretless guitar? I can slide just fine on my acoustic, and the action is pretty low!

filmdude100cms · Unread post by **filmdude100cms** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:39 pm

i tihnk he means slide guitars are fretless, and yeah they are, but your also not fingering anything.

Kahn · Unread post by **Kahn** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:55 pm

filmdude100cms wrote:i tihnk he means slide guitars are fretless, and yeah they are, but your also not fingering anything.

I'll finger something

Oh!

/Quagmire

matonfan101 · Unread post by **matonfan101** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 2:12 am

I'm sure its a challenge to start but it can't be that bad once you get used to it. I read somewhere that bar chords are the way to go, beacuse at least your fingers are then inline. Anyone have any advice on how i should get one?

check out this site. there're people playing great fretless guitar everywhere:

http://www.unfretted.com

guitardmb · Unread post by **guitardmb** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 7:42 am

A thread like this came up a while ago and there was a link to a site with a 700 dollar fretless electric. Sorry I dont remember the site.

Obviously it will be harder, but there are advantages. Unlike fretted guitars, you can easily move your fingers one way or the other if you feel you are sharp or flat.

Stretches will obviously be a bitch, but if you practice at it you could get it just like anything else. Same with regular chords. Doing this would make your accuracy much much better since you only have about a cm instead of an inch to hit to make the right note.

So really there is no reason is buying it unless you have the patience to learn it.

6_strings_for_life · Unread post by **6_strings_for_life** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:53 am

I would just love to try one out....

bassman462 · Unread post by **bassman462** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:58 pm

godin makes a fretless guitar with 11 strings.

mangold · Unread post by **mangold** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:34 pm

bassman462 wrote:godin makes a fretless guitar with 11 strings.

at what point does it cease to be a guitar? because i would define a guitar as a 6 stringed fretted instrument

bassman462 · Unread post by **bassman462** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:59 pm

praisedave wrote:
bassman462 wrote:godin makes a fretless guitar with 11 strings.
at what point does it cease to be a guitar? because i would define a guitar as a 6 stringed fretted instrument

fretless guitar like instrument with 11 strings.*

bam3211 · Unread post by **bam3211** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:21 pm

At a music store in a suburb of philadlephia i once saw a fretless acoustic guitar. Someone actually took the frets out by hand and then porceeded to sand over them it looked awful and it didnt play much better.

gumbomadness · Unread post by **gumbomadness** » Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:52 pm

first, try playing with a bottleneck slide or something on your regular guitar. Here's the thing, right now playing a fretless guitar seems like something you can tackle, but you should really try playing with a glass slide first, because if you're ear isnt good enough to stay in tune with a slide, then it certainly wont be when you lack frets.
So try the slide thing out first (great way to expand musically, worked for me), and then think about investing in the fretless guitar.
But honestly man, wont you get tired of barre chords?
It seems like the opposite of EXPANDING your musical horizons when the instrument itself limits you because you cant stretch or anything.

Sorry if im buming you out, but i had the same phase when it came to getting a banjo, then i realized that i might as well keep expanding on my current instruemnt.
By the looks of your signature your not a beginner, so im gonna say your an electric guy who loves blues and funk. (I'm just guessing based on your wah/blues driver... etc)
Now here's the thing, unless you can fucking rip like timmy or trey or clapton or hendrix then you still have a ways to go on your instrument.
I know when i hit a rut, sometimes i look to NEW GEAR to solve my problem but it never does.

Right now i have a Tele Imitiation into my VOX Wah, TS-9 and Boss Me-50 and the simplicity helps me really be a better player, but still get "the tone" i want.
(I'll talk about my imitiation ovation one day)
Tell me more about your style and maybe im COMPLETLEY off base. But who knows, good luck!

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