Fanned Frets

[J_Wong92]

One day I hope I can get amount of money to actually have a custom Acoustic made for me. The artists I listen to like Andy Mckee and Craig D'Andrea they all use custom built guitars. One thing I noticed was that they used Fanned Frets. Does anyone know what the use for the Fanned Frets are for?

[Hardwired Flaws]

http://www.edroman.com/techarticles/fannedfrets.htm

[Bruce Sexauer]

Because short strings are sweeter than long strings, and long strings produce a more defined bass pitch than shorter strings, MultiScales on one guitar can produce a more tonally balanced instrument that if all the strings are the same length. I personally believe that my very best guitars are multiscale, but it's still not for everyone, apparently. Only one in three of my customers orders the JB series, my MultiScale, in spite of my recommendation. Perhaps it's the $600 upcharge.

[Ilovetaylors]

if you want more info about fanned fret...

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...t=fanned+frets

[justonwo]

Fanned frets are basically used to generate a longer scale length on the low strings. This helps to maintain a strong and vibrant bass, especially in dropped tunings. I have a fanned fret with a 26.25" scale length on the low E and 25.5" on the high E, which is probably considered quite subtle. In fact, I don't really have to make any adjustments when I switch from a standard fret board to a fanned fretboard.

The effect is pretty subtle, I think, with that kind of scale length spread. I would imagine it's much more noticeable on the extreme scale length differences, but then a major adjustment is required in playing technique. I do believe my fanned fret guitar has fantastic bass, even when dropped as low as C#, but I have no idea how much of that is due to difference in scale length.

The concept has been around a long time. I'm not clear what novelty Novak introduced to the concept that allowed him to secure a patent, but there are instruments from the 1600s with "fanned" frets.

[drcmusic7]

I own a Tom Doerr fanfret with a scale length difference of 2 inches - 25''-27''.

Here's a picture...


I'd like to echo what other posters have said about multiscale guitars. On mine, Tom and I decided to go with a two inch difference because I wanted to get into semi-baritone range.

If you're thinking about ordering one, one thing to consider is the perpendicular fret. On my guitar it's the 5th fret but a lot of other people go for the 7th or 8th.

I think Tom nailed what i'm going for and would highly recommend him if you're thinking of a fan fret. It's an exceptional guitar. Here's a home recording of my Doerr... please keep in mind, it's a home recording...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VfxoAjU2B8

Kindly,
Danny

[Bruce Sexauer]

Often overlooked on MultiScales is the effect that picking has on tone. If the point of the MultiScale is to sweeten the treble and focus the bass, then the extreme difference in the picking distance from the saddle will have the opposite effect; the bass will be softened by being far from the saddle and the treble will be hardened by being close to the saddle. For this reason the perpendicular fret should be moved as high up the neck as possible, and the string length disparity should not be pushed past what is actually necessary to accomplish the goal of balanced tone. When one considers the tonal difference between even a short scale vs a long scale Martin of otherwise similar dimensions (OM vs 000) it is clear that even 1/2" makes a remarkable and noticeable difference. If you take a look at my work over the last ten years you will see that this is just what I've been up to. It works.

[Hardwired Flaws]

Originally Posted by drcmusic7

I own a Tom Doerr fanfret with a scale length difference of 2 inches - 25''-27''.

Here's a picture...


I'd like to echo what other posters have said about multiscale guitars. On mine, Tom and I decided to go with a two inch difference because I wanted to get into semi-baritone range.

If you're thinking about ordering one, one thing to consider is the perpendicular fret. On my guitar it's the 5th fret but a lot of other people go for the 7th or 8th.

I think Tom nailed what i'm going for and would highly recommend him if you're thinking of a fan fret. It's an exceptional guitar. Here's a home recording of my Doerr... please keep in mind, it's a home recording...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VfxoAjU2B8

Kindly,
Danny

That's wicked looking.

[Alan Carruth]

Novack's idea was based on the difference in the 'zip tone' of the strings. That's a longitudinal vibration, analogous to the standing wave in a long narrow pipe, that's set up in a guitar string when you pluck it anywhere but in the exact center. You can also hear this by simply rubbing along the length of a wound string, or rubbing along the length of a plain string with a rosined rag. It's usually between about 500-4000 Hz.

It turns out that the pitch of the 'zip' tone it a function of the string length, material, and construction (wound or not wound, etc.) and is not related to the tension on the string (usually). Novack noticed that the 'zip' tones on a Strat were lower in pitch than those on a Les Paul, and thus had a different relationship to the pitches the strings were tuned to. He positied that this was one of the reasons Strats and Les Pauls sounded different: that is, if you put a Strat string length on a Les Paul body, it would move the sound in the direction of a Strat. His 'fanned fret' design was meant to get the bass sound of a Strat and the treble of a Les Paul.

At the time he was unaware of the early use of multiple scales on orpharions, where the intent was simply to allow for lower tunings with non-wound strings. The patent office these days will allow almost anything that's not a perpetual motion machine, with the idea that anything with any commercial value will be hashed out in the courts. At any rate, it's arguable that Novack's intent was enough different from that of the historic usage that he deserved a patent. My understanding is that he stopped enforcing the patent when he found out about the historical precedent, but may have taken it up again at some point.

There's more gory detail about 'zip' tones in the paper 'String Theory' on the 'Acoustics' page of my web site.

[Fran Guidry]

Thanks, Alan. Good to hear from you. I hope things are going great.

Fran