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Wooden Frets
- Thread starter IronLung1986
- Start date
Despite what they like to think, fretted basses are more accurate than fretless bassists.Um, fretted basses are not accurate at all.
Each string intonates differently, but the frets are in the same places for each string.
I once more feel disappointed about the shortsightness and conservatism of so many musicians. OMG it's never been done, this sounds dumb, don't you dare trying to be different.
Variant : OMG it's been done before and it failed, don't you dare trying it again.
I wonder how many times Leo Fender, Larry Graham or Jaco Pastorius heard these.
Relax. I didn't necessarily mean you. There are a lot of people in this thread talking about things they don't understand.
And, speaking only for myself, as far as any conservatism or dogmatic thinking are concerned, I resent the remark.
Making a bass with low, wide wooden frets would work about as well as cardboard snow boots IN MY OPINION. Heard the phrase "screen door on a submarine?" Some things are not done because they would not work. Other ideas are tried, like the OP's fret ideas, and flop. That's all. Yeesh.
There are traditional chinese instruments with metal strings and wooden frets.
The frets are about half a inch high (the nut and bridge also similarly raised), and it looks like part of being a musician is learning how to carve your own frets. They were movable and replaceable.
The frets are about half a inch high (the nut and bridge also similarly raised), and it looks like part of being a musician is learning how to carve your own frets. They were movable and replaceable.
The stone frets thing has been tried and is being done. Seems to produce very nice results! Quartz crystal frets: http://www.aspentimes.com/article/20090724/NEWS/907239956&parentprofile=search
personally I am wondering about rubber frets... Not too spongy or brittle stuff, but good-quality, sturdy, and still a bit soft... Used in conjunction with flatwound strings, it might provide more of an upright-like thump...
There's a difference between revolutionary artistic technique and "revolutionary" mechanical design. Really? You bring up Jaco in a discussion about guitar design? What parallels exist between his technique and ironlung's idea for wooden frets? The thing with mechanical logistics is that they work on specific principles; artistic technique doesn't have any cut-and-dry rules for "working," it's just a means to express one's subjective creativity. So really, your comparison is a load of BS. And mentioning Leo Fender is likewise insipid since he made instruments with metal frets.
It's a matter of simple logic, not "creative inspiration that may not sit well with some other artists." And actually, I've seen quite a few in this thread who say the idea would work with nylon strings. So you must be complaining about the nay-sayers claiming it wouldn't work with metal strings, which is just putting 2 and 2 together.
Ah yes, the Bond Electraglide: great idea for the stepped fretboard (not so much for the mains-powered on-board electrics).
yeah, as cool and retro as it would be to have one it would need an immediate replacement of the electronics. well, not all of them; you could hook the lights up to a battery for shows.
I always get Barnes&Noble gift certificatres for birthdays, so one year I got a book on Ferrington guitars; apparently Don Was asked for (and got) wooden frets on a bass. In the book, apparently iot has a bass tone like no other...
Yes, I was going to post this as well: Danny Ferrington made a wooden-fret bass for Don Was, apparently everybody dug how it sounded.
I'm thinking if you like it, do it. It's one thing for people to disagree with you, but those ridiculing you for an idea is immature. I think it's good to experiment and if you like it, you like it, if you don't, you'll know not to do it again. =]
well i guess this has become a rather hostile thread. people are taking flak for agreeing with me. there's really no need for people to get so up in arms here, regular old metal frets aren't going anywhere. i deal with logic and data all day at work and sometimes i just like to throw an idea out there that doesn't necessarily go with the flow, but some people really aren't feeling it. and this isn't even one of my REALLY weird ideas!
Not sure why anyone would mock wood frets aside from their not lasting as long as metal frets. I'm sure the tone would be "woodier" but I doubt the durability on a daily player would make it a good choice. For a one off it would be fine, but on a production bass you'd have to deal with more whiney customers about the frets wearing than you would ever want to deal with in your life.
