Fan Fret Archives

Warwick is unveiling loads of new instruments at the 2020 Winter NAMM Show including the new Rockbass Corvette Multi-Scale five-string bass. It marks their first foray into the fanned fret design.

Payson Bass has been making strings designed for multi-scale basses for several years. Now, after two years of prototyping, they’ve announced the Payson Fanned SuperCharger series of basses is ready.

This week we have two basses of the week, although they are the mirror reflection of each other. Hayden Lassila of Lassila Guitars calls the model the Antipode. With one right-handed and one left-handed version, the bass lives up to its name.

Chapman Guitars has teamed up with Dave Hollingworth to launch a new signature bass. The MLB1 DH was created with the Dorje and Toska bassist to deliver what he considers the perfect bass. A four-string player, Hollingworth’s model doesn’t have a five-string version. Instead, it comes in either regular or fanned fret versions. “I’ve always been a 4-string player and...

Ibanez has expanded their multi-scale bass lineup by adding the SRMS800, SRMS805, and SRMS806 to their Bass Workshop series. Each bass is built with a five-piece jatoba and walnut neck that has fanned frets for consistent tone across open strings, improved intonation, and comfort. The four-string SRMS800, five-string SRMS805, and the six-string SRMS806 all feature a gloss finish over a...

This week we’re checking out the Intrepid bass from Fast Guitars. Available in four-, five-, or six-string versions, the model features a lightweight chambered body with a long-tenon neck joint. “Our neck joints are as tight and precise as any other type of neck joint. With a tapered tenon, the string tension will only tighten the joint rather than pull...

ESP got into the multi-scale game this year with the LTD B-1004SE and B-1005SE basses. Four and five-stringers, respectively, the new models have different scales for each string to optimize tension and ergonomics. The multi-scale effect is created with Hipshot solo bridges and a fanned fret design. Both basses are built with a swamp ash body topped with solid rosewood,...

This week we’re checking out a fanned fret design by Ploughman Guitars in Serbia. Luthier Radovan Jovicic built the bass with a multi-scale ranging from 33 inches to 35 inches. It’s built with neck-through construction featuring a maple and mahogany neck and wenge fingerboard with mahogany binding. The body wings are a sandwich of mahogany, white ash, and heat treated...

After getting into the multi-scale bass market earlier this year, Ibanez is expanding their SR Fanned Fret bass line with a new finish. Available in five- and six-string versions, the bass will come in a Walnut Flat finish as well as its original black stain. The SRFF805 five-string and 806 six-string models are built with an ash body, a five-piece...

One of the many new basses at Ibanez’s booth this year was the SRFF, a fanned-fret version of their flagship SR bass. Available in five and six-string models, the bass features a multi-scale setup to optimize the tonal performance of each string. “The goal of the fanned-fret system is to even the tension of each string,” Ibanez explains in a...

This week we check out the Fëanor JMS6, a 6-string headless bass created by Italian luthier Giulio Negrini. The modern design also includes a multi-scale string configuration and fanned frets. Negrini built the bass with an alder body topped with flamed maple in a beautiful translucent colored finish. Its neck continues the flamed maple theme and is reinforced with carbon...

Brice has introduced a new multi-scale version of their Defiant model. The 5-string Defiant 53437 stands out with a string scale that ranges from 37 inches on the B-string and 34 inches on the G-string with fanned frets to accommodate the adjustment. The Defiant’s design includes slim, dual cutaway mahogany body wings attached to a five-piece maple and walnut neck....