Follow kiesel guitars on twitter, kiesel guitars on youtube, follow kiesel. Keep the low frets relatively straight and put the most fanned parts near the higher frets. Nov 23, 2015 fanned frets address these issues in addition to making an instrument easier to play. True temperament frets explained simple squiggly frets guitar. This is more due to the increase of the string tension, rather than the physical dimension of the string. To understand the concept, we need only look at nonfretted stringed instruments. Fanned frets take almost no time to get used to, and switching back and forth from fan to parallel is a complete non issue. Slimline jazz 6string, multiscale, fanned fret novax guitars was officially founded in 1989 when ralph novak was awarded u. If youre concerned about the adjustment to playing fanned frets, it takes all of 5 minutes to get used to the neck, and thats only if youre stressing out about it.
But ive heard that only a fanned fret guitar sounds correct with 7. Further adventures in fretboard design premier guitar. Your guitar is not going to be in tune across all strings and frets, so we shoot for the best balance we can. Fannedfret innovations is dedicated to optimal performance. Dec 11, 2012 the only fanned fret basses ive played are dingwalls but i can tell you there absolutely is a difference. To say im proud is an understatement these basses are one of my best accomplishments to date and i cant thank the guys at chapman guitars enough for. External of the tonal benefits, fanned frets allow for easier wrist motion and can alleviate or prevent pain from repetitive motion injuries.
Fannedfret guitars have multiscale fingerboard because of offset frets. Question about fanned fretsmultiscale guitar ultimate guitar. The principle had already been used by some 16thcentury lute builders, but it was novak who pioneered the multiscale fretboard for modern electric. This article will explain how to add downloaded songs in the game. Ive had people play the guitar before they even noticed the frets, and then they said, oh, weird. The aries am6 multiscale fanned fret guitar takes its design cues from the popular kiesel a6 beveltop electric guitar. I love the look and the high quality build but the fanned frets just didnt do it for me.
Fannedfret innovations hardware and components are playertested and timeproven. The sound is spectacular and the intonation is the best ive ever playedim not a player that plays high up on the neck past 12th or 14th fret so the optical illusion for those frets doesnt bother me much, but it is there. George lowden started building guitars in the early 1970s in northern ireland. The 8string aries am8 multiscale fannedfret guitar takes its design cues from the popular kiesel a8 beveltop electric guitar.
With the proliferation of builders new to using the fanned fret concept, there is an information lag. Whilst fanned fret basses wont replace standard fretted basses entirely, theyve made enough of an impact to stay in the arsenal of bass players. Most people look at fanned frets and assume theyd have to relearn how to play. How to make a fanned fret guitar the art of lutherie. I have both fanned frets and staggered bridge pieces on a dingwall bass, and have played klein and other guitars with fanned frets. This is where the fanned fret multiscale type of guitar comes to the rescue. What i mean is that the scale on the first course is longer than the scale on the bottom course.
In the middle of the neck theyre in the middle of the fan and barely slanted at all so it. Feelwise besides the fanned frets themselves you definitely notice the evenness across. Fanned fret guitars are multiscale instruments designed with a real purpose. Fanned frets baritone guitar made of blue sitka spruce, sinker honduran mahogany, torrefied maple neck, southamerican rosewood fretboard and bridge. While the date is based on the issuance of the patent, the seeds for this disruptive technology and the fannedfret concept were sown. On more traditional parallel fret guitars, certain frets may fall out of tune, higher pitches may sound brittle, and lower notes may sound floppy. Adding your own, downloaded, or guitar hero songs can make your game more interesting and enjoyable. The fanned frets arent really better for ergonomics, theyre different. Danl terry is a nationally awardwinning artistdesigner. It turns the ambitious rock star fantasy we all have up to eleven, allowing you to rock out with nothing more than your humble keyboard. It features our new fretting system allowing for tremolos and any pickup combination to be used without compromise on a multiscale guitar.
