FERGUS FALLS, MN – A Minnesota musician and inventor is challenging the traditional way guitars are played, and his latest innovation recently made a stop in Fergus Falls.

Ben Ranson, a musician, composer, and graduate of Berklee College of Music, visited Stella’s Restaurant & Bar on Wednesday, October 28, to showcase his innovative and creative invention known as “Palmfrets”, a patented technology that introduces an entirely new technique for playing the guitar.

Unlike conventional guitar playing, which requires musicians to use one hand to press strings against frets on the neck while the other hand picks or strums, Palmfrets allows players to change notes using the palm of their picking hand.

The technique, called “palmfretting”, uses specially designed frets positioned near the guitar’s bridge.

By pressing a string against one of these frets with the heel of the hand, musicians can produce higher notes while leaving their other hand free to play chords, melodies, or additional notes along the neck.

The result opens new possibilities for guitarists, allowing them to perform musical combinations and arrangements that would otherwise be difficult to achieve using traditional techniques.

Ranson has developed two variations of the technology.

The first, called a “Palmboard”, was designed primarily for electric guitars and allows players to perform scales and melodies using their picking hand.

The second, known as a “Unifret”, is designed for acoustic guitars and individual strings on electric instruments, allowing a player to raise a string’s pitch by one semitone.

The invention is more than an experimental concept. On October 6, 2026, Ranson was awarded U.S. Patent No. 12,755,719 B2 for his stringed-instrument technology.

The patent is assigned to Polyphonic Chromaticism, Inc., based in Sandstone, Minnesota. Ranson has also pursued additional patent applications covering related designs.

A native of Sebeka, Minnesota, Ranson has spent years performing, composing, and teaching music.

His musical background includes jazz, blues, bluegrass, and fingerstyle guitar, influences that have helped shape his approach to expanding the instrument’s capabilities.

During his Fergus Falls appearance, Ranson demonstrated the modified guitars and offered attendees an opportunity to learn about the technology and ask questions.

The stop was part of a regional demonstration tour aimed at introducing Palmfrets to musicians and music enthusiasts throughout the Midwest.

Ben Ranson’s next scheduled public appearance is Saturday, November 7, at Flatland Guitars in Fargo, North Dakota, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Additional demonstrations are planned for Wednesday, November 11, at Bridge of Harmony in Brainerd, Minnesota, and Sunday, November 15, at Rollie’s in Sauk Rapids.

While the technology is still being introduced to the public, Ranson’s invention represents an intriguing development in guitar design, potentially offering musicians new ways to explore melody, harmony, and musical expression.

For more information about Palmfrets, demonstrations, and the technology behind the invention, visit Palmfrets.com.