I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
- rhythmjones
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I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
I've never been able to get the hang of slide guitar, and I don't like being hemmed in to a bar of whatever open tuning you're in. So I wanted to experiment with fretless guitar to get that portamento sound "my way."
So I grabbed a cheap fretless neck from eBay and slapped it on this Paranormal Tele.
So I grabbed a cheap fretless neck from eBay and slapped it on this Paranormal Tele.
- Mitch
- Shadoweclipse13
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Hell yes!!! I've always wanted to try fretless!!
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
- windmill
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Anddd....
How did it sound ?
Nice looking guitar tho.
How did it sound ?
Nice looking guitar tho.
- sessylU
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
I did a fretless conversion a number of years ago. It's good fun, every single note is a wrong note!
Keep meaning to take newer/better pictures.
https://www.shortscale.org/viewtopic.ph ... s#p1331569
The nut on that neck looks crazy high though. I've found that you really need the neck to be super straight, and the action as low as possible, with as low a nut as possible. You want there to be a buzz no matter where you stop the note, as this buzz seems to be where the sustain comes from. So action as low as possible, with the neck as straight as possible, but not quite at the point that this kills all the notes. (this is different from a fretless bass, and you might have a different experience).
I eventually went for flat wound strings as heavy as possible. Think I'm using the heaviest six from a 7-string set, tuned to D standard.
Keep meaning to take newer/better pictures.
https://www.shortscale.org/viewtopic.ph ... s#p1331569
The nut on that neck looks crazy high though. I've found that you really need the neck to be super straight, and the action as low as possible, with as low a nut as possible. You want there to be a buzz no matter where you stop the note, as this buzz seems to be where the sustain comes from. So action as low as possible, with the neck as straight as possible, but not quite at the point that this kills all the notes. (this is different from a fretless bass, and you might have a different experience).
I eventually went for flat wound strings as heavy as possible. Think I'm using the heaviest six from a 7-string set, tuned to D standard.
a total idiot jackass
- camilonava27
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Nice! I'd love to hear how it sounds
- 46346
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
yeah! flatwounds sound like a fine idea.
i’m kind of amazed that i’ve never gotten around to
trying this on guitar, tho i’ve had two fretless basses.
would love to hear more of everyone’s experiences
i’m kind of amazed that i’ve never gotten around to
trying this on guitar, tho i’ve had two fretless basses.
would love to hear more of everyone’s experiences
Cat Museum, ACME, Malcolm Mooney, Dream Apes, The Cooling Time, Kind Hearts and Coronets, Quarks
- sessylU
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Here's a quick thing I threw together a few years ago. I was mostly playing with and EWI USB at this point and this track was mostly to see how convincingly I could record sax. But it has fretless guitar on it. That thinness to the tone is something of a feature I think, even on a thinline style guitar with fairly hot P-90s.
https://soundcloud.com/ediblecannibals/newdles
a total idiot jackass
- BTL
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
It has kind of an electric sitar vibe. I like it!
Owner, Lowe Custom Guitars
- sessylU
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
In that sketch, it does, yeah. But a lot depends on how you play it. It needn't sound sitary.
Must play it more. When I did it I got an ebow around the same time and challenged myself to only play fretless and with an ebow for a year or so.
Lasted two days. Sounded terrible. Made me realise how much I take technique for granted, and being able to make whatever sound I want with a fretted guitar with a pick.
Must play it more. When I did it I got an ebow around the same time and challenged myself to only play fretless and with an ebow for a year or so.
Lasted two days. Sounded terrible. Made me realise how much I take technique for granted, and being able to make whatever sound I want with a fretted guitar with a pick.
a total idiot jackass
- rhythmjones
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
You probably can't see from this photo, but I filed the nut-slots down significantly to get any kind of workable action. The shitty plastic nut that came with this neck needs to go anyway, but I wanted to get it up and running for now.
I've got a lot of practice to do with this style of playing but this guitar sounded great to begin with so it was the right guitar to try this experiment on. It was the Paranormal Tele that I put AV65s into.
I've got a lot of practice to do with this style of playing but this guitar sounded great to begin with so it was the right guitar to try this experiment on. It was the Paranormal Tele that I put AV65s into.
- Mitch
- sessylU
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
I think I'd really struggle without fretlines! I'm struggling enough with them!
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- Larry Mal
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Despite being a fretless bass player, I struggle to comprehend what a fretless guitar would be like at all.
However, I was surprised at how much the fretless bass could do, it does basically everything a fretted one does.
But I can't imagine chording on the fretless guitar.
However, I was surprised at how much the fretless bass could do, it does basically everything a fretted one does.
But I can't imagine chording on the fretless guitar.
Back in those days, everyone knew that if you were talking about Destiny's Child, you were talking about Beyonce, LaTavia, LeToya, and Larry.
- sessylU
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
In my experience, the big issue with chords on a fretless guitar isn't so much the manual dexterity/flexibility needed, but the fact that octaves or fifths that are slightly out will be really obvious and you'll hear that "beat" thing that you use to tune using harmonics.
Thirds can be doable, (or tenths). Fifths are sometimes doable, but you need to be careful.
Like with fretless bass, a bit of vibrato helps to smooth things out, rather than just sitting on the not quite right note.
Thirds can be doable, (or tenths). Fifths are sometimes doable, but you need to be careful.
Like with fretless bass, a bit of vibrato helps to smooth things out, rather than just sitting on the not quite right note.
a total idiot jackass
- camilonava27
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
Sounds great!sessylU wrote: ↑Sat Aug 06, 2022 5:05 amHere's a quick thing I threw together a few years ago. I was mostly playing with and EWI USB at this point and this track was mostly to see how convincingly I could record sax. But it has fretless guitar on it. That thinness to the tone is something of a feature I think, even on a thinline style guitar with fairly hot P-90s.
https://soundcloud.com/ediblecannibals/newdles
- Shadoweclipse13
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Re: I added a fretless neck to one of my guitars
That sounds really cool. It's got a 70s R&B vibe to me
Pickup Switching Mad Scientist
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384
http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=104282&p=1438384#p1438384