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Do you use the French Dot or American 9th fret marker

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  • StringswingerStringswinger Santa Cruz and San Francisco, CA✭✭✭✭ 1993 Dupont MD-20, Shelley Park Encore
    Posts: 465
    Mandos and Banjos are tuned differently. :wink:

    I used to have a problem with the 10th Fret marker. Now I just look at the fretboard and see which I am playing and don't think much about it. My DuPont has a 9th Fret marker (the original owner had it moved). My Favino has a 10th fret marker. I'm good either way.

    That said, I prefer the 9th. I am an American. YMMV
    "When the chord changes, you should change" Joe Pass
  • klaatuklaatu Nova ScotiaProdigy Rodrigo Shopis D'Artagnan, 1950s Jacques Castelluccia
    Posts: 1,665
    I'm an American as well, now living in Canada, played American guitars with 9th fret markers for 50 years. With some effort, I've totally converted to 10. Now only my Martin D28 and vintage Epiphone archtop have 9s, and they throw me off a bit. I rarely play the former, and the latter is strictly used as a rhythm instrument, so it's no big deal.

    Can't recall where I read this, but someone said that Selmer went with 10 because they wanted to appeal to all the jazz banjo players who were switching to guitar.
    Benny

    "It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
    -- Orson Welles
  • normsfunnormsfun
    Posts: 9
    Not good to be dependent on the dots. Close eyes and play.
  • klaatuklaatu Nova ScotiaProdigy Rodrigo Shopis D'Artagnan, 1950s Jacques Castelluccia
    Posts: 1,665
    normsfun wrote:
    Not good to be dependent on the dots. Close eyes and play.
    If only!!!
    Benny

    "It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
    -- Orson Welles
  • normsfunnormsfun
    Posts: 9
    klaatu wrote:
    normsfun wrote:
    Not good to be dependent on the dots. Close eyes and play.
    If only!!!

    Okay, keep your eyes open, but turn off the lights!

    Those who think you really need a dot at the 9th or 10th fret might want to consider that most
    Classical guitars usually have only one side dot at the 7th fret and some have no markers at all.
    I think most people can learn to play without looking if they work at it.
  • klaatuklaatu Nova ScotiaProdigy Rodrigo Shopis D'Artagnan, 1950s Jacques Castelluccia
    Posts: 1,665
    normsfun wrote:

    Okay, keep your eyes open, but turn off the lights!

    I'd like to see someone develop fluorescent side markers before I go turning off the lights. Or maybe they have ...
    Benny

    "It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
    -- Orson Welles
  • Classic guitars and many flamenco guitars do not have dots and they survive and play ok
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • klaatuklaatu Nova ScotiaProdigy Rodrigo Shopis D'Artagnan, 1950s Jacques Castelluccia
    Posts: 1,665
    Jazzaferri wrote:
    Classic guitars and many flamenco guitars do not have dots and they survive and play ok
    Yeah, and Doc Watson and Jeff Healey and Reverend Gary Davis got along without even seeing the guitar. The rest of us rely on dots.
    Benny

    "It's a great feeling to be dealing with material which is better than yourself, that you know you can never live up to."
    -- Orson Welles
  • Lol .... What about a cane
    The Magic really starts to happen when you can play it with your eyes closed
  • noodlenotnoodlenot ✭✭✭
    Posts: 388
    i have a guitar with 9th dot, one with 10th dot and one with no dots... makes no biggie. i agree that you should play with your eyes closed. i´m a terrible player, but still manage to play without looking at the fretboard (it´also comes handy when you´re trying to convert to the gypsy way of picking - then you can really focus on the right hand an still play melodic lines).
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