Hey folks! Do any of you have a Shred neck, or something Shredneck-like?
Do you find it worth the cost? They seem like a neat idea and I have thought of getting one. Or, alternatively, buying a cheap yard-sale guitar and sawing off the neck to make something similar.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on this as a fingering practice device.
Well, I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself an actual guitarist, but I pretend to be picking back up my chops from thirty years ago. Fortuitous pun, I guess, but inapropos since my work with a plectrum is pretty dire.
Yeah, I’ve looked at similar devices, and thought long and hard about something like that. At eighty bucks from Amazon, at least what came up on Bing for me, that’s pretty steep, and I don’t think I’d buy that particular one just on general principle.
Although having string tension, assuming this device functions as described, is good. But, you know, I prefer to play a set of 0.014 flatwounds on one guitar, and little 11s on another (OK, I admit that’s only because I’m too lazy to change the as-ordered Squier rounds to flats with an unwound G-string, and also too analysis-paralysis to buy another plank guitar so I can leave that one in open-G for Keef stuff), and yadda yadda, and various things, so…
But, I spend breaks and lunches at work just writing out chord diagrams, and figuring out all possible positions using manuscript paper for various tunes I’m trying to learn. You know, “How many different ways can I play ‘Donna Lee’ on the fretboard?”…basically trying to master every possible note and position on the fingerboard. Ideally suited for just manuscript paper and a pencil, but better with time on the instrument, ISTM.
Yes, a device like that would be handy to me: it kind of seems like something I’d rather just find a backpacker type guitar or something that could be of greater use. Since I always break for lunch and stuff in my car at work, tossing a Squier Telecaster in the passenger seat seems like a recipe for a broken window, so…some solution is needed. Visualization is great, and all, and muscle memory can’t be trusted (IMHO), but again IMHO some kind of tool would be helpful.
But, yes, essentially a bump for those who are more skilled at the fingerboard than me for more insight.
ColdBrew50, thank you very much for the response. It was really interesting. I’m 64 and will retire in a year so I will definitely have far more time to practice. At the moment, however, I obviously can’t have a guitar to conveniently noodle with if I’m taking a break during work, or sitting on a bus or airplane.
What I wonder about, however, is how much fidelity is really required for me to be able to practice fingerings on a fretboard-like thing. I’ve looked at guitar necks and new ones are expensive.
My approach as a guitarist is that I’m doing as much soloing and improvising as I have time for and I want to develop a thorough knowledge of the fretboard as well as a variety of scales.
Bump b/c I’m interested in this as well.
I don’t want the headstock of even a cheap slab guitar breaking a car window from the inside. No, I don’t play EVH stuff, but pencil and paper only go so far.
Does doing this enough translate in any way to your actual fingers on the fretboard to any extent? My gut says “probably not” but one never knows. This is an interesting topic, however. Thanks
Not really. In my experience there’s just no substitute for actually playing, on whatever instrument one has at hand. As of now, I put my archtop in the hard case and just play the Squier Telecaster when practicing/trying out things at my desk in front of the space heater.
But that dog won’t hunt when in the car, for example. Heavy-ish guitar that’d probably break the DS window (or other windows) when not careful.
However, IMHO some amount of visualization is helpful when really working at some things, which is probably valuable. It’s sort of like reading books about pool, though. Not really the same thing as when one is actually playing or practicing with real equipment.
Better than nothing, is my view, when working at music away from an instrument.
Well, I think so as well. Thank you for raising some consideration for an interesting product, which is of interest to me as well.
I’ve been tending to think about acquiring a small “backpacker” style guitar, but I’ve seen those practice necks and have the same questions you have. At ninety bucks, it seems a bit steep for that particular product, but I tend to be kind of frugal in that way.