Hi!
I am having a luthier building a FRETLESS three strings guitar for me. It is not going to be a cigar box guitar but an all massive-wood instrument with a trussrod in the neck. However principles will probably the same as on a CBG.
I would like to be able to play in an open tuning in any key because the singers in my band are sometimes picky. My question therefore is: Can I tune this guitar to any open tuning from E to D or are there limitations regarding string tensions or so? I'm assuming the neck - with trussrod - will handle any tension. But I don't know about the strings.
We are not yet sure what scale length the guitar is going to have. Recommendation on this one appreciated as well.
That's it! Thank you very much for your opinions!
Regards from Switzerland
Florian
Replies
Thank you for all the answers.
I'm starting to have an impression of the challenges involved.
I'm not yet good enough at slide playing in any other key than the open tuning. That's why I was thinking it would be nice to be able to tune the same three strings to any 1/5/1 open tuning.
But the bottom line of your answers seems to be that each string should not be tuned more than +-2 half tones if I understand that correctly? That will limit the number of available open tunings to something like 2 or 3 per string set. Some more if I change strings and many more if I use a Capo.
I will have the guitar build with a standard scale length. Fender, Gibson, does not matter. I'm used to both. Then I'll probably start with a A, D, G string set up for Open G to see how it goes.
Florian - ask the builder. If he's a luthier he should be able to tell you - it's not rocket science. If your guitar builder cant help you, maybe he's not the person for the job. String gauges will be determined by the scale length and the tunings you want to use. Use a scale length that you are familiar with - if you prefer a Fender scale, go for that - playing fretless is tricky enough so you don't need to make it any harder than it needs to be.
It's perfectly possible to play in any key on any 3 string guitar whatever the tuning, you just have to learn to navigate your way around the fret board, just like you would on a regular guitar. Of course it's easier if the instrument is open-tuned in the key of the song, but this is not absolutely necessary.
Surely you don't need to be able to play in EVERY key..all the sharp and flat keys? If the keys are very different then you 'd need different string gauges for each tuning (ie more than one guitar) , or you can capo it. For example, I produce string sets in different gauges for G, A, C and E tunings..you can tune these up or down a step, but beyond that the strings are going to be too loose or too tight to work.
Most singers will have 2 or 3 preferred keys..one solution would be to have 2 or 3 guitars in the relevant tunings, but capoing is obviously cheaper.
chickenboneJohn nailed it
Learn the names of the 13 notes on the Low G for your Open G tuning. you have a full octave from 0 to 12th fret, any/every chord the rest of the band is playing is somewhere between the 2.
fretless slide playing:
Do what bass players do, transpose
i.e. play higher up the neck instead of tuning up
i.e. just play and pretend you have a capo
with a low open E tuning, 3rd fret is the starting position for open G, 5th fret starts the open A, 8th fret starts open C, 10th fret starts open D 12th fret open E (jump back to fret 0 for E and above)
Hi, I use a capo to play in different keys. However with no frets you may need a special capo.
Taff
A decent size finishing nail cut to size place just adjacent to the capo might work, string tension would hold it in place I imagine.
Hi I would go for something like this, refined of course, this only took 2 minutes to make just to give a idea.
Taff
angled bracket might be a little sharp for strings unless edge curled over, but capo would keep that in place and not move, hmmm, bet we could make and market them for non fretted instruments ;-)
Yep, I did say to be refined, I did not want to show the design of the whole thing, but it's easily done.
Taff.
I like your idea, might have to try it for my first fretless 3 string build
-
1
-
2
of 2 Next