# Fosse carbon Vina-Bass with movable frets



## ixlramp (Jan 15, 2012)

Fosse Vina-Bass (apparently 39" scale) in the inventory at Gruhn Guitars Gruhn Guitars Inventory - 1/14/2012

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2012 Ultra-Sitar prototype.


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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 15, 2012)

Interesting how it took so long for movable frets like this to be used on a "modern" instrument. 

I remember seeing Diaz and Checchucci made guitars with frets like that dating back to the 1500's and 1600's.


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## ixlramp (Jan 15, 2012)

'Vina'- Bass? 'Vina' probably refers to the large and slightly bizarre Rudra Vina, an ancient Indian instrument replaced by the much more advanced Surbahar (bass sitar). Frets are fixed but most pitches are reached through pressing or bending the strings.


Here's a very meditative alap. Indian classical music is, for me, the absolute mastery of pitch.


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## Hollowway (Jan 15, 2012)

ixlramp said:


>



I don't know what the hell is going on with that bed, floor, bare feet, baby changing station with a gun holster, and the look in that dude's eyes, but the whole picture is freaking me out. I'm gonna photoshop out the guitar and put a knife and sharpening stone in there and use it for my next album cover.


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## ixlramp (Jan 15, 2012)

HAHA! ... yeah i see what you mean.


Fosse electric Surbahar (bass sitar). Dude in action.


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## Explorer (Jan 16, 2012)

ixlramp said:


> Indian classical music is, for me, the absolute mastery of pitch.



I guess one would need that mastery to overcome how the frets go every which way like on that first pic. 






I didn't realize that what we considered a design flaw on some of those Roters was actually a sign of musical superiority....

(I'm joking, of course. I know that Indian music is alleged to be one of the most highly developed monophonic musics. Unfortunately, I'm clearly too much of a fan of chordal development and harmony to understand it.)


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## MaxOfMetal (Jan 16, 2012)

Explorer said:


> I guess one would need that mastery to overcome how the frets go every which way like on that first pic.
> 
> I didn't realize that what we considered a design flaw on some of those Roters was actually a sign of musical superiority....



The frets are not "installed" into the fretboard like a conventional guitar. They're actually "wrapped" around the neck, and thus can be re-positioned for microtonal playing.


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## Empryrean (Jan 16, 2012)

Reverse taper? Seems like an interesting idea, though I find it looks aesthetically strange to me.


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## jaretthale78 (Jan 16, 2012)

but will it blend..


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## ixlramp (Jan 16, 2012)

Empryrean said:


> Reverse taper? Seems like an interesting idea, though I find it looks aesthetically strange to me.


I think the Vina-Bass neck is parallel, but it may look slightly tapered in the photo due to camera angle. If the neck was tapered, sliding the frets would loosen or tighten the string that ties them on.

After some research it seems that sitar and surbahar have non-tapering necks, although they can look slightly tapered due to an illusion created by tapering decoration. Also we're so used to seeing tapering necks a straight neck can perhaps seem slightly reverse tapered.


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## MTech (Jan 16, 2012)

ixlramp said:


> HAHA! ... yeah i see what you mean.
> 
> Fosse electric Surbahar (bass sitar). Dude in action.


I wish they actually had a guy on there that knew how to really play so you'd get a better demonstration. It sounds okay in that video but still comes off like a Jerry Jones Electric Sitar instead of actually sounding authentic. Are they going to be at NAMM?


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