NOVAX
Marc R. Mercer
one-of-a-kind fanned fret design seems so strange, I imagine a player
would have to alter their fingering somewhat to accomodate the spacing.
I notice (from photographs) that the upper reaches of his necks have
only marginal fret slant toward the pickups, whereas the first five or
so frets are pronouncedly slanted toward the headstock. You'd think that
any first-position chords fingered with the hand in the traditional
position would result in some dead spots. Central Colorado isn't a
hotbed for state-of-the-art instuments, and I don't know if there is a
Novax in the state (maybe Denver), but somebody's had to have had an
opportunity to check one of these out. From what I've been able to
glean, they aren't the MOST expensive axes around (starting at around
$2500 - up?), but they do seem to be rare. I'll make a couple of
uneducated assumptions:
Their rarity (in shops, anyway) is due to the fact that Mr. Novak builds
each instrument himself, and therefore produces low output(?)
The fanned fret design must be patented, because I've never seen or
heard of any other builder doing this (?)
Anybody enlighten me?
James Andrews
: Does anybody in this forum own one of Ralph Novak's guitars? His
Heh... check out Charlie Hunter's Novax bass/guitar combo--eight strings,
three are bass and five are guitar, separate pickups & outputs for the two
sides... weird.
: one-of-a-kind fanned fret design seems so strange, I imagine a player
: would have to alter their fingering somewhat to accomodate the spacing.
From what I've heard, they're surprisingly easy to get used to,
considering how odd they look. But I've never played one.
: I notice (from photographs) that the upper reaches of his necks have
: only marginal fret slant toward the pickups, whereas the first five or
: so frets are pronouncedly slanted toward the headstock.
That's a perception issue. Relatively, they all slant the same
amount--it's just different scale lengths lined up next to each other.
At the 12th fret, they'll be equal, but at either end of the scale
they're going to slant more. As the frets get closer together higher up,
the slantiness will appear to lessen, but the ratio of slanting will be
the same... does that make any sense? Basically it's just that the frets
are closer together up at the top.
: Their rarity (in shops, anyway) is due to the fact that Mr. Novak builds
: each instrument himself, and therefore produces low output(?)
He's definitely low output.
: The fanned fret design must be patented, because I've never seen or
: heard of any other builder doing this (?)
: Anybody enlighten me?
Sheldon Dingwall, up in Canada somewhere, makes fanned-fret designs, as
do a couple others. His site is at www.cyancorp.com/dingwall/main.html.
I've seen the design used more in basses than guitars, but the concept is
sound for either from what I can tell.
Jas.
-------------------------
James Andrews
Philadelphia, PA
Remove the XX
Marc R. Mercer
> Heh... check out Charlie Hunter's Novax bass/guitar combo--eight strings,
> three are bass and five are guitar, separate pickups & outputs for the two
> sides... weird.
Oh, man - The dude's amazing. A college radio station turned me on to
him, so I looked around and picked up Return of the Candyman. I couldn't
figure out why the bass player wasn't given any credit on the CD - did
some checking around, and was blown away to discover his unique
approach! I hadn't been so impressed by sheer musical
ability/inventiveness since I first heard Stanley Jordan.
> : I notice (from photographs) that the upper reaches of his necks have
> : only marginal fret slant toward the pickups, whereas the first five
> : or so frets are pronouncedly slanted toward the headstock.
>
> That's a perception issue. Relatively, they all slant the same
> amount--it's just different scale lengths lined up next to each other.
> At the 12th fret, they'll be equal, but at either end of the scale
> they're going to slant more. As the frets get closer together higher
> up, the slantiness will appear to lessen, but the ratio of slanting
> will be the same... does that make any sense?
Gotcha.
> Sheldon Dingwall, up in Canada somewhere, makes fanned-fret designs,
> as do a couple others. His site is at
> www.cyancorp.com/dingwall/main.html.
I'll check it out; thanx for the info!
Lutegirl
>heard of any other builder doing this (?)
>Anybody enlighten me?
Fanned frets have been around since and before the sixteenth century,to patent
them now would make as much sense as someone going out and saying they just
invented the wheel,and trying to get a patent for it.
Andrea
Marc R. Mercer
> Fanned frets have been around since and before the sixteenth century,to patent
> them now would make as much sense as someone going out and saying they just
> invented the wheel,and trying to get a patent for it.
> Andrea
Well, I was asking (and hoping) for some enlightenment, not an
unsupported blanket statement. You didn't offer any cites, evidence or
factual data for your claim, but John Crecelius of Colorado Springs did
respond and provided me with a March 1998 copy of Vintage Guitar
Magazine, which has a Dean Farley interview of Ralph Novak beginning on
page 108. I have the issue before me now, so I will provide some
snippets and direct quotes from the interview, "Ralph Novak - Philosophy
of the Luthier."
Excerpt: "As a guitarist with a complete understanding of the vintage
instruments he worked on, Novak wasn't completely comfortable with what
any one instrument was capable of delivering. He wanted to combine all
the features of his old favorites while adding design twists that would
give him everything he was looking for in an electric guitar. This led
to the invention of his patented fanned-fret fingerboard, which gives an
instrument combined scale lengths."
Caption underneath a photo of Ralph Novak displaying a Martin acoustic:
"A Martin D-28 the company sent to Novak for study and possible
implementation of the fan fret system and custom bridge. The concept was
ultimately deemed too radical."
VG excerpt: "You are known for several things - unique
combinations/laminates of wood in the construction of your guitars, and
your Novax Fanned-Fret Fingerboard system."
