All About Guitar Frets
When
discussing frets at the Haywire Custom Shop, the discussion really needs to be divided up into two
separate parts. The first part to consider is whether or not the frets
are properly installed, dressed, and maintained. The second part to
consider is if the frets that are on your neck are the right frets to
match your style of playing and have the feel that you are looking for.
So
let's talk about the first part for a minute, whether or not your frets
are properly installed, dressed, and maintained. This is easy enough to
determine. First, check for any wear on the frets where the strings
might have created grooves in certain places, any nicks or
irregularities that might catch a string and so forth. If you find any
of those things, you might want to consider some maintenance to correct
those problems.
If
you have checked your frets and found them to be well maintained
without any noticeable wear, but still think that your neck doesn't feel
just right for your style of playing, you might want to consider a
different fret possibility. Frets come in a variety of heights and
thicknesses, and each one will cause the neck to feel just a bit
different under your fingers. The bottom line is that frets do matter.
If a guitar plays well, it has the right frets. If it's hard to bend a
note, that instrument probably doesn't have the right frets for
challenging solo work.
Now let's talk about the different types of frets that are available.
Standard Nickel/Silver Fret Wire
The
composition of this fret wire, while called "nickel/silver", contains
no silver at all. The ingredients are brass and nickel. Apparently, 18%
nickel is sufficient to make brass look silver! For general reference
we use Dunlop's fret numbers, however, actual fret dimensions vary
somewhat from batch to batch.
Fret Model Width x Height Description
6100 .112" x 0.55" Huge! This is big stuff for the almost scalloped feel.
6105 .096" x 0.47" Narrow and tall. A very popular choice.
6130 .106" x .036" Often referred to as "medium jumbo". This is the size found on many Gibson® necks.
6230 .080" x 0.43" This is the smallest fret wire. Used on older Fender® necks.
6150 .103 x .046" A true "jumbo". It is about the same width as the 6130 but a bit taller.
Stainless Steel Fret Wire
If
you want an extra slick feel along with super smooth bending and
playability, stainless steel fret wire might be just what you're looking
for. Stainless steel is harder than the standard nickel/silver fret
wire, so it takes much longer for these frets to show wear from your
strings, and typically last much longer than standard fret wire.
Fret Model Width x Height Description
SS6105 .102" x .049" A true "jumbo". It is about the same width as the 6130 but a bit taller. POPULAR!
SS6230 .080" x 0.43" Small vintage Fender® size. Needs frequent dressing and leveling
SS6115 .107" x .052" A true "jumbo" wire.
Almost Gold Color Fret Wire
New
Gold colored fret wire is a tough copper alloy without Nickel and the
color is similar to 12k Gold in appearance. This is not the same brass
color as Warwick wire. This is not just a "plating". The color is solid
throughout. It's very rich looking wire. Gold alloy wire works and
wears about the same as the standard nickel / silver fret wire.
Fret Width x Height Description
61GD .090" x .055" Narrow and quite tall. Fret Model Width x Height
Fret Width x Height Description
61GD .090" x .055" Narrow and quite tall. Fret Model Width x Height
Thank you Warmoth Guitar Products Inc. for providing the fret info!