A guitar like this is something i would aim for if i were to build or buy a fanned fret guitar. On most guitars, for most players, you wont be using the lowest pitched strings very high up on the neck. Fanned fret tremolo prototype strandberg guitarworks. The genesis is the ormsby approach to the classic doublecut super shredder with the edge required for the 21st century. A fret is a raised element on the neck of a stringed instrument. Jazz guitarist charlie hunter played a novax 8string for many years. Ive been playing a dingwall prima v string fanned fret bass since 2000.
The first section is dedicated to making these sometimes confusing concepts. There is one thing most people notice straight away when playing a multiscale. Guitar hero songs also check out this section of the same site for songs you wont have in any version of guitar hero. Also intonation isnt just about the 12th fret, its all the frets from 124. While some things will be better some things will be worse, like chords or hitting octaves in the low register. We serve the multiscale fanned fret builder and player. Ralph novaks fannedfret concept evolved from a desire to produce an instrument with balanced tone and string tension. Cutting a fannedfret fretboard heres a simple method for accurately slotting a fannedfret fretboard using standard fretting templates. Fanned fret innovations hardware and components are playertested and timeproven. Frets on fire is a guitar hero style game much like the original it includes. Since that time he has gone on to produce some of the most revered acoustic guitars in the world, played by the biggest innovators and stylists in the acoustic. Nov 07, 2019 tired of playing the same songs in frets on fire. The most typical use is one long scale length for the low string and a different, usually shorter, scale for the highest string. Read that guide to properly understand the benefits of fanned frets and how it impacts playability.
Feel free to ask for new songs in the feature requests. Since the op hasnt listed a budget and is thinking of fanned frets for ergonomics i would highly suggest looking into a torzal twist. According to wikipedia it first appeared on the 16th century orpharion, a variant of the cittern, as well as the bandora which is a late 16th century instrument with a longer string length for its bass strings. Ralph novaks fanned fret concept evolved from a desire to produce an instrument with balanced tone and string tension. Fanned fret nylon string guitar pictures tom bills. Discussion in basses bg started by a e i o u, oct 11, 2004. This means that each string has its own scale, which can provide superior tone from the biggest and smallest strings, but it is much more difficult to make, and may require different play than standard uniscale parallel frets. Frets on fire portable works best with the platform. If you look at old citterns from the middle ages you will find that several had fanned frets. Cutting a fanned fret fretboard heres a simple method for accurately slotting a fanned fret fretboard using standard fretting templates. Beginning with a solid grasp on the fundamentals of scale length and other factors involved in the fanned fret system is key to developing a successful fanned fret guitar.
If youve ever put a larger set of strings on your guitar, youll notice the tone was a little fatter. It has an alder body with a maple bolton neck, aggressive top bevel, a 24fret fingerboard, and can be dressed up with many available custom shop options. Having the higher frets fanned more made more sense. The fan fret nylon string is one of my favorite guitars that i have ever made. Fanned frets address these issues in addition to making an instrument easier to play. Chitarra baritona multiscala fanned frets baritone. Novax guitars produces innovative guitars and basses, handcrafted with the patented multiscale fanned fret concept. Saying fanned frets have better intonation isnt wrong or right, its a fanned fret with a longer scale length26. While holding the board like a guitar, you hold the string you want to play. It first appeared on the 16th century orpharion, a variant of the cittern, as well as the bandora which is a late 16th century instrument with a longer string length for its bass strings than for its trebles. If fanned frets sound interesting to you, we have a few examples we would like to share. The longer scale length is awesome even in standard tuningthe b string is an experience in itself, bordering on its own religion.
I tend to make a lot of tools, as some things just arent made right, but im happy with this superb dressing file. Been working frets for nearly 30 years, and this one is cleaner than any file ive used for this application. The 8string aries am8 multiscale fanned fret guitar takes its design cues from the popular kiesel a8 beveltop electric guitar. Fanned frets, staggered bridges, etc, all aim at improving that balance. Understanding fanned fret guitars the art of lutherie.
