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  1. #1
    The rehab years
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    Default playing fretless?

    I'm thinking of converting one of my electric guitars to a fretless, I've heard some awesome eastern sounding things with one, has anyone got/ tried a fretless?

    C
    Quote Originally Posted by Lixarto View Post
    I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said "The only thing better than buying a Telecaster is buying two Telecasters".

  2. #2
    Rock royalty
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    or just buy a slide?

    Given the difficulty of playing complex chords (or even simple ones) in tune on a fretless then the note choices available, it seems to me ( although I'm an idiot - that's quite well known), seem to be about the same as someone using a slide. The use of which can also produce awesome sounding eastern things. And you don't have to damage a guitar.

    okay, not exactly the same but unless you are going to devote the next 5 years to learning fretless technique then there probably isn't much point - and if you were going to do that you would have ripped the frets out already and wouldn't be posting the question on here!





    PS I have a cold and have had too much caffeine so any crown court judge would not hold me responsible for my posts today.
    Breeding mammals with insects is my personal bugbear.

  3. #3
    The rehab years
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    Default

    take the frets out and replace them with plastic card from a hobby shop , glue , leave to dry and sand down , works a treat

  4. #4
    Cockroaches & Keith Richards
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    I ripped the frets off an old tele copy - it's great fun for a while, fretting and chords are pretty much as they've always been, but you'll need a sustainer pickup to really make it fun.
    mucus ardour urban mr men turnip!

  5. #5
    The rehab years
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    yeah seems pretty easy to convert.

    Oh & Erictheweary, it's hard doing fast runs with a slide But I'm up for giving a good years focus into fretless playing, I love the sound. I don't think it's meant for chord work but It would really expand my lead repertoire
    Quote Originally Posted by Lixarto View Post
    I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said "The only thing better than buying a Telecaster is buying two Telecasters".

  6. #6
    The comeback tour
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    Quote Originally Posted by casperh7 View Post
    I've heard some awesome eastern sounding things
    Quote Originally Posted by erictheweary View Post
    or just buy a slide?
    Indeed, that Derek Trucks bloke does some amazing eastern stuff with his SG and a bottleneck. I can't access it here but there's some great clips on youtube...

  7. #7
    Cockroaches & Keith Richards
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    Quote Originally Posted by IanCorps View Post
    take the frets out and replace them with plastic card from a hobby shop , glue , leave to dry and sand down , works a treat
    just take them out, the holes aren't that big a deal anyway
    mucus ardour urban mr men turnip!

  8. #8
    The rehab years
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    Quote Originally Posted by Not_the_DJ View Post
    Indeed, that Derek Trucks bloke does some amazing eastern stuff with his SG and a bottleneck. I can't access it here but there's some great clips on youtube...
    yeah I've seen him play, very good indeed. I think the big advantage of fretless v bottleneck is the hammerons and pulloffs
    Quote Originally Posted by Lixarto View Post
    I believe it was Oscar Wilde who said "The only thing better than buying a Telecaster is buying two Telecasters".

  9. #9
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    After the defret - coat the board in boat decking treatment or similar.

    Sand it and smooth it etc. Gives a rock hard surface for much better contact. Vigier's fretless guitars use a metal alloy board for that reason.
    The Reverend Lord Henry was not one of those new-fangled parsons who carry the principles of their vocation uncomfortably into private life.

  10. #10
    Rock royalty
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    Rustins Plastic Coating!

    isn't that the classic thing for fretless conversions?
    Breeding mammals with insects is my personal bugbear.

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