We now have a new kind of fretboard with gently flattened stainless steel Rails.

The 90 degree pointed tips of these innovative frets (patent number 6 369 306) are planed to a very straight and even playing surface with very little material removed. The points are then very slightly rounded in the polishing process. As a result, several advantages are attained to a degree never before experienced in stringed instrument manufacture.

1. FEEL: The moderate 45 degree slopes of these pointed frets provide sufficient sliding action for glissing and "trilling" across frets. At the same time, the well defined fet tops provide a more exact sensation of fret center to the fingers, lending an overall feel of precision to the fretboard.

2. PITCH: These frets are fun to play on, and seem to afford more space for the fingers. They also make it easier to play without looking. They are now part of our instrument production and can be special ordered.

3. ACTION: Because the pointed tips don't flatten much in the process of sanding and filing an even plane along the fret tops, the playing surface can be made very straight and the playing action set extremely low. With low tapping action comes all the other advantages that Stick players and tappers like - speed, expression, expanded volume dynamics (starting from a very light touch), ease of playing (fluency) and a fuller tone.

4. WEAR: Stainless steel is not worn down by guitar and bass guitar strings, even after years of bending and vibratos. In normal guitar craft, the softer German silver fret alloy precludes any innovation in the direction of pointed frets, as deep notches and irregularities would quickly be worn in. You may ask, why is soft metal used in guitar fretboards? It allows the frets to be hammered or punched into their slots without rocking up and down from one end to the other. They lay into place. Our Fret Rods™ and Rails™ slide into their grooves from the the side of the board.

5. SEATING: Seen from the sides of the fingerboard, these square stock stainless steel Rails are diamond shaped with the bottom most corner of the square machined a bit flat. The resulting five-sided structure can be seated in shallower fingerboard grooves so as not to compromise neck strength. The two outer corners (as seen from the sides) are submerged beneath the wooden fingerboard surface and provide strong anchoring against upward pressure. Unlike regular guitar frets, once these frets are dressed they won't rise or move around.

Closeup of Rails
(click any image for slideshow)