fanned frets.. what the freak?

[Blues Cat]

Bump again: Are there any problems trying to play string bends on the upper register of a fanned fret fingerboard?

Not at all.

 

[Sheldon D.]

Add to that, the upper frets angle toward the bridge so you don't have to bend as far physically to get the same pitch change.

 

[Korladis]

so if fanned frets are so great, why doesn't everyone use them?
my point exactly
plus dingwalls are hella-whack

Please don't use the word "hella," a fine piece of Bay Area slang, in such a ridiculous post.

By that same logic: If five strings are so good, why doesn't everyone use them? If fretlesses are so good, why doesn't everyone use them? If the electric bass is so good, why doesn't everyone use them?

 

[Doodaddy]

This thread is frustratingly gassy.

It only reminds me of how unavailable Dingwall, or any fanned fret for that matter, is to me.

 

[Blues Cat]

This thread is frustratingly gassy.

It only reminds me of how unavailable Dingwall, or any fanned fret for that matter, is to me.

In do time time Doodaddy.

 

[Doodaddy]

In do time time Doodaddy.

I'll keep my sights realistic and assume that nothing will change in this God forsaken land.

I keep my hopes up for when I move to North Carolina!

 

[SPYD3R #9]

By that same logic: If five strings are so good, why doesn't everyone use them? If fretlesses are so good, why doesn't everyone use them? If the electric bass is so good, why doesn't everyone use them?

the best answer IMO

 

[Blues Cat]

I'll keep my sights realistic and assume that nothing will change in this God forsaken land.

I keep my hopes up for when I move to North Carolina!

Have you forgot about the Combustion line fixin' to drop?

 

[Doodaddy]

Have you forgot about the Combustion line fixin' to drop?

I meant availability in my area. Nothing even close to me will have that bass.

 

[Blues Cat]

I meant availability in my area. Nothing even close to me will have that bass.

Terry at Cabs Unlimited in Baton Rouge I beleive.

 

[knuckle_head]

The scale is far more pronounced on pianos....

Surprisingly, this is inaccurate. Good thought fodder though - thanks for that.

 

[Doodaddy]

Terry at Cabs Unlimited in Baton Rouge I beleive.

Yeah, but that's a 5 hour drive....

 

[Dee_01]

I've seen some basses with frets that come out from the one side of the neck and fan out. i have no idea why anyone would want that. can someone let me know what thats all about because it seems like a stupid idea to me.

It's not stupid, it just looks stupid.

 

[Blues Cat]

Yeah, but that's a 5 hour drive....

I bought both of my ABII-5's, one fretless, without ever playing one 1st.

 

[BurningSkies]

It's not stupid, it just looks stupid.

No, it doesn't even look stupid. It may look scary to those who don't know better or it may look 'crazy' to the drunks in the bar, or as one person told me 'your bass looks like how I feel on acid'.

As you may guess, the ones who look stupid are the ones who don't get it. Or the ones who judge a bass by the straightness of the frets...or how it looks when comparing it to a 50 year old relic.

Yeah, but that's a 5 hour drive....

I meant availability in my area. Nothing even close to me will have that bass.

99% of Dingwall players didn't buy 'in shop'. I live in upstate New York...the closest shop with Dingwall basses is in DC, a seven hour drive. Find a player who can share his with you so you can try one out, or like most of us, we ordered from a distance. Just pick a place with a good return policy in case its not the bass for you.

 

[John D Harris]

Fretlines get me in line as well

Everytime I see this bass I get a severe case of GAS.

I would want frets and probably a different colors scheme (though yours is very beautiful as it is) -- that pickup cover I really love (plus -- probably repeating myself here -- I love the concept of the Novax system and Sheldon's esthetics in general).

 

[Flintc]

The scale on this Bee 9-string is 29" to 33". So anything below a low B string would be hopeless. The high D# string is .007 gauge!

 

[Ol'Bass'ead]

This thread is frustratingly gassy.

It only reminds me of how unavailable Dingwall, or any fanned fret for that matter, is to me.

Do like me, and make your own.

 

[Hoover]

I imagine they'd freak out guitarists too. I already get some guys complaining if I play a 5 or 6 string instead of tuning down to C#. They see my hand in a different place and their brains seize up.

That so clearly imho is not your problem, it's the guitarist(s)' problem. Seriously. I'm all for being a nice cooperative ensemble-mate and all, but really, if the other guys in your band can't do their jobs because of something about you that is not your playing, they...um, what's that word? Oh yeah: they SUCK.

Actually, I could see something that looks so odd potentially costing the occasional gig.

I won't disagree that odd-looking instruments can cost you a gig, but I think you overestimate how much attention to detail those Gig-Deciders are really paying. I'd bet no one noticed fanned frets until long after you were already on the bus collecting your paychecks.

 

[John D Harris]

The scale on this Bee 9-string is 29" to 33". So anything below a low B string would be hopeless. The high D# string is .007 gauge!

Sweet!

I just need 5 strings (thus far anyway) and I'd probably go to the extreme in the other scale-length direction, like 36" to 39" or maybe 37" to 40" (using some of those strings that Knuckle makes), but then I have pretty big hands.