# Fanned Frets production Bass



## flo (Jan 24, 2010)

Hi Guys,
The German bassmaker LeFay has recently introduced a fivestring bass with fanned frets, the 
*Rob 344-66/llla*










B-string is 89,7 cm, G string 85 cm long. So that's about 35.3" on the low B and 33.5" on G.


Link:
Le Fay: ROB 344-66/llla


The bodyshape is not really my cup of tea, but he's got some really nice ones on his site, so maybe there will be other shapes soon. Besides, I love it that someone is picking up this feature on a normal fivestring bass, no ERB or anything extreme, and it makes a lot of sence in my opinion. The pickup by the way is not a pentabucker, it's three single coils built into a ramp.
So what do you think?
Cheers, Flo


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## Bevo (Jan 24, 2010)

It looks nice and love the fact that it is unique.

Have not tried the fanned fret guitars yet.


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## Ruins (Jan 24, 2010)

i am glad to see that this feature gets more in to the mass production guitars/basses 
but as bassist my self i don't see the need in this on stand scale bass. 
it is not like it is impossible to play chords on standard 5 string bass, it's just not the most 
clean and usable sound it sounds much better in the higher register any way.

in my opinion this feature makes sense only on 6 stringers, ERG and longer scales.
and perhaps for bassist with extremely short fingers


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## Cheesebuiscut (Jan 24, 2010)

Dingwall Guitars

Dingwalls been making production multiscale basses for a while now. Theres been a few hanging in this one shop I used to live near for a whileeeee.


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## SD83 (Jan 24, 2010)

wtf is a pentabucker? 
Well, the body shape might look better with another color/visible wood, but I don't like the look of it as it is.


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## flo (Jan 24, 2010)

SD83 said:


> wtf is a pentabucker?



Was just kidding (I's like single coil, humbucker, triplebucker (3 coils), quattrobucker (with four coils, like Ritter uses in his Jupiter model), and then something bigger would be a pentabucker, right?



Cheesebuiscut said:


> Dingwall Guitars
> 
> Dingwalls been making production multiscale basses for a while now. Theres been a few hanging in this one shop I used to live near for a whileeeee.


 

Nice, thanks for the hint


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## Ruins (Jan 24, 2010)

SD83 said:


> wtf is a pentabucker?
> Well, the body shape might look better with another color/visible wood, but I don't like the look of it as it is.


penta = 5 i guess
5 coils humbucker? donno just an assumption




:edit:
flo was faster than me


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## flo (Jan 24, 2010)

SD83 said:


> Well, the body shape might look better with another color/visible wood, but I don't like the look of it as it is.



Yep. But check the homepage, it looks promising


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## drmosh (Jan 24, 2010)

that would be awesome as a recording guitar


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## daemon barbeque (Jan 24, 2010)

Vielen Dank ! Ich werd mal anrufen und fragen ob die es auch fretless machen!


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## knuckle_head (Jan 24, 2010)

Novax held the fan patent for a long time - they offer a bass model too.

Fans are great for ergonomic reasons. There are other ways to get equal performance from string to string.

Most fanned fret basses are traditionally tuned.


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## Apophis (Jan 24, 2010)

I can tell that if there will be such need we are open for idea of making such semi-custom bass guitars, fanned frets of course in reasonable price


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 24, 2010)

Dingwall Guitars

Honestly, I really, really want to try a Dingwall Combustion. $1200 for a 34-37" fanned ash/alder bodied 5-string with Dingwall pickups and ergonomics! Yes please!

They're also available in a variety of finishes with maple or rosewood boards and optional pickguards.


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## Ruins (Jan 24, 2010)

Apophis said:


> I can tell that if there will be such need we are open for idea of making such semi-custom bass guitars, fanned frets of course in reasonable price


i would love to see that beast.


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## flo (Jan 25, 2010)

TemjinStrife said:


> Dingwall Guitars
> 
> Honestly, I really, really want to try a Dingwall Combustion. $1200 for a 34-37" fanned ash/alder bodied 5-string with Dingwall pickups and ergonomics! Yes please!
> 
> They're also available in a variety of finishes with maple or rosewood boards and optional pickguards.




Sweet


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## ElRay (Jan 25, 2010)

knuckle_head said:


> Novax held the fan patent for a long time



Novak never had a patent on Multi-scaled, aka compound-scaled, aka Splayed-Fret, aka Waterfall Fret, etc. guitars. There's way, way too much prior art to get that patent. What he had was a patent on one flawed method to lay-out the frets (which he never used) and an agressive business manger that basically extorted licensing fees from luthiers. What he actually taught to folks that paid the licensing fee was the parallel scale method.


Ray


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 25, 2010)

i gotta put those dingwall combustion basses on my list of possible future purchases... yummeh!


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## drmosh (Jan 25, 2010)

Apophis said:


> I can tell that if there will be such need we are open for idea of making such semi-custom bass guitars, fanned frets of course in reasonable price



I was actually going to ask you if you could make a 5 string fanned fret bass, something like 37"-34" on a similar basis as your current batch of fanned fret guitars


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## knuckle_head (Jan 25, 2010)

ElRay said:


> Novak never had a patent on Multi-scaled, aka compound-scaled, aka Splayed-Fret, aka Waterfall Fret, etc. guitars. There's way, way too much prior art to get that patent. What he had was a patent on one flawed method to lay-out the frets (which he never used) and an agressive business manger that basically extorted licensing fees from luthiers
> 
> Ray



Alright....



....he held A patent.


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