Are you a fan of the FANNED FRET BASS ?

[Bass4real]

I thought I would like the FANNED FRET BASS , I bought an

IBANEZ BtB805ms 5 string 

love everything about the Bass 

EXCEPT  

you guessed it 

The FANNED FRETs

 

[cetera]

I find it no different to playing a regular bass, except high up where it is easier. Tbh, I forget about it half the time when I'm playing...

[Dood]

I remember picking one up for the first time and finding the overall adjustment time incredibly short - my review of that very bass on the very day is still on YouTube. It was, for me at least, an easy transition, but I will agree that for some things adjustments are necessary. Jonathan Herrera has recently made a video of his first experience with a Dingwall bass, in the shape of the John Taylor Signature. He noted the same example as me, playing Minor 7th chords around the 15th fret and higher difficult (R b7 b3 or even R 5 b7 b3 arrangement) - that's easier on parallel frets I think. Most other techniques seemed to transfer easily - I was actually surprised that fast tapping was not that much more difficult, I thought I'd miss frets, but again, a small adjustment - and practice got me there. I liken it to getting a new car, a new, different car. Everything is in a different place, the brakes are sharper, the biting point on the clutch may feel different, the gate on the gears is tighter, buttons and switches are in a different place - it's frustrating and sometimes annoying, but we get over it and muscle memory kicks in quite quickly. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

I've never managed to get my hands on one yet but I'd like to give it a go. 

[BigRedX]

On the couple of occasions when I have played a fanned fret bass I found I had adapted to the frets within 5 minutes of picking it up.

[visog]

I have one of the Ibby EHB sixes and I agree with the OP - I'd go back to normal frets or a less severe fan/offset so straight at the 12th fret (rather than around the 7th where it is currently.)

 

Many different ways to fan and each is a compromise - as are straight frets. Up high on the Ibby it's a little more difficult to play than a straight fret instrument.

[MacDaddy]

Bending notes is a bit difficult at the top of the neck. I realise this is a bit niche, but a song wot I have wrote, has a bass solo which starts with a bend on the 24th fret of the G string.

[MacDaddy]

7 hours ago, Bass4real said:

I thought I would like the FANNED FRET BASS , I bought an

IBANEZ BtB805ms 5 string 

love everything about the Bass 

EXCEPT  

you guessed it 

The FANNED FRETs

 

 

Lovely pic of yourself, any chance of one of the bass? 😉

[Newfoundfreedom]

8 minutes ago, MacDaddy said:

bass solo 

 

Nope. You've lost me. 😆

[odysseus]

I had a Dingwall 5er for a while that was excellent. The only thing that was a bit difficult for me to get round was playing certain chords up the dusty end - the fingering was more problematic.

The only reason I sold it was that I didn't need a 5er any more.

[Rodders]

I have a Dingwall ABZ 4 and as @BigRedX says I took to it in 5 minutes, I find the frets fall under my hand better and obviously the optimum tension for each string and the clarity it gives is great, I still use my other basses but I find this really comfy with the thinner frets too.  

[LeftyJ]

I have yet to try one, lefty supply is short. But I'm very curious to give one a go! 

[SumOne]

I've owned a Dingwall Combustion, Ibanez EHB 1005 MS & Ibanez SRMS 805, so I guess I am a fan of the fans!

 

......but I think it is a bit like the 4 vs 5 thing, fan frets aren't better in every way (I currently just use a standard 4 string). I think two main drawbacks are: Lack of choice in Basses, lack of choice in strings (for the Dingwall), but I expect each of those might gradually be less of an issue.

 

I've had 4 string Basses with tension/tone across the strings sounding just as good as the Dingwall, but I've never had a standard 5 string sound as good on the B. So I'd probably recommend fanned frets for people that play a 4 BEAD, or play 5 strings. But then again, a good standard 5 isn't that different with a good setup/strings and playing through Amp/Cab and in the end it was the size and weight of the Combustion that put me off it, and the fact it just doesn't sound like a Passive Jazz. But as far as the technical playing of fanned frets - that wasn't an issue at all.

