Alternate fret material

icecycle66

icecycle66

Feb 4, 2009
1,005
58
4,571
Arizona
#1
I'm moving this discussion over here since I think we can probably get better discussion of application than whether or not being off a few cents is worth the experience.

from Taped frets or some sort of hard rubberization

There are some good ideas over there, but a lot of dissension and talk about microtones that don't interest me at this point in the game.

-----


I like a very soft sound, almost fretless but not quite.
Frets just sound, so, fretty and twangy. Too much clickity-clack when playing aggressive. Too much attack when playing soft.
I hate that, but I also don't like the sound of straight fretless. Fretless is too slow and I can't do as much string manipulation without frets.

So here's my striking now. Highs rolled all the way out. Mids rolled way down. Finger striking the strings. Nickle strings. Taped frets.
Yes, I've begin taping over my frets. I have two layers of black electrical tape covering every fret.
It's working pretty well. It's kind of a pain in the ass to do and redo when the tape starts wearing away.

Has anybody ever heard of a hard rubberized or nylon fretting system?
IS anybody interested in helping me work up an interchangeable fret tboard or neck system for multiple fret materials.
(If not I got dibs on naming it.)
 
#4
T_Bone_TL said:
Um - have you considered tapewound strings? No fuss, no muss.
Click to expand...
What he said. The tape wounds can be replaced for ~$30. How much is a refret of your softer material going to cost? What difference does it make whether the fretting noise is muted by something on the strings or something on the frets? You are attempting to fix a problem there is already an economical solution for. As for string manipulation on a fretless, you just bend along the neck instead of across the neck, and muscle memory will take care of speed if you stick with it. Remember with a fretted neck you can bend sharp; with a fretless you can use the length of the string to roll sharp, flat, OR vibrato. Both of the latter techniques are beyond the capabilities of a fretted instrument (without a tremolo bridge.)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Axstar
#6
icecycle66 said:
Has anybody ever heard of a hard rubberized or nylon fretting system?
IS anybody interested in helping me work up an interchangeable fret tboard or neck system for multiple fret materials.
Click to expand...

As you were told in your other thread, there have been many non-metal fret instruments over the years, but it's only practical on instruments with strings that aren't made of metal.
Strings are easily replaceable, frets are not. Having frets that wear away faster than a set of strings is a dumb idea.

There have been several replaceable fretboard systems over the years. None were successful. Mostly because you lose too much structural integrity with a board that isn't permanently attached. And the more removable something is the more likely it is to create unwanted vibration.

The sound you want is easy to get with different strings and good EQ.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Axstar
#7
lz4005 said:
As you were told in your other thread, there have been many non-metal fret instruments over the years, but it's only practical on instruments with strings that aren't made of metal.
Strings are easily replaceable, frets are not. Having frets that wear away faster than a set of strings is a dumb idea.

There have been several replaceable fretboard systems over the years. None were successful. Mostly because you lose too much structural integrity with a board that isn't permanently attached. And the more removable something is the more likely it is to create unwanted vibration.

The sound you want is easy to get with different strings and good EQ.
Click to expand...


And yet YOU, followed this thread here, just to give your opinion again, that you don't think we should talk about this?

Hey Moderator, if this ain't a Troll, what is the definition?
 
#8
Ross W. Lovell said:
And yet YOU, followed this thread here, just to give your opinion again, that you don't think we should talk about this?

Hey Moderator, if this ain't a Troll, what is the definition?
Click to expand...
Here ya go:
c6226219cf75186c90c7e025c42e1eef.jpg
Some things bear repeating. Some things bear repeating.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Axstar and lz4005
#9
icecycle66 said:
I'm moving this discussion over here since I think we can probably get better discussion of application than whether or not being off a few cents is worth the experience.

from Taped frets or some sort of hard rubberization

There are some good ideas over there, but a lot of dissension and talk about microtones that don't interest me at this point in the game.

-----


I like a very soft sound, almost fretless but not quite.
Frets just sound, so, fretty and twangy. Too much clickity-clack when playing aggressive. Too much attack when playing soft.
I hate that, but I also don't like the sound of straight fretless. Fretless is too slow and I can't do as much string manipulation without frets.

So here's my striking now. Highs rolled all the way out. Mids rolled way down. Finger striking the strings. Nickle strings. Taped frets.
Yes, I've begin taping over my frets. I have two layers of black electrical tape covering every fret.
It's working pretty well. It's kind of a pain in the ass to do and redo when the tape starts wearing away.

Has anybody ever heard of a hard rubberized or nylon fretting system?
IS anybody interested in helping me work up an interchangeable fret tboard or neck system for multiple fret materials.
(If not I got dibs on naming it.)
Click to expand...


