eclipse666 Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Why is the Fretless Wonder called that name? Doesn't it have frets? I think the guitar also goes by the name Black Beauty.... I can understand that because it is black and looks sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 If I remember correctly, it's because the fretwire they used was so soft it would wear down very quickly. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 (edited) The frets on the Black Beauty/ Fretless Wonder were lower with less crown and IINM substantially wider than the frets on the pre-'54 goldtops. That, combined with the ebony fretboard, made the neck feel much different to previous LPs, hence the moniker. Edited April 23, 2005 by lovekraft Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 That must've been it, then. The fretwire wasn't softer, just lower to begin with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted April 23, 2005 Report Share Posted April 23, 2005 Yup, that's it - at the time, it was considered an innovation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GarageRocker Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Not just lower. They were almost flattopped. Look at the first three pics here for a good example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 You sure those weren't just worn down? I can't imagine Gibson would install flat-topped frets and expect it to play properly. Properly crowning a fret is a baseline standard for fret installation. The pic comes from a page about replacing frets, so it's reasonable to assume that these were at the point at which they were worn down. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Nope, it's for real. Here's an explanation by the guy doing that refret. By the way, in this month's Vintage Guitar magazine Dan Erlewine refrets a bound Gibson neck and shows how to save the raised nibs at the fret ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guitar_ed Posted April 24, 2005 Report Share Posted April 24, 2005 Not only did they make a LP with those frets, but they made an acoustic too. I have a chance to buy one for $300. Needs some work, nothing major. I will probably do it after my other projects this year. Guitar Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepultura999 Posted April 25, 2005 Report Share Posted April 25, 2005 my 70s beatup gibson hummingbird with a martin top (long story, pm me if you want it lol) has those kind of frets. it plays fine to me and i love the sound out of this baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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