For those interested in fanned frets.

[bitzerguy]

A much bigger issue for me to adapt to was the low B. Man that is tough! Forever starting songs in the wrong key...

Just think of it as a really long thumb rest.

[johnhall]

Just noticed my title should read Fan Frets, not slant fret.

"Fanned" actually, if we're being precise.

[bitzerguy]

Just noticed my title should read Fan Frets, not slant fret.

"Fanned" actually, if we're being precise.

Corrected thanks to the mods, and John Hall. Fanned is the the precise term. My brain is getting old...

[admin]

Dean, regardless of the spelling thanks to this thread I learned something new and it's proper term as well. It is all good.

[johnhall]

Corrected thanks to the mods, and John Hall. Fanned is the the precise term. My brain is getting old...

You have plenty of company, both in the "old brain" department as well as misuse of the term!

[iiipopes]

When I made my fanned fret bass, it was because of my elbow and hand injuries coming back to haunt me. I started with a square nut, because the backwards fanning such as a Dingwall would have been contrary to what I was trying to achieve. But even with only a slight (3/4 inch total) fanning, due to the longer scale on the E string and the de-coupling of the bridge, it made for a significant improvement in clarity. I knew it would work, because in decades past I have had the pleasure of playing a slant-fret Rick, but did not have the $$ at the time to purchase it.

I had a gig the weekend it was finished. I ran through a couple of warmups at home, packed it, and went, playing the gig essentially cold. I immediately felt comfortable on the bass, and quite the opposite of "missing" any notes, many parts felt immediately more comfortable and easier to play.

Like the music or not, but here is where you can hear my fanned fret bass, complete with a RIC humbucker in the same position as the D-G segment of a standard P-bass, the Welk Precious Memories special, starting with part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uzcCKmE7dY

I played everything, yes, everything, except the obvious orchestra tracks.

More about my bass here:
viewtopic.php?f=98&t=403943

[Dirk]

Another thing I will add as a benefit of fanned frets, is the even sound of the strings. I've made several fan fret basses and really love the sound and feel. I think they are easier to play as well once you get used to it. The even tension really helps with the feel for sure. Oh I might have forgotten to mention I've only built 6 string basses so far. The only downsides are making sure you can get proper string length, and playing chords in the first couple positions, then again how many times are playing chords that low. They look stranger watching someone play them, than when you're actually playing them. The scales I prefer now are 36" to 32" so basically a 2 inch offset at the nut. There are people that do move the parallel fret, but I just marked my 2 outside scales and connect the dots.
Cheers,
Dirk

[cassius987]

No one has mentioned it so far but the only playability issue I ever had with my Dingwall was in the very high register, where the slants start to get pretty severe... it's hard to play without looking at your fingers, especially chords. However I only spent a day with that bass so who knows if it might have gotten better.

I agree about the even tone and tension being a big plus with these. The tonal issues with mine were more about its "voicing"... too clinical basically. Yeah I could have messed with my amp settings and so forth, and I did a bit, but that's just not the approach I like to take if I can help it. When I brought my Ric back the following week everyone in the band was celebrating. I still want to own a Dingwall someday, just not a Combustion from the same period as the last one.

[DriftSpace]

Fanned frets to me are one of those things that is a logical, ergonomic, and user-friendly evolution of the stringed/fretted instrument which is not more commonly used because of resistance by purists. The length of piano strings vary quite a bit according to their respective pitch, so why do guitarists and guitar manufacturers concede to an "easier" design to compromise something as incredibly important to musicianship as the rich clarity and even-tonality provided by an even temper? Fanned frets are also very comfortable, and feel natural; if you spread out your fingers you'll notice that they are not parallel, and fan-out ... much like the frets on a Dingwall.

I have plenty of single-scale-length, straight-fretted instruments, but I think it's a shame that the electric guitar has been around for nearly 100 years (which is not to mention instruments like the harp and piano; they are much older, and have scale lengths relative to pitch) yet there are still only a handful of guitar companies which offer this option. Adjusting the string saddles is helpful, as is having a compensated nut (Buzz Feiten) but those things don't really address the overall design.

Then again: I'm not one to argue that everything needs to be perfectly in-tune all the time (I like plenty of dissonant music) but having more precise control over the tonality of one's instrument is something which fosters better musicianship, as does ease of play, and fanned frets offer both of those things. I have a feeling that a big reason this isn't more popular is because people have such an iconic image of what a guitar "should" look like that they see a fanned-fret instrument an think it to be ugly.