Icy....like the cut of your giblets. I know the feeling, tried tape wounds and hated them. Hated the flat wounds on my fretless and I have no Jaco fantasies.

Been cogitating on the idea of routing. The board arch isn't a problem as I'd most likely Try to CNC it,but then I started wondering.......originally, the idea was rout 2/3 of the hole into the board just like a fret. That would make pulling the o-ring stock easy and then trim end and maybe a touch of superglue on each side to hold in place and fill in the side of the board for feel.

After prodigious amounts of chocolate, I then wondered if, because the routing is done with a ball shape, if I were to plunge an 1/8 inch from the end and go across leaving the sides of the fretboard closed. This method allows the o-ring stock to be cut just as c-hair larger, (engineering term) and then pressed into the slot. This would then allow the board to feel more natural along the sides.

Haven't thought this through enough to where I have a plan to address any leveling issues if one sits too high.

Need more chocolate.....

Can't wait to see how many fun-suckers will find this thread and give the same advice about not needing this because everybody BEFOREHAND already tried this.

Just remember, the Sun revolved around the Earth.....Everybidy knew that, especially the Church when the put Galileo under house arrest. They did apologize sometime in the 90's...........the 1990's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: icecycle66
#13
A hard material is going to sound like a conventional fret. A soft material is going to wear away quickly. This seems like a fruitless endeavour, and I think stretching it over two threads in the vain hope of hearing something you want to hear is perhaps not the best policy. The best answer has already been given, several times; use tapewound strings and/or foam mutes. I think the same, not because I'm a luddite averse to any sort of change or progress, but because I don't see some sort of hard rubberised frets lasting the duration with roundwound strings.
 
  • Like
Reactions: lz4005 and inanimate_carb
#14
Axstar said:
A hard material is going to sound like a conventional fret. A soft material is going to wear away quickly. This seems like a fruitless endeavour, and I think stretching it over two threads in the vain hope of hearing something you want to hear is perhaps not the best policy. The best answer has already been given, several times; use tapewound strings and/or foam mutes. I think the same, not because I'm a luddite averse to any sort of change or progress, but because I don't see some sort of hard rubberised frets lasting the duration with roundwound strings.
Click to expand...


So just talking about this bothers you. It was not stretched over two threads, more like it was thought to be more appropriate here. Make all the comments you want to pound your point home, you are a troll.
 
  • Like
Reactions: icecycle66
#16
Axstar said:
A hard material is going to sound like a conventional fret. A soft material is going to wear away quickly. This seems like a fruitless endeavour, and I think stretching it over two threads in the vain hope of hearing something you want to hear is perhaps not the best policy. The best answer has already been given, several times; use tapewound strings and/or foam mutes. I think the same, not because I'm a luddite averse to any sort of change or progress, but because I don't see some sort of hard rubberised frets lasting the duration with roundwound strings.
Click to expand...


Why do you think I mind soft material wearing down quickly.
That's not a problem for me.
 
#18
Ross W. Lovell said:
So just talking about this bothers you. It was not stretched over two threads, more like it was thought to be more appropriate here. Make all the comments you want to pound your point home, you are a troll.
Click to expand...

I get the strong impression you are a sock puppet account for icecycle66. Or his Dad, or brother, or something. This talk doesn't bother me as much as it clearly bothers you, to the extent that you shadow icecycle66's every move and act as his rear gunner. Icecycle66 can waste his time, money and resources any way he chooses.

If I were trolling I would be intentionally and aggressively promoting an opinion I don't personally uphold purely to antagonise other forum users. This isn't the case. Your odd desire to be icecycle66's personal chaperone/forum policeman is closer to trolling, in my personal opinion.
 
  • Like
Reactions: icecycle66 and lz4005
#19
Ross W. Lovell said:
because the routing is done with a ball shape, if I were to plunge an 1/8 inch from the end and go across leaving the sides of the fretboard closed. This method allows the o-ring stock to be cut just as c-hair larger, (engineering term) and then pressed into the slot. This would then allow the board to feel more natural along the sides.
Click to expand...

The simple solution to the sides that does not make a messy blob at each end of the fret slot (which the ball-plunge will) is binding. Only trick to that would be finding the match between o-ring durometer (official squishiness rating system) and ball-plunge depth so that you can actually insert/remove from the top while still capturing in the slot. You may find that the o-ring material is sufficiently elastic that it actually does not wear much/fast (again, depending on the specific durometer and the material you select) - it may repeatably deform and recover rather than wearing away. You'd need to experiment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: icecycle66
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom
Back