Fanned fret "trick" ?

[B3N]

Hi all,

I just tried something this morning :

- I tuned 6th and 5th string a half-step up
- tuned the 2nd and 1st string a halp-step down.
- the inner strings in standard tuning

Wouldn't this give a kind of fanned fret feel ? I guess it would be a pretty extreme one...

But would this be close to a fanned fret in terms of feeling ? Edit : in terms of tension/sound, not fingerings !

Very weird tuning by the way !

Thanks for your input...

Ben

[mickthemiller]

I sort of get what you are trying to achieve but somehow feel that the left hand would have to be double jointed.

[B3N]

Originally Posted by mickthemiller

I sort of get what you are trying to achieve but somehow feel that the left hand would have to be double jointed.

In case it was not clear, I was speaking sound-wise, not in terms of fingerings of course !

[amyFB]

I thought the point of fan fret was ergonomic not acoustic.

That the changing angle of the fret space was better aligned with the way the joints in hands and wrists work.

Will be watching this to learn more....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[LSemmens]

It might Give a "feel" but certainly would make chords a little "strange". Somehow, I don't think so.

[The Bard Rocks]

While fan frets may make it easier to fret, that is hardly guaranteed as it depends upon where the "perpendicular" fret is placed. That is not a main reason. By having longer bass strings, a fan fret guitar allows better intonation and lower tunings.

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by amyFB

I thought the point of fan fret was ergonomic not acoustic.

That the changing angle of the fret space was better aligned with the way the joints in hands and wrists work.

Will be watching this to learn more....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I believe this is a part of it for sure, but most who have them, unless they are extreme say they really do not feel much of a difference. I thought about 75% of the reason was the attempt to have the low strings longer to allow lower tunings but maintain appropriate tensions and have the trebles strings shorter to capture the more crisp sounds there in lower tunings as well.

In other words, my understanding is more of a great way for a guitar to handle alternate tunings better without compromise in sound and string tensions....

Anyone can feel free to correct me on this....

[perttime]

I believe there's two reasons, and different players may prioritize them differently.
- ergonomic: the frets are aligned to follow the way the arm and hand align naturally when you move the hand left to right.
- different string lengths for different tension and sound between bass and treble sides, maybe the longer bass strings are better for dropped tunings too.

I, too, have heard that the alignment and feel is easy to get used to. No personal experience.

[JCook1]

Originally Posted by B3N

Hi all,

I just tried something this morning :

- I tuned 6th and 5th string a half-step up
- tuned the 2nd and 1st string a halp-step down.
- the inner strings in standard tuning

Wouldn't this give a kind of fanned fret feel ? I guess it would be a pretty extreme one...

But would this be close to a fanned fret in terms of feeling ? Edit : in terms of tension/sound, not fingerings !

Very weird tuning by the way !

If I'm reading this right, in standard tuning - EADGBE - you've changed it to F A# D G Bb Eb. With a fan fret guitar you would still tune to EADGBE - for standard tuning. It's just that the scale length for each string is different, basically optimized to give each string more accurate intonation. It is also supposedly more ergonomic for the left hand to fret the guitar. And it is supposed to make alternate tunings better because of the intonation benefits. So, if you were to tune to DADGAD on a fan fret, you would still tune the strings to DADGAD, just the same as you would on a regular guitar.

Jack

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by amyFB

I thought the point of fan fret was ergonomic not acoustic.

That the changing angle of the fret space was better aligned with the way the joints in hands and wrists work.

Will be watching this to learn more....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Not at all. The primary advantage is on alternate tunings:

"By providing more tension on the bass strings they provide a better attack on the bass, not heavier bass.

And the benefits extend well beyond the bass -
Hand vibrato is imparted easier and with more effect
Full step bends are easier
The tone on the high end is sweeter/fatter"

[B3N]

Originally Posted by JCook1

If I'm reading this right, in standard tuning - EADGBE - you've changed it to F A# D G Bb Eb. With a fan fret guitar you would still tune to EADGBE - for standard tuning. It's just that the scale length for each string is different, basically optimized to give each string more accurate intonation. It is also supposedly more ergonomic for the left hand to fret the guitar. And it is supposed to make alternate tunings better because of the intonation benefits. So, if you were to tune to DADGAD on a fan fret, you would still tune the strings to DADGAD, just the same as you would on a regular guitar.

Jack

The point was to mimick a fan fret guitar on standard tuning from a string tension perspective - a little more tension on the bass - a little less on the treble...

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by The Bard Rocks

While fan frets may make it easier to fret, that is hardly guaranteed as it depends upon where the "perpendicular" fret is placed. That is not a main reason. By having longer bass strings, a fan fret guitar allows better intonation and lower tunings.

If you are referring to longer strings tend to intonate better than shorter ones, then i would think you are correct. But fanned frets will not give better intonation. i use to think that was the case but I was wrong.

This is a link to a thread I started/asked back in 2013. Loads of opinions, both expert and novice. I was ignorant of the subtleties of Fanned frets but this was a very educational thread for me

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=319088

[Rosewood99]

Originally Posted by Mbroady

If you are referring to longer strings tend to intonate better than shorter ones, then i would think you are correct. But fanned frets will not give better intonation. i use to think that was the case but I was wrong.

This is a link to a thread I started/asked back in 2013. Loads of opinions, both expert and novice. I was ignorant of the subtleties of Fanned frets but this was a very educational thread for me.

I think it's a matter of debate whether it has better intonation. This is educatioal as well. It is in reference to electric guitar but same principal.

“Multiscale/Fanned frets have better intonation”

There is a lot of misunderstanding on this one. Longer scale lengths have better intonation when compared with a shorter scale so a 25.5″ – 27″ guitar tuned to drop A will intonate much better across the board than a 25.5″ or 26.5″ guitar. When people say fanned frets intonate better they mean the lower strings intonate better than the scale length of the highest string. Saying fanned frets have better intonation isn’t wrong or right, its a fanned fret with a longer scale length(26.5, 27, 28+) that gives better intonation than a regular 25.5 guitar. Also intonation isn’t just about the 12th fret, its all the frets from 1-24.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=319088

[Mbroady]

Originally Posted by paulzoom

I think it's a matter of debate whether it has better intonation. This is educatioal as well. It is in reference to electric guitar but same principal.

“Multiscale/Fanned frets have better intonation”

There is a lot of misunderstanding on this one. Longer scale lengths have better intonation when compared with a shorter scale so a 25.5″ – 27″ guitar tuned to drop A will intonate much better across the board than a 25.5″ or 26.5″ guitar. When people say fanned frets intonate better they mean the lower strings intonate better than the scale length of the highest string. Saying fanned frets have better intonation isn’t wrong or right, its a fanned fret with a longer scale length(26.5, 27, 28+) that gives better intonation than a regular 25.5 guitar. Also intonation isn’t just about the 12th fret, its all the frets from 1-24.

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...d.php?t=319088

Just to clarify, an improvement in intonation is due to a longer scale length, not to having the frets in non-parallel pattern. So a bass guitar, which usually has a longer neck then a guitar would have better intonation. Not sure how the heavier gauge string effect the intonation.???

[rogthefrog]

Originally Posted by B3N

The point was to mimick a fan fret guitar on standard tuning from a string tension perspective - a little more tension on the bass - a little less on the treble...

Why not just use higher gauge strings on the bass and smaller gauge strings on the treble and tune like a normal human being?