Playing in the space above the 24th fret

[Mike Neer]

Most people will really never to play melodies up above the 24th fret, but if you are using artificial harmonics you might play. Pitch accuracy is difficult and can become a guessing game without frets. Nothing sounds worse than notes way up the neck out of tune.

So I have a few pieces of music I’ve arranged where there is playing up there, and since the guitars have blank real estate about the frets, I set up to make some markers. I ended up using foil paper that I thought I might be able to cut into the same shapes as the markers on my fretboard, alas my knife and scissor skills are not amazing.

Also, I added an opal to the headstock under the strings. Its opalescence reminds of how when I was a teen I dreamed of owning a guitar that had paint with iridescence like an opal. If I catch it in the light the right way, it catches my eye when I’m playing. Probably not a great idea!

Also, I replaced the bottom portion of the concentric knob that I have. The outside knob is volume and I hadn't been able to do violining with the old knob and found a set of large concentric knobs online and I love the way it's working out.

[David DeLoach]

Cool Mike!

As with all things, practice makes perfect. If you want to play notes in pitch above the 24th fret, you've got to spend time up there in those high registers. If a classical violinist can nail the intonation on the highest registers of a violin using muscle memory & ears with no visual markers/guides, we can too - if we just practice those high notes enough.