Magnetic Frets

[loogy1]

would it be possible to magnetise fret wire so the the magnetic force would help pull the strings down for a cleaner faster tone

[rollcall]

have you bumped your head?

[IronLung1986]

that's almost as hare-brained as my idea for wooden frets a few years ago!

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by loogy1

would it be possible to magnetise fret wire so the the magnetic force would help pull the strings down for a cleaner faster tone

Interesting idea...

But I think one could achieve "a cleaner faster tone" with some intelligent practice.

I also believe the tone is not controlled by the fretting hand. I could be wrong, though.

Back to your idea... maybe a series of electromagnetic frets, a sequencer, and you could phone in your part.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

The regular fretwire alloys aren't composed of any materials with ferromagnetic properties, so technically the answer is no.

One could make ferromagnetic frets, or install magnets on the FB, but that would result sound muffling rather than cleaning it.

The very problem of hot (or close to the strings) passive pickups is the string pull of the required strong magnet(s), and those strong magnets dampen the string vibrations very effectively.
That's one of the reasons active PU's exist in the first place.

Regards
Sam

[BKBassDude]

I was hoping this was about a bass that had frets that could come on and off via magnets. That would be rad. And physically impossible. But rad.

[bluestarbass]

Originally Posted by BKBassDude

I was hoping this was about a bass that had frets that could come on and off via magnets. That would be rad. And physically impossible. But rad.

Such a thing did exist. I don't remember who made them. 70s or 80s thing. The whole fretboard was magnetic. You could swap frettless and fretted fingerboards out quickly.

[klaus486]

Originally Posted by bluestarbass

Such a thing did exist. I don't remember who made them. 70s or 80s thing. The whole fretboard was magnetic. You could swap frettless and fretted fingerboards out quickly.

I believe this was a Musicman thing. At least the only basses I ever saw it on were Stingrays. Maybe.....Modulus Graphite was involved somehow....maybe Modulus just made graphite Stingray necks....my memory is hazy.

[elgecko]

How would you get the strings to rebound?

[gumtownbassman]

I think a problem would exist with letting the strings go and having them stay down on the frets.

[wraub]

Originally Posted by bluestarbass

Such a thing did exist. I don't remember who made them. 70s or 80s thing. The whole fretboard was magnetic. You could swap frettless and fretted fingerboards out quickly.

I believe they were called Novatone.

wraub

[Stick_Player]

Originally Posted by elgecko

How would you get the strings to rebound?

I covered that. Electromagnets.

#4

[elgecko]

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

I covered that. Electromagnets.

#4

Well...you'd still need to pluck the strings!

[luzceloffan]

not magnetic, but i remember parker fly supreme used a special resin to glue frets, this glue hardened via an electric impulse to install them and soften the same way to remove them.

[Steve Dallman]

I prefer soldering my strings to the frets.

[gumtownbassman]

Originally Posted by Stick_Player

I covered that. Electromagnets.

#4

How would the electromagnets know when to switch on to hold the string and when to switch off to release ??
The neck would need an 4 powerful electromagnets per fret (for a 4 string) x 22, that's 88 electromagnets, you would need a hell of a power cable into your bass..

[tjclem]

Originally Posted by Steve Dallman

I prefer soldering my strings to the frets.

[gumtownbassman]

I think a 37 string bass with each string tuned to each note would be better, no need for frets or lefthand fingering.

[loogy1]

well i was watching a video of a guy making a pickup then later fretting a fret board and the idea ran across my head for magnetised fret wire because he magnetised his pickup magnet

the only thing i found relevant on google was this http://www.google.com/patents/US7358429

soo i figured i'd see what anyone else thought

thanks for all the input

[TheEmptyCell]

Removable finger/ fretboards would be awesome. Use some tiny neodymium magnets... the only problem would be cutting the boards perfectly and being able to adjust the truss rod.