Single-scale vs. multi-scale

[Herman]

As much as I know, multi-scale fingerboards are more about intonation than about tone.

Listening to the clips I find it hard to tell if is better in tune.
But I'm no good judge, I like powerchords.
Herman

[Kevin in California]

Nice playing, nice song, but I can't tell any difference other than what one may expect from two separate guitars.

[John Link]

Herman,

You can get perfect intonation with a fully compensated saddle on a single scale instrument. Some, like Trevor Gore, add compensation at the nut too. I think but do not know that intonation is not necessarily guaranteed by the fan fret approach, that is, the diameter and tension on the core part of each string determines the ideal length to center the center harmonic over the 12th fret, according to how each varies. It might require a compensated saddle to adjust for those variables, just as it does in a single-scale instrument.

I am speculating about the fan fret approach.

[ken cierp]

I do not believe there is anything inherent in the design or application that would make it easier to adjust intonation on a fan fret instrument. It is still math and tempering -- put a wider saddle in a regular guitar and your tweaking worries are over. The longer higher tension bass strings, I would guess, should improve clarity a little. But do you really want to make it more difficult to fret/play those bottom three strings -- not me. A quick Google will harvest a ton of hits basically wondering if its worth the effort. And many simply stating it is not. I have to admit it looks pretty cool.

[John Link]

I went off line and realized I had used the phrase "perfect intonation" - I should have said "relatively perfect intonation" (if that actually makes any sense). As Ken mentions, intonation always involves tempering and there are many opinions about how to temper for the best sounding results. So perfect perfect is not agreed upon.

As far as what I can find about fan frets, it seems like they are especially suited for open tunings. Why, I am not so sure. They certainly have a Fred Carlson look about them that could lead to some wild variations elsewhere in the layout of the body and headstock. I would guess one could adjust the differential between the length of the bass and treble strings and thus reduce or increase the extent to which the approach modifies the standard fingerboard. Somewhere I once read that they feel more natural than they look.

I've seen a lot of guitars over the years, but never one of these. I suppose that should tell me something about the general interest in this design.

[John Parchem]

I had thought (I may be very wrong) that multi-scale avoids scale length compromises between the treble and bass strings. If you are tuning the instrument lower than E maybe even to a C it also helps to have a longer bass string at reasonable tension.

[John Link]

Here is George Lowden explaining fan fret design as he has experienced it.