34"/865mm to 35"/890mm multi-scale fret system

All Moses Carbon Graphite necks dramatically increase the focus, definition and even harmonic content of notes when compared to wood equivalents while maintaining a bell-like warm tone. The Slanted Fret System increases these characteristics. The bottom line is that this fret system delivers:

- evenness of string tension across the neck

- exceptional articulation

- even response along the entire neck

- enhanced harmonic definition

- a natural, ergonomic feel all while eliminating unwanted non-harmonic overtones

Model MJ-144A: 4-st jazz bass neck

Model MP-144A: 4-st P-bass neck

List Price: $579

Our Price: $492.50

Please note: The standard Fender G-st bridge saddle adjustment screw will need to be replaced with one which allows for longer travel in order to intonate your bass correctly. Alternately, a direct drop-in replacement bridge, such has the Leo Quan Bad Ass II with minimum 1 1/8” travel, is a great upgrade. Moses Carbon Graphite sells the Bad Ass II bridge.

Nonparallel frets have a very long tradition, dating from the 16th century Orpharion, a variant of the cittern, along with the entire group of Viola de Gamba’s (the Baroque Era violin family) where movable frets were variably splayed to produce the desired scale for a specific application. Rickenbacker offered them in the late 1960's. Currently Moses Carbon Graphite, Novax Guitars, Dingwall Guitars and others offer them on guitars and/or basses.

Along with string length, increasing string diameter results in the need to apply more force or tension to a string in order to bring it up to the same pitch. This phenomenon results in an unevenness in tension between strings on an instrument that uses one scale length, as provided by parallel frets.

It is well-known that having the feel of equal tension on all strings of one instrument makes playing much more comfortable. Whereas 24 3/4”, 25 1/2”, 28 5/8”, 30”, 32”, 34”, 35” scaled instruments and others can all technically work just fine, individual guitarists and bass players may each have their preference as to what feels right for overall tension due to hand size, playing style and other variables. And the amount of string tension of each scale varies, with the less long scales classically having less tension.

It is easy to recognize that to facilitate equal tension, what the slanted fret layout does is to provide the correct scale length for each string to deliver equal tension amongst all of the strings on an instrument. And slanted frets do this by increasing the scale length as the string diameter gets fatter and the open string pitch gets lower.

Essentially, due to the place on each slanted fret where the string touches a fret as you play a group of notes ‘along’ that string, all notes played are in the specific scale length of that string. The same is true for each of the strings on an instrument using this system. Restated, as you play notes along a string, all of the notes are in tune to the particular scale length of that string due to the exact position of the fret as it slants across and beneath that string. And the scale length for each string logically becomes longer as the string diameter increases. Therefore the scale length of a low E or B string is longest when compared to the highest string.

Additionally, slanted frets are remarkably more comfortable on the player’s wrist. For instance, if you loosely and comfortably shake your wrist left and right, what does it do? It swings or pivots. This natural movement is what slanted frets allow for as a player reaches for and chooses notes up and down the neck. The wrist is essentially able to pivot in its most natural way. In fact, it is much harder for you, the player, to maintain your wrist in the same exact rigid parallel position relative to the rest of your body as you play
between the lowest and highest notes on an instrument with parallel frets. Try it and feel it for yourself. Angled frets get rid of this discomfort, one that is not only distracting but can lead to health problems like tendonitous and arthritis. And anyway, its just plain more fun to play when your comfortable.

For more technical background information from the fanned fret master Ralph Novax, visit:
http://www.novaxguitars.com/info/concept.html