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Re: OT: Fretless Guitar



I defretted a cheap-ass fake telecaster I picked up at a yard sale by
pulling hard on the frets with a pair of pliers.  I filled the fret
holes with some dupont plastic wood compound that you can sand and
paint like wood once it dires.  I used the neck to build a cigar box
guitar, so I wasn't too concerned with things like precision or
tuning...

Sylvain

On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 9:43 AM, Dean, Hal <HDean@wcupa.edu> wrote:
> Chiming in briefly: I’ve defretted a Casio MG500 and an Ibanez bass. In 
>both
> cases I used wood filler for the slots; I like having the fret ghosts as 
>a
> guide to position. I finished the necks with several applications of
> polyurethane.
>
>
>
> The Casio is now a fretless MIDI guitar, quite fun. I have it tuned down 
>a
> whole step from standard tuning as it seemed to me that the defretting
> somewhat compromises the stiffness of the neck (you’ll see others talk 
>about
> this on Unfretted, as I recall). I have flatwound strings on it, which I
> like, but if you do the toothpicks and superglue job others have 
>described
> here, it seems unlikely you would really HAVE to use them.
>
>
>
> Kevin, your thought that defretting a guitar with a sustainer is a good
> project is spot on – I have a Vertigo with sustainer, from ebay, waiting 
>for
> the same treatment when I have the time and money. The sustainer will
> address, at least in theory, the issue of defretted instruments being
> sustain-challenged. Let us know how it turns out!
>
>
>
> Hal Dean
>
>
>
> On 4 March 2011 09:28, Per Boysen <perboysen@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 12:34 AM, Kevin Cheli-Colando
> <billowhead@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Korean Kramer Strat copy if that matters.  I've found the unfretted
>> site and it looks straightforward but I thought I might ask for any
>> tips any of you might have before I go ahead with this (didn't you
>> defret a guitar a while back Per?).
>
> Yes, Kevin. I actually have defretted two. The Telecaster works kind
> of ok but the other one had an old Schecter neck and I suffered from
> the typical issue with doing fret job on old instruments; parts of
> wood come off when you remove old frets. So this neck needs more work.
> Lots of great hints have been given in this thread already, so I have
> nothing to add. Just read up well on unfretted.com, that's where I
> found guidance when took the leap.
>
> On Fri, Mar 4, 2011 at 4:21 AM, doody <ringdangdoodled@gmail.com> wrote:
>> I got the plans to build a hurdy-gurdy...
>>
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZKQf-JIvRU
>
> Wow! That instrument is a complicated machine inside. You're looking
> at some seriously advanced project.
>
> Greetings from Sweden
>
> Per Boysen
> www.boysen.se
> www.perboysen.com
> www.looproom.com internet music hub
>
>