NUD: Gretsch Roots Collection fan fret tenor

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tonyturley

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Picked up my new uke this afternoon. As advertised, it appears to be a Gretsch concept prototype, with different scales on each string. There's a Gretsch Roots Collection label in the sound hole, but no model number or serial number. It has re-entrant strings, something milky white and somewhat shimmery. Nylgut? I am definitely swapping out the high G for a Low G.

The body is solid Mahogany all around. Neck and frets are smooth, but the nut will need a little attention when I eventually change strings. No side dots or fret markers, which I will have to remedy, at least with side dots. No endpin or electronics. It has a nice low action with no buzzing anywhere. I am gonna enjoy this one.

DSCF8053.jpgDSCF8054.jpgDSCF8055.jpg
 
That’s some lovely mahogany. I have seen the fan fret idea before. I am interested in what you think of the concept once you have taken it around the block a few times.
 
Please excuse my extreme ignorance but what IS a fan fret??? (And the uke looks very nice!)
 
Wow where did you find that. I have the regular production model of this and it came with nylguts. I changed for a red low G and that worked well for about five years now. It's also the solid wood version 9120SM but I haven't figured out the specific type of wood. Has a funny reddish stain.
 
Very nice. I've heard that this configuration gives spot on intonation. It might be tricky for me to learn to put my fretting fingers in the right places at first.
 
LimousinLil said:
Please excuse my extreme ignorance but what IS a fan fret??? (And the uke looks very nice!)
Click to expand...
It is my understanding the uke has a different scale length on each string, getting progressively shorter from G to A.

merlin666 said:
Wow where did you find that. I have the regular production model of this and it came with nylguts. I changed for a red low G and that worked well for about five years now. It's also the solid wood version 9120SM but I haven't figured out the specific type of wood. Has a funny reddish stain.
Click to expand...
A music store in AZ listed it on eBay. They said they were a few miles from the factory, and that it wasn't unusual for one-offs from the factory to make it out into the wild.

It will take some getting used to the unusual configuration, but it has a nice tone to it. I know what I'll be doing after dinner.
 
Wow! That is really different.

I think it would knock my whole sense of visual perspective askew. (Sorry, couldn't resist.) Especially after a couple of drinks!

Can't wait to find out how quickly you adapt to it. How much your muscle memory resists odd finger placements. Since it isn't too hard to adapt to different sized instruments, it probably won't be too difficult.

Have fun with it.
 
My understanding is that the name derives from the frets fanning out along the neck. Along with the saddle/bridge. Much like the wooden sicks in a Japanese fan do when you open one. Or your hand when you spread your fingers.

I have no idea about how the strings/tuning/fret distances/compensation or the underlying principles involved in making it work.
 
I found one take on fan fret instruments, but the forum software rejected the link. If anyone is interested, go to stringjoy.com slash fanned-fret-and-multi-scale-guitars-explained
 
Not an optical illusion, folks, although it certainly plays tricks on my fingers. The nut was sticking out a bit on either side, and the front of the nut was rather square, so I removed the nylguts, taped off the neck, and filed the nut flush with the neck on either side, as well as rounding off the front lip of the nut. Finished it off by polishing the nut with fine sandpaper to remove the file marks. Cleaned the neck and fretboard and wiped the Rosewood down with fretboard conditioner, then installed Fremont Blackline Low G strings. Tuned it up, stretching the strings out several times as I did so, then tried to play. Yuck! The strings went flat within seconds. Tried several times to retune, but the new strings just go flat faster than any string I've seen. I'll let it sit overnight and try again tomorrow.
 
I had the same experience with the Fremont Black Line tenor strings on a Martin 1T IZ. They are very stretchy. Great if you play slack string. Gentle on the fingers though.

Took a week for them to settle down for me.

Tonyturley, thanks for the link to the information about fan frets. I didn't know it was originally to let a guitar's low strings sound more like a bass guitar whilst keeping the playability of the higher strings.

Looks like an optical delusion... :rolleyes:
 
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