Fretless guitars

[Artist]

After playing around on the cello and my friends awesome custom 5 string fretless bass, I've gotten interested in getting a fretless guitar.

I have an old S270 with a blocked trem. I was wondering what it would take to turn this into a fretless (say filling the fret slots with some either type of wood, turning them into fret markers). I'd then probably replace the trem with a better fixed bridge and change the pups.

Or are there any companies that make fretless guitars, in the mass produced level of quality and price, not looking for an expensive custom here.

[The Euphor]

www.vigierguitars.com makes the Surfretter model, which is a fretless guitar. Fernandes also makes fretless guitars. And probably a few more makes not too expensive.

[pawel]

Godin Glissenstar - 11 string fretless thinline acoustic-electric

[sniperfrommars1]

I would say leave the tremolo blocked and fill in the fret material with wood blanks or sand flush, and lower the nut? Would that work? Anyone else care to chime in?

[Artist]

Yeah I was thinking that I'd be able to get ultra low action.

Although reading through a few websites there are reports of huge sustain loss on the top string(s).
Fernandes got round this by using a sustainer. But vigier guitars use special materials. I think I'll check them out.

Does anyone (our french users perhaps) know how much one would cost in france? It might be easier for me to take the eurostar across than to get one here.

[The Euphor]

A local shop placed a special order for a flametop Surfretter. It was very nice, and sold at below £1200. And the Delta Metal fingerboard works really well. Gary Moore and Bumblefoot both have used Vigier Surfretters.

[sniperfrommars1]

With a fretless I would suggest either modifying a cheap guitar first or buy a beater neck on ebay and modify that. I would imagine a fretless isnt an easy sell. They can be difficult for some people to play on. Although if your sure you like it, go for it anyways.

[darren wilson]

Fill the fret slots with maple veneer and then apply epoxy resin to the fretboard and sand it smooth. (This is what Jaco Pastorius did to his Jazz Bass for that famous tone.) The key to getting a good fretless sound is to have the action really low, so you get that "buzz" happening, which turns into that awesome growl when amplified.

[frankfalbo]

I'm not sure about the low action. Bowed instruments have high action, and I realize its because of the bow pressure and the increased size of the vibration, but I would think especially on the small strings you'd need it high enough not to choke the vibration. Really you need all the help you can get on the high strings. G&L makes fretless guitars, too. Maybe with the currency exchange they'd be your best value. The guitars are fantastic. I've never been a fan of the sustainer, but on a fretless guitar it seems like it would be a perfect match. As for materials, just make sure it's really hard. It has to withstand the abuse, but also the harder material will produce a clearer tone.

I have some cocobolo fretboard blanks here. I've been wanting to do one. Maybe the sustainer idea is enough to make me get off my rear. Although I'd probably have to slot the boards for fret markers anyway. I can play a blank fretless bass, and a guitar with no inlays, but trying to do 2 or 3 note chords on a fretless guitar with no markers could be tough. Now it's starting to sound hard again. I was excited there for a minute, but now I can feel the procrastination creeping back in.

[Tsorovan]

Stainless steel fretboard. Go for it. Let me know how it turns out, I'm planning on doing the same with my old beat-up Aria Pro II.

Thick glass could be interesting too, if you can get that stuff epoxied on, but requires a bit more work than stainless steel. I remember reading about someone using a stainless steel ruler and affixing it as a fretboard. Was it Ron Thal? Or Fiuzcynski? My memory fails me yet again.

[pawel]

Well, I'm reviving this thread from the dead, but as it is I just got myself a fretless fankenmonsterstratmaster and am retiring the fretted axe for a few weeks to learn to play the thing.

Anyone else play a fretless?

Btw, this is a good resource for all things fretless.

[Dee]

Hehe. I took all the frets out of my old RG550 Road Flare and tried to make it fretless. I feel pretty stupid for doing that. But it seemed like a good idea at the time...

That was back in 1990. I still like the idea of a fretless guitar.

[pawel]

Yeah, they're very cool, though I wouldn't do defret jobs on nice guitars - I wanted one ever since playing some Godins. If I learn how to play it, I'll start saving for a Surfreter.

[jim777]

Good luck with that Pawel, it sounds like fun!

[dex]

Haydn (monkeyboy) has a Kramer that he got de-freted for £30 and a bunch of us had a go last year when we met for a jam.
Here's some pictures of the jam

Forget about playing chords on a fretless guitar, melodies is all you get and also Haydn's Kramer has a sustainer in it so it was quite easy to play but quite tricky to play anything in tune.

Some people had more of a go on it than me, I was more intrigued by the Variax700 into PodXT Live..... (also Haydn's)...

Hopefuly Haydn will see this and will chime in with some info.
Here's a picture of Simon (cerealk).. playing mean slide guitar.... without a slide.

ilia