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Topic: Whatever happened to fretboards with third octave |
Richard Alderson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2018 6:42 am |
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I have a question regarding fretboards that show 3 octaves. I played lap steel before getting pedal steel, and all the lap steels I ever owned had 36 frets. My first pedal steel (Fender 400) also had 33 frets marked on the fret board, not quite all 3 octaves, but good enough; However I now have a more standard Emmons style fret board, and it only has 26 fret markers. I used to find the 3rd octave references useful for hitting and/or avoiding harmonics (overtones) and other little nuances, not for playing any notes way up there, but for hand placement of the right hand.
Does anybody know why third octaves have been generally dropped from modern pedal steel fretboards? Here's the post that got me thinking about this topic again today.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=325459
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Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500. |
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Jim Palenscar
From:
Oceanside, Calif, USA
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Posted 21 Jan 2018 8:17 am
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| Maybe because it's next to impossible to play in tune up there- w or w/o frets? |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Jan 2018 9:30 am
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I never thought about the 3rd octave frets being there for right hand placement for harmonics. That is a good point, especially if you do fingertip harmonics.
As with any type of production, the demand probably isn’t great enough and omitting it is a way to save a few bucks. |
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Charles Kurck
From:
Living in Arkansas but Heaven is home
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Posted 23 Jan 2018 5:46 am Hughey Land & Beyond
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The highest note on a 22-fret telecaster is D5 which is piano key 54 on a 88-key piano.
On steel I seldom ventured into Hughey land until I widened my fret board.
I soon found myself wondering why the markers stopped at fret 24.
This means the highest un-pedaled note on the E9th neck is G#6 which is number 72 on the piano.
If the fret board had 30 frets it would make our highest note D7 which is piano key 78.
Some say Jukebox Charlie started at fret 25.
I wish my steel had 30 frets. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 23 Jan 2018 11:36 am
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Why not just draw them on.
Use your ear and a tuner to get the placement right.
Use a thin tip marker and a ruler to get the line or dot right. |
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