Re : [tuning] 31tet guitar advice

Robert Valentine wrote:

> I'm almost-definately going to have Glen Peterson
> do a 31tet refret for my frankencaster.

Good choice.

> It seems that a tall and thin fretwire would be
> helpful. Does anyone have any tips about this, or any
> other micro-refret advice?
> How about the upper octave,
> will the frets be impossibly close together? Has anyone
> done an "every-other-fret", or switched temperments for
> the upper octave?

My classical Kohno guitar has been refretted into 24tet in Paris by Antoine
Pappalardo. His idea was to use mandolin frets, mainly for aesthetic
reasons. However the guitar last a considerable part of it's sustain after
the refretting. I suspect there is a relation between the form of the
fretwire and the way the string vibrates. For example the Indian sitar would
have very little sustain if it's bridge would not have it's special shape.
Mandolin frets are almost square, while normal guitar frets have a rounder
form. For electric guitar even exists the 'jumbo'-fret, round and very
large.

The other reason for the loss of sustain might be that the neck has last
part of it's flexibility, having twice as much frets.

I doubt if there is a real link between the shape of the fret and there
being close together. All the left hand fingers have to do is to establish a
contact between the fret and the string. There is no need at all to press
the string against the wood of the neck. Frets can be really tight if the
neck has a good regular action and if the strings are not set too low at the
bridge.

The 'number one' 31tet guitar, produced with primitive means by Adriaan
Fokker before or during WW II, has got steel strings, fixed on a
Martin-model guitar. Extremely tiny frets with square tops. Very little
sustain.

It may be useful to put markings on the side of the neck and not in between
the frets or by using he frets themselves. You'll probably have to watch
your fingers a lot. And that provokes a very bad angle for your playing
position.

--Wim Hoogewerf