Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on August 7, 2010 at 9:12am

Yep, it's the soft wood fingerboard, so I wouldn't.................drum roll..........fret about it.


groans rise from the crowd.......

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Permalink Reply by TheLastmandancing on August 7, 2010 at 11:01am

Boom tish !! thanks Don for confirming my thoughts and making me chuckle.

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Permalink Reply by Mark Werner on August 8, 2010 at 4:17am

I just built a 2-string fretless model, used an aluminum fretboard. (Old yardstick) Works quite well; you get a clear tone if you press hard, and that nice "singing" fretless tone if you don't.

One member uses hard masonite material for fretless fingerboards.

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Permalink Reply by TheLastmandancing on August 8, 2010 at 4:19am

Mark Werner said:

I just built a 2-string fretless model, used an aluminum fretboard. (Old yardstick) Works quite well; you get a clear tone if you press hard, and that nice "singing" fretless tone if you don't.

One member uses hard masonite material for fretless fingerboards.

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Permalink Reply by TheLastmandancing on August 8, 2010 at 4:25am

Thank you Mark. I have only just started out building but I like the sound of that idea ... awful pun intended.

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Permalink Reply by Don Thompson on August 8, 2010 at 5:33am

As so you are saying it measures up then................

Mark Werner said:

I just built a 2-string fretless model, used an aluminum fretboard. (Old yardstick) Works quite well; you get a clear tone if you press hard, and that nice "singing" fretless tone if you don't.

One member uses hard masonite material for fretless fingerboards.

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Permalink Reply by Roger Martin on August 9, 2010 at 3:55pm

Old time fretless banjo pickers used to say that if you positioned your fingers so your nail is pressing the string you'll get a clearer sound.\
I tried it and it DOES work fine.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on August 9, 2010 at 5:06pm

Hard woods are very important for fretless instruments. That's why instruments in the violin family are (should be) made with ebony fingerboards (not just because it looks cool). Obviously not as important with fretted instruments (although still somewhat).

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on August 10, 2010 at 12:44am

I used both cherry and black walnut on my fretless necks, both work ok for me and when someone who knows how to play well uses it its even better. By the way, all the musicians I have showed my fretless cbg's to like the without the frets, they love the note change when you slide from note to note without a slide, can't get that with frets.

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