Frank Converse on the Advantages of Fretless

[John Cohen]

I remember reading a quote by Converse claiming that fretless banjos are preferable to fretted ones because certain passages can be executed with greater speed on fretless instruments.  Can somebody remind me where I read this?  I'm having difficulties locating the quote.

I'm not sure I agree with Converse about this, and I'd be interested to hear other people's take on the matter.  In my experience, coming from a guitar background, frets generally allow for faster, more controlled note execution, especially regarding pull-offs and open string pull-offs.  The few times I have played fretted banjos my conclusion was the same.  

[Canaan Myskowski]

As a stroke style beginner, I am not sure if slides are used in this style.  I have noticed that slides are far more smooth, quicker, and downright fun on a fretless then a fretted banjo, due to the lack of bumps (frets) along the way.

[John Cohen]

I wasn't thinking about slides, but yes, they are more satisfying on a fretless instrument.  That said, I rarely slide whne playing stroke style, and with a gentle enough technique sliding can be done effortlessly on a fretted instrument.  I am becoming more interested in the more technical music found in Rice, Buckley, and the various Converse instructors.  If I remember correctly, Converse's comment about fretless instruments was made in the 1860s or 1870s, so it would have been relevant to this music.

[Joel Hooks]

It is on the fold-out of the '65 green book.

But I think we can forgive is youthful recklessness.

[John Cohen]

Yes, Converse grew out of this phase.  I just find his statement interesting, and I wonder at the time what his reasoning was.

[Tim Twiss]

I lost it. Can someone quote it? Thanks.

[Joel Hooks]

"FRETS.

~~

Raised frets in a Banjo interfere with rapid execution.  It is much better to have narrow strips of vaneering [sic] inlaid across the finger board at the proper distances apart.  For convenience, the term 'Fret' will be used throughout this work."

Because it on the same foldout that gives directions for making thimbles, we won't accept it as strong evidence.

[Joseph Sorah]

The benefits of unfretted banjos are, as has been stated here, in sliding up the neck. Most nineteenth century banjo music will sound OK a little flat or sharp. Intonation control is more difficult, but obviously both Sam and Joe Sweeney and almost everybody else that played banjo till after the war managed to make music without frets. It would seem to me the critical factor of fretless playing is how well your banjo is set up. A high nut will make everything you play harder and cause each note to sharp up to about the fourth fret. A short bridge will cause buzzes, and a high one will make it hard to do a clean pull off. So if the banjo is properly adjusted and you understand the music, you will be in a small way carrying on not only a wonderful tradition, but playing some mighty fine music.