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Fretnotes - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Will they fit my instrument?
A. I measured lots of instruments when developing Fretnotes, and the dimensions used will work well on 99% of instruments. To check your guitar / bass / ukulele before ordering, measure the distance between the outer strings (e.g. 1st and 6th strings for guitar, 1st and 4th for bass, etc.) at two places; the nut and the 12th fret - see below. If your measurements are within the range shown in the table below, Fretnotes will work well on your instrument.
A. Fretnotes are printed on a special polyester material with a non-glare matt finish, giving a neat appearance. This makes them ideal for teachers - they look professional and are long-lasting. They will normally out-last the need for them - most people find they only need to use them for a few weeks. Fretnotes are not re-usable.
Q. How long will it take to fit them?
A. About 20 minutes for the whole neck (typically 21 frets) or about 5-10 minutes for 12 frets. Just applying Fretnotes is a great first lesson - by the time you are finished you will already be getting familiar with the note names and positions. Included in the pack is a simple tool to help you thread the labels under the strings without the need for removing or de-tuning the strings. If your guitar has a very low action i.e. the strings are very low on the fretboard, then
a) you may have to de-tune the strings slightly to fit the labels, and
b) you are very fortunate, because the guitar will be much easier to play ;-)
Q. Will they damage the fretboard?
A. No, but keep reading! Fretnotes are made to peel off easily and leave no residue. If they are left on for a very long time (i.e. years) there is a small chance of adhesive being left behind, but this will remove easily with a guitar cleaner like Fast-Fret etc., and not damage the guitar. However, over the years guitars have been made from all sorts of materials, and whilst I have tested this product extensively and found it safe on all common guitar finishes, it's impossible to test them on everything, so you use this product at your own risk. If you have any concerns about this then please get in touch before purchasing.
Q. What if I need help?
A. Email me! I'll normally answer within 24 hours (often less) and will help as much as I can with using the labels. If there is a problem of any kind please get in touch before leaving bad feedback or opening a case. I work very hard to keep everyone happy and maintain 100% customer satisfaction, but I can't help you if I don't know there's a problem!
Q. Is a guitar included?
A. No! (really, I have had to include this question as it was asked quite seriously by a Keynotes customer who thought he was also getting a piano with his £5 set of labels..).
Q. What is the links page?
A. It's a webpage containing a list of links to useful free internet resources I have found whilst helping people learn to play. It is reviewed and updated regularly. There is a great deal of information available on the internet to help you learn to play guitar and read music, but as with most things on the internet, the quality ranges from excellent to very bad indeed. The guide provides links to the best sites, with notes on how you will find them useful. They will be especially helpful if you are learning on your own and not taking one-to-one lessons with a teacher, but everyone should find something of interest - there are free lessons (many with very helpful graphics), ear-training applications, an online tuner and metronome (that gives you simple drum-beats to practice with in addition to the usual boring click!), musical games, sheet music, and even an app that lets you print your own manuscript paper for a fraction of the cost of buying it!
Copyright ©catmusic 2012
Q. Will they fit my instrument?
A. I measured lots of instruments when developing Fretnotes, and the dimensions used will work well on 99% of instruments. To check your guitar / bass / ukulele before ordering, measure the distance between the outer strings (e.g. 1st and 6th strings for guitar, 1st and 4th for bass, etc.) at two places; the nut and the 12th fret - see below. If your measurements are within the range shown in the table below, Fretnotes will work well on your instrument.
|
INSTRUMENT
|
String Spacing @
NUT |
String Spacing @
12th FRET |
|
6-string electric/acoustic (steel strings)
|
35mm - 42mm
|
40mm - 48mm
|
| full-size classical (nylon strings) | 41mm - 47mm | 48mm - 54mm |
| 3/4 size classical (nylon strings) | 33mm - 39mm | 43mm - 50mm |
| 4-string electric bass | 25mm - 31mm | 40mm - 46mm |
| 5-string electric bass | 37mm - 43mm | 53mm - 59mm |
| soprano ukulele | 25mm - 30mm | 30mm - 36mm |
Q. How long will they last?
A. Fretnotes are printed on a special polyester material with a non-glare matt finish, giving a neat appearance. This makes them ideal for teachers - they look professional and are long-lasting. They will normally out-last the need for them - most people find they only need to use them for a few weeks. Fretnotes are not re-usable.
Q. How long will it take to fit them?
A. About 20 minutes for the whole neck (typically 21 frets) or about 5-10 minutes for 12 frets. Just applying Fretnotes is a great first lesson - by the time you are finished you will already be getting familiar with the note names and positions. Included in the pack is a simple tool to help you thread the labels under the strings without the need for removing or de-tuning the strings. If your guitar has a very low action i.e. the strings are very low on the fretboard, then
a) you may have to de-tune the strings slightly to fit the labels, and
b) you are very fortunate, because the guitar will be much easier to play ;-)
Q. Will they damage the fretboard?
A. No, but keep reading! Fretnotes are made to peel off easily and leave no residue. If they are left on for a very long time (i.e. years) there is a small chance of adhesive being left behind, but this will remove easily with a guitar cleaner like Fast-Fret etc., and not damage the guitar. However, over the years guitars have been made from all sorts of materials, and whilst I have tested this product extensively and found it safe on all common guitar finishes, it's impossible to test them on everything, so you use this product at your own risk. If you have any concerns about this then please get in touch before purchasing.
Q. What if I need help?
A. Email me! I'll normally answer within 24 hours (often less) and will help as much as I can with using the labels. If there is a problem of any kind please get in touch before leaving bad feedback or opening a case. I work very hard to keep everyone happy and maintain 100% customer satisfaction, but I can't help you if I don't know there's a problem!
Q. Is a guitar included?
A. No! (really, I have had to include this question as it was asked quite seriously by a Keynotes customer who thought he was also getting a piano with his £5 set of labels..).
Q. What is the links page?
A. It's a webpage containing a list of links to useful free internet resources I have found whilst helping people learn to play. It is reviewed and updated regularly. There is a great deal of information available on the internet to help you learn to play guitar and read music, but as with most things on the internet, the quality ranges from excellent to very bad indeed. The guide provides links to the best sites, with notes on how you will find them useful. They will be especially helpful if you are learning on your own and not taking one-to-one lessons with a teacher, but everyone should find something of interest - there are free lessons (many with very helpful graphics), ear-training applications, an online tuner and metronome (that gives you simple drum-beats to practice with in addition to the usual boring click!), musical games, sheet music, and even an app that lets you print your own manuscript paper for a fraction of the cost of buying it!
Copyright ©catmusic 2012