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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on September 25, 2014 at 12:13am

The markers are there as convenient reference points rather than for strictly musical interval or musical theory reasons...on a uke and a banjo they are traditionally at different positions to the guitar (10th fret on uke and banjo instead of 9th on the guitar). So, there's no reason why you shouldn't, but then again there's no logical or useful reason reason why you should make a guitar this way. Try it and see if it catches on!

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on September 25, 2014 at 1:12am

I like to be able to fret even when I play slide but I find I hardly ever go above the 5th fret so I'm going to fret only the first five next time and just mark the rest.

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Permalink Reply by The Phrygian Kid on September 25, 2014 at 2:00am

Why not?
It's basically a minor pentatonic (not THE minor pentatonic, that'd need you to shunt the one at fret 9 forward a slot, making it marked like a banjo or mando like old chookybones there says..)

Regardless it's quite a useful scale so if you've limitations as a player it'll be a cool little 'blues stick'
Dianne Chicago's actually made a few of em, she calls em bluescimers. I did a Dorian/minor penta strummer type one quite a whiles back, has a 2nd fret but otherwise pretty much what you're talking about. I gave it to my nephew several years ago, but it's a fun one for sure
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/cashier-3-4/prev?context=user

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on September 25, 2014 at 2:21am

I do this often in the 2nd octave, but similar to what PK with the boogie notes added.  14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24.

I've also done a Oreo tin banjo thing partially fretted at 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12. . .  Probably should have stuck in a 9th.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on September 25, 2014 at 4:20am

You still could add a 9th

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Permalink Reply by Bad Finger (Eric) on September 25, 2014 at 5:02am

Yep.  If I could take the time away from three other projects on my benches.  Electric upright bass, 5-string guitar and an early start on a 4 string Cohiba box with ribbon quarter sawn sapele veneer like I did redwood burl on your resonator.

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on September 25, 2014 at 3:38am

I only go 3, 5, 7, 9, 12 - after that is shredder territory...  ;-)

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Permalink Reply by john mackay on September 25, 2014 at 5:03am

I messed about with the little rabbit cbg ,while I was waiting for the glue to dry on my little acoustic that I bout.

probably I'll give to some kids as the local school are not interest due to health & safety rules!

this what I meant by just frets.

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Permalink Reply by Michael L. Castle on September 27, 2014 at 1:07pm

Either fret it, or forget it.... jes don't "fret 'bout it"! ( If you're playin' "strictly slide" frets just get in the way....... but you will probably still need "side markers" as "reference points" (( unless you blind... as in Blind Willie Johnson, arguably "the greatest slide player ever" ..... Think about it.... blind players at least have the tactile sense of the frets, until they put on a slide.... at which point it becomes..... pure pitch, music, etc. ))) 

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Permalink Reply by Jim Woods on October 14, 2014 at 5:57am

I have fretted several at the 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 15  - ( non blues diatonic scale ),  I then seem to often add the 3, (flatted third) and 10 ( slatted 7th) for blues.  the reduced number of frets seems t help the non-players feel more musical because they have no bad notes to hit.  I also make the 5th , 7th and 12th side markers much larger.  But as you mentioned, there are no rules

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