Ralph Novak quotes: "The fanned-fret idea actually started out from a
very simple and very selfish notion.....I realized scale length was the
answer and started to come up with ways of combining the scale lengths
such that I could still bend notes. Rather than having discontinuous
frets, I wanted the fret to continue all of the way across so you
couldn't fall off the end of the fret when you were note-bending, so the
fanned-fret system kind of arose from that very selfish idea of wanting
a guitar that did what no other guitar did!....It was something I never
envisioned would have any commercial value. I wasn't looking at it in
that way, it was just something I wanted that I knew couldn't be
achieved in any other way and I set about to make it for myself."
As far as permitting others to use his patented technology, Mr. Novak
acknowledges builders Steve Klein and Sheldon Dingwall, and goes on to
say "...R&D is always happening here, something that doesn't always show
until it's done because I might be getting a patent on it and I have to
be sure it works right."
My thanks to J. Crecelius for providing published information and
insight on Ralph Novak. Vintage Guitar Magazine also has a web site at
http://WWW.VINTAGEGUITAR.COM
James Andrews
: acknowledges builders Steve Klein and Sheldon Dingwall, and goes on to
: say "...R&D is always happening here, something that doesn't always show
: until it's done because I might be getting a patent on it and I have to
: be sure it works right."
I think that what Andrea was saying is that he couldn't patent the
concept of fanned frets. He could (and apparently has) easily patent his
whole system for making it work, e.g. the bridge design, the nut design, etc.
Darren
>As far as permitting others to use his patented technology, Mr. Novak
>acknowledges builders Steve Klein and Sheldon Dingwall, and goes on to
>say "...R&D is always happening here, something that doesn't always show
>until it's done because I might be getting a patent on it and I have to
>be sure it works right."
>My thanks to J. Crecelius for providing published information and
>insight on Ralph Novak. Vintage Guitar Magazine also has a web site at
>http://WWW.VINTAGEGUITAR.COM
People into this thread may also want to check out:
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/FieldTrips/JeffTraugott/traugott1.html
--
Darren
Lutegirl
>acknowledges builders Steve Klein and Sheldon Dingwall, and goes on to
>say "...R&D is always happening here,
The 16th century luthier John Rose was creditied with the concept 400 years
earlier.He could have checked through the Galpin Society for the history.
It is my opinion that the fanned frets concept is in the public domain.
No one needs Mr.Novak's permission or blessing to incorporate fanned frets into
thier instruments.
Mr.Novak may honestly beleive that he invented fanned frets,but at the time of
his being granted a patent,not enough research or resources may have been
available to him or the patent searcher who was hired.
Darren
Andrea, I understand your feelings here. On a related note, how do you
feel about Buzz Feiten & the 'system' that he successfully patented ?
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
Greg Martin
and on a guitar you get les paul/strat tones no problem.
I bought a multiscaled finger board from him for the 8 string I made as
a gift for my son.Ralph was very helpful on this project and and
encourged me to step into the unknown.After 1 1/2 years I finally got it
done and its amazing.If you can use both sides of your brain at the same
time when you play both bass and guitar then one of his 8 strings is for
you.Its wierd but not really.
James Andrews wrote:
>
> Marc R. Mercer (mmer...@ford.com) wrote:
> : Does anybody in this forum own one of Ralph Novak's guitars? His
>
> Heh... check out Charlie Hunter's Novax bass/guitar combo--eight strings,
> three are bass and five are guitar, separate pickups & outputs for the two
> sides... weird.
>
> : one-of-a-kind fanned fret design seems so strange, I imagine a player
> : would have to alter their fingering somewhat to accomodate the spacing.
>
> From what I've heard, they're surprisingly easy to get used to,
> considering how odd they look. But I've never played one.
>
> : I notice (from photographs) that the upper reaches of his necks have
> : only marginal fret slant toward the pickups, whereas the first five or
> : so frets are pronouncedly slanted toward the headstock.
>
> That's a perception issue. Relatively, they all slant the same
> amount--it's just different scale lengths lined up next to each other.
> At the 12th fret, they'll be equal, but at either end of the scale
> they're going to slant more. As the frets get closer together higher up,
> the slantiness will appear to lessen, but the ratio of slanting will be
> the same... does that make any sense? Basically it's just that the frets
> are closer together up at the top.
>
> : Their rarity (in shops, anyway) is due to the fact that Mr. Novak builds
> : each instrument himself, and therefore produces low output(?)
>
> He's definitely low output.
>
> : The fanned fret design must be patented, because I've never seen or
> : heard of any other builder doing this (?)
> : Anybody enlighten me?
>
> Sheldon Dingwall, up in Canada somewhere, makes fanned-fret designs, as
> do a couple others. His site is at www.cyancorp.com/dingwall/main.html.
>
> I've seen the design used more in basses than guitars, but the concept is
> sound for either from what I can tell.
>
Greg Martin
me ok? Greg
Lutegirl
>feel about Buzz Feiten & the 'system' that he successfully patented ?
I feel differently about that.Our work is mainly in historical
reproductions,whereas someone would want or desire the features
instruments had hundreds of years ago.Although the" Buzz Feiten thinga ma jig"
is based on ancient concepts of intonation,it is a modern innovation,different
from instruments made centuries ago.
There are many creative and innovating ways,as well as old ones to go about
correcting an instruments intonation.
Basically, If I were doing a historical reproduction of an instrument that just
so happened to incorporate fanned frets, I wouldn't want some 20th Century guy
with a "faulty" patent to send me a cease and disist notice over something that
really wasn't in his line of work or business.
It is one thing to claim innovation and another to humbly acknowledge history.
Andrea