Re: On the Railboard - Textured or Smooth Fret Board ?
Hi Harry,
maybe I can help. I have a 'first generation' Railboard and the texture of the
playing surface is much different than that of the current instruments. I have played
some of the newer ones and was surprised that the new texture was incorporated
at the exclusion of the other. It is true that the original boards have a roughness
that some players could find to be
too rough in the sense that when you use a vibrato
the effect can be a little too effective or too hot, but I have always liked it, you can get a
bowed or almost ebow like sound and I have found it to be very useful making transitions,
to use the hot vibrato while the other hand finds a new chord or fret position.
As far as strings grinding down on the surface of the Railboard I have never seen it and
like Rodrigo I try to get as much life out of my strings as I can.
To sum up the earlier Railboards are different as far as the difference of the actual playing surface but really it is a matter of taste.
If Emmett has an older one or still can make those I think you would be very happy with it. But the new ones are just as amazing. Also consider that the Railboard is
almost as wide as a Grand so really what you get with that instrument is a 10 string grand;
wider string spacing equals more room for your fingers. Another plus is the 'Raised Matched
Recipricol' tuning.
Hey Rodrigo, now we know your secret, just practice 8 to 12 hours a day
.
I am curious do you use medium gage strings? Mine are light gage and sometimes
seem a little loose. Thanks.
jRj
*j*
.~