This madcap guitarist 3D-printed his way to a 38-fret guitar

For guitarists who really don’t want to use octave pedals but still have a strange desire to reach those dog-whistle pitches, Said Too Much Productions has the answer: 3D-print a 38-fret fingerboard.

Having previously made baritone and alto designs (the latter tuned one fourth higher), Kevin from Said Too Much wanted to take things one step further and build a ‘soprano’ electric guitar, to see if he can hit the C8 right at the top end of a piano.

After realising he would run into difficulties employing ultra-low-gauge strings, his solution involved removing the neck and middle pickups of his existing alto axe, and fitting a removable PLA plastic fretboard.

The good news is that the fretboard actually works, even if it’s only possible to fret the crazy-high numbers using a thumbnail or another pick - and it certainly doesn’t look as comfortable as a traditional nickel or stainless steel setup.

Jury’s out over whether it’s actually listenable, though...

Michael Astley-Brown

Mike is Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com, in addition to being an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict. He has a master's degree in journalism, and has spent the past decade writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as a decade-and-a-half performing in bands of variable genre (and quality). In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock under the nom de plume Maebe.

Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition. image
Stay up to date with the latest gear and tuition.
Subscribe and save today!