An added bonus is that the higher bass strings sound better with frets rather then fretless, unless you're Steve Adelson (he would sound great even stringless!).

As far as I know there are only three 1/4 fretless Sticks around: mine, Joe Conti's (his is 5+7 though) and one that is almost identical to mine. I got in touch with the guy who had it, but he had sold it, no idea where it is now.

I fully agree with that. Three years ago the NS Half Fretless was the instrument that initiated my interest in tapping, but when thinking about it I assumed it would be better with strings 10, 11 and 12 fretted (since such thin strings won't work well on fretless if sharing the same amp settings/processing as the fatter strings). Then I realized I still had an exciting white part of the future map concerning two handed tapping so I ended up ordering a Grand instead ) Now I'm hoping I can spare enough money soon to pick up a 1/4 fretless Railboard.

Any sound bites of these new railboards and pickups yet? This waiting is killing me LoL

it took me a while to get my head around this
The only trouble I have with my 1/4 fretless stick is that the fretless plate is slightly higher than the frets, which makes it impossible to bend strings outside the plate into it (a small gripe indeed). I suggest to leave the fretless part unrouted, that is the same height as the top of the rails: that would be very helpful for bending.

Good point, Francesco. But wouldn't the playing feel be more consistent if the fretless strings are at the same height as fretted strings; i.e. the top of the rails/frets and fretless fingerboard at the same plane?

I don't see much point in bending fretless strings, as you may slide the pitch along the string... or am I missing something here?

If the fretless plate is the same height as the rails, as I suggest, the strings would be the same height as they would be with frets, while planing the plate down would leave them lower.
I'm concerned about bending only with partially fretted instruments, like my 1/4 fretless grand: I don't normally bend the three lower stings (the ones on the fretless plate), but I do bend the three higher bass strings. Only problem is that I can't bend the fourth bass string towards the lower bass strings, because the fretless plate is slightly higher then the frets, creating a step.
The solution to the problem is simply to bend the other way, towards the edge, but it is a slightly less natural movement for me.

I see now that I'm saying the same thing. Sorry for reading your post "backwards" yesterday. Wish it was possible to delete my two last posts, just to claen up and make sese.

You can delete posts. Just tap the "Edit" button on the post. Then there's a checkbox above the editing area for deletion.

-Eric

So I log into the forum, go to the "new posts" and see an update in this thread, and I think, like, "Hooray, new details!"

...And there are still no updates from S.E.

Me too.

Love to see at least some demos of the prototype and an update where things stand.