Frets and Slide guitar

[Eric Salvi]

So I am making a CBG for my father and my previous answer to frets or no frets was if he is new to the slide than keep the frets off.  That is fine.  I'd probably still cut the frets out so there are markers to know roughly where he will be sliding too.  The question(s) are:

If I just use slide with no frets, how high should the strings be from the fret board?

If I add frets now then how high should this be from the frets?

[Paul Craig]

Can't answer the question about string height without frets, just know that ones I've seen are high.

Playing slide with frets can be tricky, has to be done with a light touch so as not to get fret clunk/clack will playing and string height can't be too high or the notes will pull sharp every time you fret. I always set my string height at 3/32nds" above the frets and this works well for me. That requires a nut that is cut at that height though.

StewMac has a couple of nut conversion pieces that can raise the strings for slide, then remove for fretting. This does require down tuning/tuning every time you add it/take it away. Some pics of them.The first one is the least expensive - about 4 dollars.

[The Phrygian Kid]

Those are Hawaiian guitar conversion nuts, and they work great to make a lap steel, but thousands and thousands of guys have learned to play with a slide on a regular guitar only by raising the action a little at the bridge end. This enables you to fret notes as well. (!) fretless guitars are actually something of a novelty out in the real world.

[jim]

Fretless guitars are actually something of a novelty out in the real world......Ditto....