I get an email from Acoustic Guitar Daily and found the article today quite interesting. It deals with Multiple-Scale Fretboards.

February 11, 2010

Introduction to Multiple-Scale Fretboards

Fleishman Geisha GuitarIf you have been seeing guitars with what appear to be crooked frets at guitar shows or concerts lately, you’ve probably encountered an instrument with a multi-scale fretboard.

What Is a Multi-Scale Fretboard?
A multi-scale fretboard has one scale length for the lowest string and a different, usually shorter, scale for the highest string, resulting in a different scale for all the strings. Because having multiple scales also necessitates slanting and compensating the bridge and nut accordingly, this arrangement leads to a “fanning” of the frets. While a standard fretboard has all the frets installed in a 90-degree angle to the neck, the frets on a multi-scale fretboard will typically be angled so that the upper frets on the bass side face toward the bridge, while the lower frets are slanted toward the nut (on a guitar where the bass side’s scale is longer than the treble side’s scale).

Multi-Scale Advantages
There are several advantages to a multi-scale guitar, but perhaps the most significant is that it combines a long scale’s power in the bass range with a shorter scale’s sweetness and lack of twang. If you frequently play in dropped tunings, a multi-scale fretboard will give you tighter string tension in the bass strings without giving up the playability of a short scale in the trebles.

Who Is Playing Multi-Scale Instruments?
Classical guitarist Paul Galbraith and jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter are perhaps the most visible players of multi-scale guitars. Galbraith (whose eight-string guitar was made by David Rubio) appreciates that the multi-scale fretboard allows him to get very even low notes below the normal guitar range and a higher-tuned first string. “It is based on the design of the orpharion, so the bridge and the nut are at a slant,” he says. “The fact that no one string has the same length gives a certain balance which I have never felt with any other guitar.” Facilitating both the higher and lower pitch notes of his guitar, the multi-scale design has enabled Galbraith to perform works that might otherwise be unplayable.

Charlie Hunter, who has long played eight-string Ralph Novak guitars, and who has recently acquired seven- and eight-string instruments built by Jeff Traugott and Michael Greenfield, thinks of his instruments’ bass strings as those of a bass guitar (he even uses tape-wound strings on them), treating only the five treble strings like a normal guitar. It is difficult to imagine Hunter’s unique style without the multi-scale fretboard.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

That sounds very interesting. Thanx for posting that article Chet…. I’m gonna have to research this further as my interest is now peaked.

Cheers
Bill

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(80’s Hair Metal) = A snapshot in time before Grunge ruined Rock & Roll forever!!!!

If you find any other info on this please post it. I'm guite interested too!!

_________________
Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
Authorized WD Music Products Dealer
F/A Official Southpaw Compliance Certification Tester http://faamps.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cafeathers


I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

here is one

http://www.classical-guitars-plus.co.uk ... cal+Guitar

http://buildingtheergonomicguitar.com/2 ... chtop.html

looks kinda cool............still reasearching though

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(80’s Hair Metal) = A snapshot in time before Grunge ruined Rock & Roll forever!!!!

Reminds me of this ricky:

http://www.rickbeat.com/modelslibrary/481/481.htm