As many musicians and avid music listeners would know, many different types of guitars exist in the world of music.
Everyone has seen or heard some sort of different guitar - six string, 12 string, acoustic, electric, baritone, etc. The list goes on and on, but even now, in the 21st century, the knowledge of such a unique instrument as the fretless guitar is almost nonexistent.
Almost no major guitar companies make fretless guitars, and few well-known artists play this instrument.
The big question is: Why should you know and care about the fretless guitar, even if you're not a musician? The answer is simple. The music that this instrument is capable of making is as unique as the instrument itself. By playing one of these guitars, or listening to music that uses this instrument, one gets introduced to new sounds and new notes that you're not going to hear anywhere else.
There is a long history to the fretless guitar. A few artists have used a fretless on a recording or two, such as Frank Zappa, John Frusciante (The Red Hot Chili Peppers), Adrian Belew (King Crimson) and Andy Summers (The Police). Some of these songs and guitar parts are incredible, but it isn't until we get into the late '80s and early '90s that we start to see certain artists take this instrument and do more with it. For example, the amazing expressive nature of the fretless guitar can be found in the likes of Michael ATONAL Vick's beautiful microtonal ventures, Ned Evett's incredible songwriting, Tim Donahue's impressive technique and Tom Baker's intriguing compositions. These artists and many others will blow you away.
On Sept. 20 and 21, the NYC Fretless Guitar Festival took the stages of the Crash Mansion and The Delancey to make history as a definitive source of music and information regarding the fretless guitar. The festival was international. Musicians all the way from the Czech Republic to Idaho came to play and celebrate at an unforgettable event. From microtonal expeditions to catchy songwriting, there was something for everybody. There were also guitar giveaways from Smoothboard Fretless Guitars and Godin Guitars. The event was much more than a concert featuring various artists; it was an experience. The NYC Fretless Guitar Festival is annual and will be coming back to town next year.
The next big fretless fest is this November's Dutch Fretless Festival, which is held in Den Haag, Netherlands. Guitarist Willem Niehorster has organized this festival for the past two years. It has been a success each year in delivering the finest in fretless performances from all over the world.
While most of the public may have never even heard of the fretless guitar before reading this article, the entire history of the fretless guitar is too large for me to fit into one article. If you're interested in the fretless guitar, or in the music it has helped create, head over to www.Unfretted.com, a Web site put together and hosted by English fretless guitarist Jeff "Jahloon." It is the place to go for all things "unfretted." Check it out. You may find an amazing, unforgettable world of music that you never knew existed!
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