Fan fret guitars and New Standard Tuning

[Rubbishplayer]

I see there is healthy interest on these boards for NST, but I have yet to find anything on applying multiscale guitars to the challenge.

While I have studiously avoided both in the past, now that I'm considering taking on NST as part of a project, it seems only logical to do so on a multiscale guitar, especially given the challenges posed by the range of tuning and the physical limitation of strings.

My quandry is that while I'm keen to acquire a new multiscale specifically for this project, I'm not keen to get into a £5k experiment which might not pan out as I hoped. Especially given that I'd be looking for a solution that would accommodate not only a trem, but potentially a piezo-based synth driver solution (e.g. RMC) and even some form of sustainer circuit. So my questions are:

1. Has anyone successfully used NST on a multiscale? If so, what were your lessons-learned and what would you recommend?
2. Has anyone even tried to apply a sustainer to a multiscale?

Dear Mods: I'm not sure if this is asking too much in one post, so I'm happy to take your guidance.

 

[ArtDecade]

Is NST that thing Fripp does? If so, I don't recall seeing him or his students doing much with fanned frets.

 

[Rubbishplayer]

Is NST that thing Fripp does? If so, I don't recall seeing him or his students doing much with fanned frets.

I also note that Napoleon didn't use tanks either, but I'm sure he would have, if available, as they would have solved some of his problems.

Seriously, Fripp is probably not inclined to change now and most of his students have moved onto tap instruments like the Warr and Stick.

But fan frets would have solved some of the challenges he faced regarding a fifths tuning system that required serious compromises when applied to a constant scale length (e.g. needing very thin top strings and very heavy gauge bottom string).

 

[ArtDecade]

Maybe. I just don't know that fanned frets help as much on 6 strings as they do with 7-8-9 strings. There might be some advantage to using a fanned system with NST - but for me, fanned frets helped the most when using Holdsworth closed chord voicings because the stretches were easier. It was less about string gauges and intonation.