Are metal frets necessary?
Hey there fellow CBN plunkers, strummers and sliders,
I'm getting ready to construct a 3-string cigar box guitar with a humbucker pickup. I'm really fascenated with the fretless fingerboard and have heard upright bassists produce warm single note passages in jazz music. And it occurred to me that maybe I don't need any actual, raised, metal frets, just fret markings on the upper side of my guitar neck. I'm also planning on using a slide more and more as I really want to get into that and learn the technique. I've played guitar most of my life and am so used to frets but would appreciate any feedback on whether actual metal frets are all that necessary... especally for a 3-stringer!
J.D. Woods
Southern Ray
Hello JD, welcome. I'm a fifty year failed six-string player that got into building and playing fretless one, two and three-stringers. Been at it for seven years. I've built roughly 20 3-string, four or five two-stringed, (chugger) guitars and about a dozen or so diddley bows of various types, canjos, tin-jos, etc. and nary a fret in (my) home-built guitar world. I was able to learn to build and play them, (somewhat) well enough that my wife and I are able to entertain ourselves. I have little doubt, with your experience, you'll do well.
Apr 19
J. D. Woods
Apr 20
Southern Ray
J.D. If the HTML doesn't work, try the other.
Apr 26