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Like on this dread. Will those higher frets ever even be touched during the life of the guitar? And actually extending the FB in to the sound hole? Why so many frets on a guitar where they won't be used? Or am I missing their usefulness and everyone will be playing from the 17th to the 21st (21 frets?) on a vintage style Dred? Genuinely curious...

https://bourgeoisguitars.net/wp-content ... Mhg-15.jpg

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Thank You and Best To All

I play a song where I get up to the A on 17 on a steel string. That's as high as I go. I like to take my fretboards to the soundhole, which usually means 20 frets, just so the guitar looks right. I have seen players doing stuff on the upper frets with techniques that use harmonics.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

Does a longer FB effect the sound by dampening that area above the sound hole? Impossible to measure of course but I've read more interesting theories on sound effects from so many factors. Again, just curious...

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Thank You and Best To All

I don't know about you, but mine go to the soundhole to cover the joint in the rosette

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Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

The larger soundhole makes my fretboard look longer.

I believe that guitar was, at least in part, inspired by Clarence White's Martin #58957. The larger sound hole makes the fretboard look longer usual. On a standard style Martin, they are just long enough to cover the rosette seam.
https://www.fretboardjournal.com/featur ... rtin-d-28/

Yeah, 21 does seem excessive on that one. I usually do 19 or 20. Any more than that and the comfortable plucking area starts to feel cramped. Any less and I start to get range anxiety Although it's certainly fine if the 19th is a partial fret, and 18 really wouldn't be so bad since the 19th fret notes can still be played as harmonics.

I've seen a few guitars before that would bug the heck out of me, with something like 15 frets but a full length board, so there's a bunch of bare space at the end. I think it's supposed to look stylish or something, but I'd rather have the board shortened as well to open up more comfortable plucking space for tonal variety.

Forgot about that, but I think it looks goofy having the Fb extend in to the sound hole.

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Thank You and Best To All

Ya got me...

That's a good looking guitar but I've always hated FB's that go over the sound hole. It's obviously a personal opinion and taste but one could argue too that it effectively reduces the size of the sound hole. And of course that could be designed in too. It's just an aesthetic I don't like. A cutout would obviously make that more easy to play but classical guitarists still shun cutouts and play up there regularly.

I've heard some people argue that removing the frets and thinning the FB in that area improves tone. I've always wanted to try that.

I have big hands. I really hate fretboards that go over the sound hole.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

..and of course cantilevered fret boards for 'the tone' of course.

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Thank You and Best To All

And that's a mandolin, not a guitar...

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Peter Havriluk

When you look at the trouble Tony Rice took to get that old beat up Martin that formerly belonged to Clarence White you can understand why people would want a copy of it, and a boutique maker would accommodate them. Mr. Rice's fond memories meeting Mr. White and playing his guitar I'm sure figured into his desire to acquire it. It will probably eventually go to some collector who's only connection to it is money. Oh Well! - it's only a guitar.

I like the line created by extending it to 21 frets. If you look at it the pick guard makes a french curl-like curve straight to the 21st fret. I dig it.

I’d like to see someone take that fret space of the last 4-5 frets and do a nice matching inlay:)


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Why so long? To SHRED!!! In any case, those are all wimpy little finger boards. THIS is a long fingerboard:




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