Minnesota guitarist's invention strikes a new chord

FERGUS FALLS — The back room of Stella’s restaurant in Fergus Falls filled with people on Oct. 28, all there to see musician Ben Ranson play. Ranson, who grew up in Sebeka, Minnesota, and currently lives in Sandstone, is a regular performer at venues across the region, including in Fergus Falls. But Oct. 28 was no ordinary gig. That night, Ranson revealed something he’d been working on for years. It wasn’t a new song or a clever guitar lick, it was an invention called “palmfrets” — something Ranson believes could change the way guitarists use their instrument. It allows players to play new bass lines or melodies using their palm, a special set of frets called palmfrets and a technique called palmfretting. The invention The idea for palmfrets came to Ranson over five years ago.

This excerpt comes from the named source. Read the original for the full reporting.