Fanned Frets

[allihts]

I saw an advert in a magazine with basses boasting 'fanned fret technolgy' from the picture all i could make out is that the frets were squint and to be honest it looked really hard to play! Just wondering what the advantages of having them on a bass is?

[essexbasscat]

Must admit I wonder about this

what's it all about Alfie ?

T

Edited April 15, 2010 by essexbasscat

[chris_b]

Better intonation and tuning.

[allihts]

Has anyone ever played a bass with them on? It looks complicated!

[BassBunny]

[quote name='allihts' post='807724' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:10 PM']Has anyone ever played a bass with them on? It looks complicated![/quote]

Yep. played a Dingwall Combustion at Bass Day last year. Awesome bass and until you've played one it is hard to understand what a difference it makes.
The secret, (according to Mark at Bass Direct), is not to look down at the fingerboard, just trust in your muscle memory and it really works.
The B string really is the best sounding one I have come across as it is around 37".
Playing chords is a joy as well.

Edited April 15, 2010 by BassBunny

[essexbasscat]

are there any close up piccys of fanned frets about ?

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='807739' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:21 PM']are there any close up piccys of fanned frets about ?[/quote]

[essexbasscat]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='807770' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:38 PM'][/quote]

bloody hell !!!

[oldslapper]

[quote name='Grand Wazoo' post='807770' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:38 PM'][/quote]

If I look too long at the fretboard I get dizzy, it's like a 'shroom" trip maaaan...

[d-basser]

Ah my territory

I play a Dingwall Afterburner I 6 string, 37 - 33.25" fan. Joy to play. The point is that it gives you an immense sounding tight low B yet a supple and mellow sounding high C. Each string has an optimum scale length and sounds all the better for it, the 37" low string scale also allows me to pull off a meaty low A drop tuning. Very easy to play and takes no time to get used too, honest. Prefer it to any other 6 I have played, Sei's, Overwaters and other such quality instruments included (not saying they where bad by any means of course). Also a lot of fun for confusing the audience...especially at punk gigs!

[attachment=47433:DSC00166.JPG]

[attachment=47434:DSC00503.JPG]

[Happy Jack]

There are more extreme versions that that, y'know!

I never got on with the tone of my Dingwall Z2 but, as for playing it, no problems at all. The fanned frets are far more ergonomic than parallel ones, and anyway they are more-or-less parallel between the 5th and 12th frets.

The advice about "not looking" is spot on. It's like running up stairs - if you try to watch your feet you'll fall over immediately.

Having a 37" B-string is simply awesome (over-used word, but fully justified here), but re-stringing is bloody expensive.

The only area where fanned frets are a disaster is for chord-playing bassists. So that's not me, then.

[Al Heeley]

They are surprisingly natural to play and as said before you get benefit of more even string tension across the tone range. most benefit from extended range basses, ie: 6 trings over >24 fret board.

have a looko here:
[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35397"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=35397[/url]

Edited April 15, 2010 by Al Heeley

[noelk27]

[quote name='Johnston' post='807763' date='Apr 15 2010, 09:35 PM']As you go further out towards the nut your wrists natural movement is to rotate. Playing with fanned frets makes this a bit more natural.[/quote]

This strikes me as a fundamental misunderstanding of the concept underlying fanned fretting. In fact, if this where what someone wanted to achieve, they would be better advised to implement an asymmetrical neck design and/or a conical touchboard design.

It is the very limitation of a touchboard which utilises frets to determine note which fanned designs target, that is imperfect tuning along the length and across the width of the touchboard.

[quote name='Johnston' post='807763' date='Apr 15 2010, 09:35 PM']But I've read that its really because the longer low B sounds better than a 34" and the smaller length high strings carry more highs.[/quote]

Designs featuring that stringing design - longer low/shorter high - are a hybrid, adopting partial concepts of fanned fret design and railed bridge design.

[fatback]

omg that is the coolest bass I have ever seen

[Musicman69]

I would love to try one of these.. the 4 string above looks very playable.

Id say these will become quite popular.

