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Quartertone double-course 8 string flying-V (self-converted)


Guest ixlramp
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Larger image: [url="http://i.imgur.com/EwpcVXc.jpg"]http://i.imgur.com/EwpcVXc.jpg[/url]

This was my first instrument conversion to quartertone frets (24 frets per octave, the normal notes plus 12 more halfway between).
Found a cheap 2nd hand Dean Metalman-V.
I offset the new frets to avoid the old fret slots and the dots, resulting in a zero fret.
Frets are EVO gold nickel-free, hardness is halfway between nickel and stainless steel frets.

Headstock is so big i found i could just fit 8 full-size tuners if angled.
Added brass saddles for a nice colour match, cut extra grooves in them. Decided to string up with unison courses instead of octave courses, creates a stronger chorus effect and avoids needing a special 8-string bridge.

Finally a quality reproduction flip-down Steinberger leg rest was added.
Centre of mass is now at the neck joint, the rear strap button has been moved to the body front and close to the neck joint for better strap balance.
Currently i have it tuned in fifths at a baritone type pitch, similar to a cello.

No recordings yet, sorry, sounds great acoustic and these frets are amazing.
Quartertones are good for approximating middle-eastern scales.
The long scale of a bass makes the frets very playable, in fact a bass is the perfect platform for creating a microtonal guitar, just string it up with thin strings.

For an example of some quartertone metal (not by me) see this video [url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry2kBQ1fDqk"]https://www.youtube....h?v=ry2kBQ1fDqk[/url] Edited by ixlramp
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Early days, only converted 2 instruments so far, but eventually i might have some quartertone bass conversions for sale here in the UK (probably including this one).

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