Are fretless guitars difficult to play?

Playing a fretless guitar involves learning exactly where notes lie on a fretboard. This means taking into account all of the natural microtones that get cut out of the picture when frets are added to a neck. It is difficult to be precise with intonation and so yes, we think fretless guitars are for advanced players.

Who uses fretless guitars?

It would be fair to say that fretless guitars are fairly niche but one big name player who regularly uses one is ex-Guns 'n' Roses guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, who is known as being something of a master at fretless guitar.

What is a fretless guitar?

A fretless guitar is a guitar which has been specially made to have no frets on the fingerboard. This makes the fingerboard similar to what you would see on a classical stringed instrument like a viola or a cello. This completely changes the techniques required for playing it and results in a distinctive sound.