[thodrik]

I think it looks great and its always good to see someone thinking outside the box. I would love to try to one, but have my doubts as to how it would cope with playing chords high up on the neck. Until I try one I can't say anything though...

[Dood]

Pete 'PETED' is having a 6 string Fan Fret Singlecut bass built to his specs by Jon Shuker - go have a look at the build thread on this very forum!!

Jon Shuker is in my experienced opinion (and very modest one at that) is one of the BEST luthiers in the UK right now and this build guarantees to be 'jaw dropping! Can't wait to see when it is finished!!!!!!

[Dood]

HERE infact ;o) [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247[/url]

and pictures so far [url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=31247&view=findpost&p=782747"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=...st&p=782747[/url]

[iconic]

Wow, that's taken me back!

In the 70's Tony Zemaitis was a family friend....I was trying to learn piano at the time and my brother was learning lead guitar.

....this is one of the few things I remember my brother asking him..."why has this guitar got 'funny frets'".....he went into something about optimum string lengths for different notes...he was very enthusiastic about this guitar...they were all 'ones offs' at this time and this was a little bit extra special....it had some amazing engraving too, done at my fathers gunshop.

....he also said, the builder (him) would notice the difference, but new owner, most likely 'a famous name', would never notice the difference as he almost deaf anyway....but the price reflected the additional work!

I remember more about the lovely cars he used to own ..and the way he drove them!

Edited April 16, 2010 by iconic

[BigRedX]

Johnson, what you need is a [url="http://littleguitarworks.com/torzal-natural-twist/"]Torzal Twist[/url] not a fanned-fret bass.

Back on topic, I've played one of the Dinwalls in the Gallery a while back and I think it took me all of about 10 seconds to adapt. If you're into playing chords high up the neck on the lower strings you might run into a few problems and need to adjust your technique slightly.

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='chris_b' post='807722' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:09 PM']Better intonation and tuning.[/quote]

didn't the Warwick Just Intonation bass try to do that. Wasn't fanned though.

1st and 3rd basses to the left - they are meant to look like that!

[attachment=47442:MG_3968_760x390.jpg]

[peted]

[quote name='dood' post='807914' date='Apr 16 2010, 12:55 AM']Pete 'PETED' is having a 6 string Fan Fret Singlecut bass built to his specs by Jon Shuker - go have a look at the build thread on this very forum!![/quote]
Afternoon Dood

Yes, I'm having a Shuker fanned-fret bass made at the moment. My intention was to get a really tight focused B string without having to get string gauges too heavy and a nice top end without the notes sounding choked by the tension.

The fanned fretboard looks far more intimidating from the front than it does from looking down on the fretboard from the playing position. I've got a feeling that it's because you're looking right down on top of the frets and your brain is used to interpretting non-parallel lines for perspective. When the bass is finished I'll endevour to take some photos from the playing position so you can see how natural it looks from the top.

[attachment=47446:SNC12539.JPG]

[sdgrsr400]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='808105' date='Apr 16 2010, 10:17 AM']Johnson, what you need is a [url="http://littleguitarworks.com/torzal-natural-twist/"]Torzal Twist[/url] not a fanned-fret bass.[/quote]
Very striking they are too:


Now, clearly what we need is an instrument with fanned-fret [u]and[/u] twisted neck...

[Mikey R]

[quote name='essexbasscat' post='807739' date='Apr 15 2010, 10:21 PM']are there any close up piccys of fanned frets about ?[/quote]

Sorry gents, Im a bit late to this party:

EDIT: EBC - this bass was at the SE bash last year, on Mertons stand. You must have walked past it like a million times!

Edited April 17, 2010 by Mikey R

[Lfalex v1.1]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='808105' date='Apr 16 2010, 10:17 AM']Johnson, what you need is a [url="http://littleguitarworks.com/torzal-natural-twist/"]Torzal Twist[/url] not a fanned-fret bass....[/quote]

Did anyone look at the prices! Ouch!
Yes, I know they're unique, etc. etc. But still an expensive investment in an instrument you may not like which could be nigh on impossible to re-sell.