Retractable Frets!!!

[malthumb]

Looks like a cool idea, but I gotta wonder about that neck. Humidity and climate changes? Yeah he's testing the mechanism a million times or whatever, but let's try flying with one down to Arizona and playing....then going up to Seattle...then over to Florida....

AuG

That's what I'm talking about. When for whatever reason (changes in humidity, changes in string guage, changes in setup) the neck needs to be adjusted via the truss rods, how is the alignment of all the moving parts in the neck affected? Will the frets still have the same orientation to each other?

Peace,

James

 

[SBassman]

Maybe my ears are lousy, but I think both modes sounded great.

 

[d8g3jdh]

Given the usual resistance we give to anything new, we shouldn't wonder why Fender sticks to the SOS.

This is such a great post.

I think you guys are crazy, and it's awesome. Furthermore, he's a great player.

I'm going to 12th fret, I want to try out a bad boy like that.

 

[lyle]

I know it's a cool idea and a great way to get a fretless and fretted bass in one. But as of everything else thats comprimised it's probably not going to be as nice as a specifically designed fretless or specifically designed fretted.

 

[skewh]

It's a good idea, I suppose, but for now I'll just stick with one fretted, one fretless.

 

[stringsmith]

It looks like the beginning of a great idea. Maybe it can be developed more to make neck adjustments and fret level adjustments to make it more practical. Remember people talked about the 6 string as a gimmick when it was introduced until they saw Anthony Jackson play it. He better get a good patend before Dean and ESP and the rest of the korean makers create a $599 version!

 

[westland]

Yeah but noone plays the bass between switches, and the temperature is not changing during the process so it is not a complete test, and it doesnt looks like a bass for a van giging bass player the neck should be made of graphite to avoid wrapage or relief changes in order to preserve the integrity of the fret system.

... OK ... yes, I agree ... what he needs to seat these in is a graphite neck (zero expansion, impervious to humidity) with probably an ebonite, or impregnated maple finger board (or maybe graphite) and very tight tolerances.

 

[SundanceChile]

Yeah but noone plays the bass between switches, and the temperature is not changing during the process so it is not a complete test, and it doesnt looks like a bass for a van giging bass player the neck should be made of graphite to avoid wrapage or relief changes in order to preserve the integrity of the fret system.

Simple answer. Make something idiot proof, and they're going to build a better idiot. Bet there was a group of people talking near 50 years back about how electric instruments could crap out, and look where it's led us now. My 2 cents, if it were cheaper, I'd take a risk on it. What's there to loose that can't be gained back?(No smart-a replies please )

 

[vene-nemesis]

while it looks like a huge idea, i can tell you it is not that hard to do. I still need to check it closely to finally know where the axis of the rolling fret is. After thinking too much about it, if thesystem works under 180º of flat surface and 180º of radiused surface the lever that makes the frets roll must be in one side of the F-board or both for stability, if not then i guess the radiused surface is alittle bit beneath the surface of the F-board leaving a small piece of the cilinder free to put an anchor point where the lever acts.

 

[Jazz Ad]

while it looks like a huge idea, i can tell you it is not that hard to do.

Damn right.
It's not like builders had been trying to achieve it for 30 years without a hint of success.
Not hard ? Maybe, now that it's done.
I also guess NONE of the point in this thread has been thought in and out and adressed by the guy.
We're such geniuses.

 

[CaracasBass]

Did anyone else notice on the video... go back and look at it, its a 5 string bass with only 4 strings on it... WOW, great way to sell a product, this same video is also advertising the product on there website. If they can have that much attention to detail how do you think the bass would hold up if you bought one yourself?

Just a thought... any comments?

Look again, it has 5 strings...

 

[surge]

I can see why it would be an appealing option, but I can't see myself ever getting one. The only real up-side I can see to having that system on a bass is being able to flick between the 2 modes mid song, otherwise I'd be just as happy to pick up a different bass.

 

[jja412]

I suck at fretless, and am thereby unconcerned.

 

[malthumb]

Damn right.
It's not like builders had been trying to achieve it for 30 years without a hint of success.
Not hard ? Maybe, now that it's done.
I also guess NONE of the point in this thread has been thought in and out and adressed by the guy.
We're such geniuses.

Just because something has been thought of doesn't mean it's just gonna suddenly happen. There's often a lot of invention that has to happen between idea and product. Many great ideas don't get implemented because some intermediate step hasn't been figured out. I work in technology development and product planning in the automotive industry. The idea of a car that can drive and/or park itself has been an "idea" for decades. Within 5 years it will probably be possible. But in the decades since the idea first arose, hundreds of smaller level inventions had to be created to enable it. Ditto wireless communications.

I think that as much as people have thought about the idea of making an instrument that transforms quickly from fretted to fretless, it may have been awaiting a critical technological breakthrough. If the people touting this instrument have achieved that breakthrough, then good for them. But on the way to PROVING it, they should and probably can deal with a healthy amount of skepticism.

Peace,

James

 

[Jazz Ad]

I'd agree if any of the criticizers had put their hands on the instrument.
Here lies the proof.