Abundant misinformation regarding the best applications for the concept and the range of scale lengths. We serve the multiscale fannedfret builder and player. Frets on fire portable edition is the frets on fire game packaged as a portable app, so you can take it with you on a usb drive, ipod, etc and use it on any computer. Fanned frets are not parallel to each other, but rather are slanted differing amounts, as are the bridge and nut. With the proliferation of builders new to using the fannedfret concept, there is an information lag. Sep 11, 2017 fanned fret guitars have multiscale fingerboard because of offset frets. Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on youtube. Mar 08, 2014 most people look at fanned frets and assume theyd have to relearn how to play. The basic idea of an led learning system is to light the way to guitar playing basics, by showing students where to put fretting fingers to form chords or play songs, and most importantly when. I look forward to finding more great tools with you guys. I too was curious about fanned frets and finally got to test a beautiful dingwall.
If we use a fanned fret system, we can specifically choose a different scale for each string that perfectly suits our needs and allows us to incorporate all of the necessary criteria we have without compromising on any of the strings. Fan frets also fanned frets, slanted frets, or multiscale. The only fannedfret basses ive played are dingwalls but i can tell you there absolutely is a difference. Fanned fret innovations is dedicated to optimal performance.
Fanned frets, fanned fret system tech article page from ed. Nonetheless, the perception people have and cost of manufacturing changes are enough to keep us from ever seeing a massproduced variable scale length strat or les paul. A multiscale fingerboard or fretboard is typically based on two scale lengths, but could potentially incorporate more. The novax multiscale concept has been gaining popularity worldwide among players of diverse musical styles. It has an alder body with a maple bolton neck, aggressive top bevel, a 24 fret. Novax guitars produces innovative guitars and basses, handcrafted with the patented multiscale fannedfret concept. Apr 10, 2017 if fanned frets sound interesting to you, we have a few examples we would like to share. Free song downloads for frets on fire, synchronized by daniel schmidt. The technique of fanned frets has also been applied to the conventional 6string guitar and the conventional 4, 5 and 6string bass guitar. His art has been exhibited in national juried shows and museums, on the covers of books and magazines, and in feature films, most recently in the soon to be released god thinks youre a loser. The aries am6 multiscale fannedfret guitar takes its design cues from the popular kiesel a6 beveltop electric guitar. Fanned fret tremolo prototype people have been asking for a fanned fret tremolo for years, and i have spent many cycles designing the ultimate modular tremolo, which will scale just like the regular hardware and can be used for any number of strings, and scale length relationship, etc.
Consider the piano and the harp dulcimer and you immediately notice the bass strings are always longer than the treble strings. As i touched on above, the raw specs of this instrument are perfect. The ergonomic advantage, tonal balance, and modern aesthetic that the fan fret concept brings is truly inspiring. I made two saw guides out of 12 aluminum angle stock, slotting one edge of each on my table saw to the two different scales, using my usual stewmac blade and templates. The first section is dedicated to making these sometimes confusing concepts easy to understand on a practical level.
This means that the frets are not parallel, but given the position of the hand, it replicates the change in angle of the hand as it spans the frets. Hi, im thinking about ordering my first 7 string guitar. Just fooling around with my acoustic guitar a hand built sanden vrb fanned fret tuned in open c, i. All it takes is five minutes noodling around on one to realize this is not the case. After we spoke i actually took it home to play in my music room. So the addition of the fan fret version gives us exactly that. Vik guitars fanned frets with custom made vik pickups 7 strings are tuned to gcgcfad siggi braun. Jun 19, 2015 download frets on fire song packs for free. The theory here is that the lowest strings and the lowest notes make a stronger, fuller sound by giving them extra vibrating length, and the upper strings get a brighter, clearer sound by giving them a. This multiscale arrangement applied to a fretted instrument has become known today as fanned frets or simply fan frets. What are the benefits of guitars with fanned frets. The 7string aries am7 multiscale fannedfret guitar takes its design cues from the.