Micro Frets Guitars

 

Microfrets Orbiter

I used to read all the latest guitar magazines, Guitar Player, Guitarist, Vintage Guitar, and others. I can still remember the old advertisements in those publications. 

Micro Frets

One that stood out was from a company called Micro Frets. This was a guitar that appeared to be cross between a Gibson and a Fender. What stood out was the adjustable nut. The bridge on these guitars had six adjustable saddles that were like a Tune-O-Matic bridge, but the guitar nut also could be moved enabling fine tuning. This feature was known as the Micro-Nut. Although this may be a redundant feature, I found it impressive. 

Micro Frets
Orbiter
Wireless 
Guitar

In the late 1960’s one Micro Frets guitars was even designed with a built-in wireless transmitter that broadcast the signal on a standard FM frequency which was tunable via a variable capacitor. Of course similar technology is used exclusively today, but in 1967 this was an amazing feature.

The Micro Tech Company was started in 1967 by a guitar builder named Ralph Jones and his business partner Francis Marion Huggins. The partners set up a 15,000 square foot factory in Frederick, Maryland, where they were joined by a small group of guitar builders. Jones concentrated on innovation and creating parts while leaving the woodworking chores to the other craftsmen.

Micro Tech Nut

In the shop they were cutting the bodies and necks as well as machining the metallic components. Jones invented the unique parts, such as the Micro Tech nut, that set Micro Frets up as distinct from their competition.

The Calibrato Tremolo

The Calibrato tailpiece was a unique tremolo unit. This sophisticated design invented by Ralph Jones kept strings in tune better than existing units. 

Plainsman, Covington,
Huntington, Orbiter

The company was renamed Micro Frets.  Initially Micro-Frets offered four models – the Plainsman, the Covington, the Huntington, and the Orbiter. These instruments came to be known as Stage 1.

Construction

The instruments bodies were built by using two slabs of wood, usually poplar or maple, that were sandwiched together. On early models the bodies were secured by clips and held together by screws in the neck plate and bridge. (See the last video)

Spacetone with
Fabric F-Holes

A Masonite trim gasket surrounded the two body sections. This unique method allowed access and instillation of the guitar’s electronics. Some of the guitars had front facing “F” holes. This construction method also allowed instillation of grill cloth material that covered the sound hole from inside. 

Micro Frets Thumbwheels

Instead of the usual potentiometers, Jones fashioned thumbwheel controls on the edge of the guitars bi-level pickguards. This was eventually rejected as cumbersome for players and replaced by the usual volume and tone pots along with a pickup selector switch. 

Differences In Pickups

The pickups on the first Micro Frets guitars were initially made by DeArmond, but later models used a design created by Bill Lawrence. These pickups were wound and assembled in the plant by Jones’ wife Hazel and production manager Gary Free. 

 

The following year brought changes in production. The guitars in this group are known as Stage 2.

Micro Frets
Stage 2

The Masonite gasket was eliminated as were the thumbwheel controls in favor of a simple volume and tone control. This changed allowed the bi-level pickguards to be simplified. The grill cloth behind the sound holes was gone. 

1971 Spacetone - Stage 3

By the next year, 1971, the two body sections were glued together eliminating the need for metal clips and screw joining them.  The guitars made at this time are noted as Stage 3. 

Sadly in April of 1972 Ralph Jones died of a sudden heart attack. His widow, Hazel, and plant manager Gary Free kept the business in operation for the next four years allowing the company to continue employment of workers and utilize existing inventory. By 1975 the building and inventory were auctioned off. 

Approximately 3000 Micro Frets guitars were built and sold during the companies tenure. These guitars were truly unique creations and were ahead of their time. 

Will Meadors & Paul Rose

In 2004 Will Meadors and Paul Rose purchased the Micro Frets brand name and he built a limited run of about two dozen guitars based on Ralph Jones’ design. After that production ended.

The New Micro Frets

Then in 2017, 50 years after the company was created, Micro Frets went back into production, with an initial launch of three models: Signature, Spacetone, and Orbiter.

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