 

 

Edited December 2 by SumOne

[Owen]

I have always done some side to side vibrato on some longer notes in a phrase. I never realised that I did it until I went fanned fret. Side to side on the most angled frets with roundwounds was not for me. 

[kusee pee]

I've had plenty of fanned frets and all of them felt very natural.  And they look super cool.  I'm a sucker for looks.

[markbunney]

I bought an Ibanez SRMS625EX in the summer which had 5 strings and fanned frets.

 

I had never played a 5 string or fanned frets before. I got used to the fanned frets straight away but it had taken me longer to get used to the extra string, but now I have, I love the bass and the frets

[Lozz196]

Only played a couple of them, and then for not very long, but despite my apprehension I was able to get used to it quite quickly. I don’t think it would be my choice but I’d be able to gig with one with a bit more concentration than usual.

[tauzero]

I have a couple - one Ibanez EHB1265MS and one Chinese headless. I have no problem playing them but I'm not convinced that they offer any great tonal advantage over parallel fret basses.

[Greg Edwards69]

I recently acquired an EHB1005SMS. I needed a 5 string once again, but I wanted something lightweight and compact. I've also been exploring shortscale basses, so this ticked all the boxes.

 

Generally, I find it easy to play. I adapted to it pretty much within 30 minutes of opening the box. Even jumping from my usual 34" 4 string to this 30-32" 5 string multiscale doesn't require major adjustment and I'm happy to do so at gigs.

 

Only real niggle is playing more than one note at a time up the dusty end as @Dood mentioned. It's definitely more awkward than a traditional parallel fretted bass for higher register chordal playing.

 

Edited December 4 by Greg Edwards69

[Dood]

What's interesting about fan frets is that 'technically' each string  scale length is separate to each other. Of course, you'd want them laid out in such a way that you can still use straight frets and this creates the 'fan' design. The angle of the fan (whilst still using straight frets) isn't set in stone and can be manipulated. So, although it might create more problems that it solves, it would be possible to rotate the bridge angle in a more vertical direction, pushing the bass strings further away and the treble strings towards the player body. This would change the angle of all the frets across the board and, at a push, the more treble frets could be aligned to make 'parallel chord positions' up the dusty end easier to play. (That is perpendicular). IIRC, Dingwall basses' 6th fret is the most perpendicular to the neck length, the LTD multiscale looks more like the 12th or 13th. 

 

Now, if we dispense with fretboard wide frets altogether, or use a design inspired by True Temperament or Micro-Tonal instruments....

 

 

[2pods]

That's hurting my brain, please take it away 

[Rexel Matador]

I think they're a great solution for a achieving a nice tight B string. I built one that was (I think) 35" scale on the bass side and it still doesn't seem to be enough for me. I'm planning another one that's 37" to 34", which I think is what Dingwall do.

I had no issues adjusting to it, but I guess that might depend on your playing style - I went for the perpendicular 7th fret, again based on Dingwall, as I assume they know what they're doing.

Edited December 5 by Rexel Matador

[Dan Dare]

I tried a couple when I was looking for a Spector earlier in the year. I found them surprisingly easy to adapt to and liked the clarity and accurate intonation in the lower registers, especially when I ventured up the neck. I bought a conventionally fretted one in the end, but might take the plunge sometime in the future.

[chris_b]

I played one in a shop and liked it. My brain didn't explode.

 

I rarely get up the dusty end so any issues up there wouldn't affect me.

 

If the right one came along at the right price I'd jump at it.

[Linus27]

I've only had a very quick go on one and I wasn't a fan. Saying that, after playing fretless only for so many years, I find fretted basses tricky these days as the frets and dots seem to just make everything look messy. I actually had to sell my 75RI Jazz as it also had blocks and binding which really confused my head. I also play a lot in the dusty end and a lot of melodic bass lines so that probably doesn't help. I've found playing fretted, I see the notes and the places to fret but with a fretless, you look at the board and see shapes and lines, its a totally different way to look at the fretboard and I'm just used to that way now.