Why,and for what purpose?
http://www.rondomusic.com/product3005.html
Why,and for what purpose?
http://www.rondomusic.com/product3005.html
"My flesh and my heart fail...but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
PS. 73:26
MY JAMS--
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...&content=music
That is...unusual.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Dunno, quite -- BUT I think the theory has got to be that the marginal cost of bringing yet another model/variation to market is so little that it really costs them nothing to cast a really, really wide net re: their product line. If they sell 1% more instruments, then it was probably worth it to offer that goofy fretless 12-string paul-esque.
Still though -- that's a helluva niche product there.
What's involved in making a fretless guitar, anyhow? Is it just a matter of leaving off the frets, or does the fretboard have to be surfaced/angled/radiused/whatever differently to prevent buzzing?
If it's mostly just a matter of leaving off the frets, then I could definitely see 'em saying "We're already making a 12-string LP copy...why not make a handful of fretless ones?"
Or maybe they just did it because a black LP with no frets or markers looks badass.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Maybe its for sitar players?
Ultra-freakin'-crackpot-nuts.
I'd like to try playing one.
I have enough trouble with 6 strings and 21 frets.
I converted a 6-string Godin to fretless for a client last year. I tried to talk him out of it, but he was sure that was what he wanted. After playing it for a bit, though, I was actually kind of taken with it -- you can do some really cool things with a fretless guitar. But a 12-string?
I agree with refin; Rondo has lost it.
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness".
-Dave Barry
Maybe they're trying to one-up Godin?
The existing headstock already has 12 holes in it. So maybe they weren't trying.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96lM9_hzSxU
Fretless stringed instruments are pretty common in Middle Eastern music, and when somebody does it well, it's pretty wild.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTzWfHF1NtI
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Okay, now I REALLY want to try one.
There is balance in the universe....
http://www.frettedviolins.com/acoustic.htm
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
I didn't even see that the first time! That might be some kinda risha, the sort of pick they use on a Middle Eastern instrument like an oud. Or he's using a pen like a risha. Notice he sometimes picks with the end of it.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
Looks like the idea comes from Robert Godin, from demand he got while in southern Italy from Oud players needing to be amplified:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UepwV...eature=related
He says it has become very popular in the countries that play the Oud.
I love my fretless bass for the tone and how it pushes you to be less rhythmic and more melodic, less technical and more expressive. It would be nice to see what a great guitarist could do with the same kind of feelings. Should be great for the blues.
There is some fretless playing by Ottmar Liebert on his CD "The Hours Between Night + Day". Great stuff.
Nah. That's what a slide is for.
I'd say it's likely the guy in the first Godin clip is a pretty fair guitarist.
In trying to find good examples on U-toob, it appeared that the worst fretless players were the ones who were trying to transplant their fretted playing onto the fretless guitar. There's some awful stuff out there.
"Well, I used to be disgusted, now I try to be amused..."
Elvis Costello
Yeah, looks like he plays some parts finger-style, then drops the end of the risha/pen/thing between his thumb and forefinger and uses it for the fast, tremelo-picked parts. Then he can use his pinky and ring finger to pivot it back out of the way when he's ready to play finger-style again.
I'd love to try a fretless guitar for a few minutes, but I think that's about all the time it would take to confirm that I couldn't get anything musical out of one.
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg
"My flesh and my heart fail...but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."
PS. 73:26
MY JAMS--
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/defa...&content=music
The advert states it has "Individually hand filed frets for professional feel and playability" could be air? frets
They're so perfectly hand-filed, it's like they're not even there!
"I haven't slept for ten days...because that would be too long." -- Mitch Hedberg