Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on July 21, 2010 at 5:17pm

While I am at it can I use the same soft strings that I have been using in my other CBG's.
Cheers Ron.

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Permalink Reply by uncle Lou on July 21, 2010 at 5:23pm

No you do not need frets, frets just make it easier when playing with fingers you really don`t need them then either. Soft strings will work just don`t apply pressure with the slide. Have fun

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Permalink Reply by MichaelS Country Boy Guitars on July 22, 2010 at 1:05am

No frets needed, but the lines marked like you said is a good idea, I know I need them. I have heard some people just play by ear and don't even put markers on the neck, wish my ears were that good.
I have found you can make the action reasonably low with out frets for slide, then you can still finger a note now and then, just make it low on the nut end, if you go to low on the bridge it gets a sitar like buzz when finger fretting because the string lays on the neck near your finger, mostly at the nut end of the neck.

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Permalink Reply by Keni Lee Burgess on July 22, 2010 at 2:58am

No. Blind Willie Johnson (of course) was blind. He used his ear to find the correct notes. Although, it might be very helpful to have pencil fret marks to make playing easier. Remember, the slide goes directly over the fret mark when using the slide to get the correct pitch. This is slighly different when freting notes with your fingers using metal frets. Here your finger is slightly in front of the fret (the fret cuts the string). Enjoy.

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Permalink Reply by Mungo Park on July 22, 2010 at 3:04am

Thank you all I will start making some sawdust, that will be music to my ears for now.
Cheers Ron.

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Permalink Reply by Craig Cox on July 22, 2010 at 9:23am

I built my first as fretless, and used a woodburner to make the fret lines and markers. After playing it for a few days, I decided I wanted the flexibility to fret notes as well as use a slide, so I added them. It was a good learning experience, and my second guitar has a much better fingerboard.

If you go with frets, the action should be high enough to keep the slide from knocking the frets, but low enough to keep the intonation from going out of whack (when you fret a string, it stretches it slightly. the higher the action, the longer the stretch and the pitch changes). All this may sound like too much to fret about with your first build, but you'll notice things like out of tune notes, slide bumping frets, etc.
good luck

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Permalink Reply by rich poulin on August 12, 2010 at 7:45pm

My first build was a fretless one. I did most of the fabrication at home then took the parts with me out camping as a project for after the kids go to bed. After I played it for 5 minutes I knew I needed some fret markers. I burned some marks in to the top of the neck with a red-hot marshmallow skewer. Even that was enough to get the slide at the right spot.

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