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First Build 3-string Fretless. Strings muted/damped when fretted.

Posted by Tom T on October 10, 2014 at 8:30pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hello folks.

I just today completed assembly of my first CBG. It is a 3-string fret less acoustic. I tuned it to low open G with a digital tuner. It has a sweet sound and I think I will really enjoy it.

Using a slide, it sounds bright up and down the neck, but when I attempt to finger fret a string, it generally comes out muted or damped. If I use the slide to fret a single string, it produces a bright tone as you would expect.

So, what am I doing wrong? Do I need to raise the bridge so the strings cleanly clear the fret board?

I've only had the unit up and playing for a few hours, so I figure I still have some adjusting to do. Just don't know where to start with this problem.

Thanks for any and all suggestions.

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acustic, cgb, fret, less, troubleshooting

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Replies

Bufo Bill October 16, 2014 at 7:09am

You don't need to have your nails very long, just a little extra to make the fingering more natural. Just a tiny band of white nail past the nail bed should be sufficient.
Glad to see you are keeping up the playing. Play it as often as you can for a couple of weeks and you will start to master the instrument which is very satisfying to say the least. When you start getting those slides right you'll feel like you're in heaven!!!
One other point that may help is the finish of the fingerboard. I finished mine with the finest grit sandpaper I could find, 2000 grit I think, which made those slides so much easier to execute.
By the way, the classical strings will doing great without a piezo, they are designed for acoustic guitars, the only reason I mentioned a pickup was that they won't work on an electric guitar style pick up.
Keep up the good work.
All the best from Bill.
Bufo Bill October 15, 2014 at 5:49pm

Hi, keep playing it and extra strength will develop in your fingers and you will soon be speedy as they come. Two tips; firstly grow your nails just a little so that you can use the nail to help put pressure on the string, this makes for powerful slides that sound so cool, essentially you don't need frets because your fret is on your finger tip. Secondly if you have a piezo pickup, try using classical guitar strings which are nylon, making a much more mellow sounding instrument but much easier to get a consistent sound whether you are playing an open string or pressing down on the fingerboard. You can buy nylon classical strings on the net if you web search for single nylon guitar strings.
All the best from Bill. :D
- Tom T > Bufo Bill October 16, 2014 at 6:02am
  
  Thanks for the encouragement Bill.
  
  I am really enjoying playing the CBG that I built. I work on smooth slide work every day and seem to slowly progressing. I'll try the fingernail thing, but my nails tend to split and break if they get longer.
  
  I am currently acoustic, but have a piezo on the way. I'll try the classical strings when I get it all set up.
  
  Regards
  
  T
JL October 14, 2014 at 1:02pm

Fingering a fretless - think violin/viola/Cello - REALLY LOW ACTION, and press HARD with the finger tip.
- Tom T > JL October 14, 2014 at 3:04pm
  
  Hi JL1. Your violin analogy makes sense. I can get clean notes pressing hard, but that doesn't work well for smooth movement. Practice practice.......
  
  Thanks
Sharecropper October 13, 2014 at 10:46pm

Hi, Tom . I play fret less 3 string and note frets with my fingers, as do many others . Wound strings are easier to note than unwound strings. Hold the string down using the very tip of your finger. You should get a clean note. Not as bright of tone as when using a slide , but only a little less bright than a fretted instrument. Give it a try . I have a fretted CBG .but 90% of the time I play my fret less CBG. And yes , you should build more CBGs !!
- Tom T > Sharecropper October 14, 2014 at 3:01pm
  
  Thanks for sharing your experience. I find that I can get a clean note if I'm very careful. Since this is my first build, I figure I will need to tinker with it. From what I've read action height is usually pretty high on a fret-less guitar used for slide. How high is the action on your 3-string at the nut and 12th fret position? Maybe I have the action too high for easy fretting.
  
  Any set up suggestions would be useful.
  
  Regards.
  - Sharecropper > Tom T October 14, 2014 at 7:04pm
    
    My string action at the 12th fret is a 1/8 of an inch and a little more than a 1/16 of an inch at the nut .
    - Tom T > Sharecropper October 14, 2014 at 8:33pm
      
      Thanks Joe! I need to hear what people are using so I can give it a
Jim Woods October 13, 2014 at 5:22pm

As Wayfinder pointed out , fretless CB guitars play much better with a slide. If you don't have a slide, try a socket . Also , you now have a reason to make 2nd ( fretted) guitar.

Play on!!