I don't have any problem with my Strats frets. I tend to use the tremolo for my virbrato more so than my fret hand..to me it is just easier...LOL yes I am lazy when I play my strat...on my Teles...differnt story I have to use my fret hand for vibrato but then again...no abnormal wear.

Seriously something wrong with your strat dude

Big F and Gigantic G use mass produced fret wire, which can be had in a variety of sizes and hardnesses. Excessive fret wear is probably caused by your choice of strings or a really rough playing style. Some players go through frets at a high rate. Stainless may help, but it will change your tone too.

Thanks Martian - makes sense.


Haha ... that's exactly what I've doing lately! Playing my MIM and even the cheap acoustic more so I don't wear the MIA out!

Maybe I need another one!

-phil

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Then again, what do I know ... I've only been playin' for 6 months ... !

I don`t know about frets wearing out fast but I just recently checked out a $2600 Custom Shop Strat that you could drive a truck through the neck pocket.I just could not believe it had that much gap on one side. Two credit cards together with room to spare.??

Hi soothme: at first glance your original post on this thread sounds like a litany of disaster. However, on closer inspection I see different issues with different meanings.

First, far as fretwear is concerned, different people wear their frets at different rates depending on their playing styles and (as Martian indicated) their experience. If you say your Fenders wear faster than your Gibsons I can't argue, though I have plenty of experience of both and can't say I've ever noticed a difference in the grade of their fret wire.

Regarding the setup issues you complain of: if a guitar is that bad brand new, don't buy it. Or, have the problem dealt with immediately under warranty - that's what it's there for. If the instrument was not bought new, then I suspect it is the previous owner you need to blame.

Not all guitars leave the factory with perfectly dressed frets, even with modern production methods. But the problems you describe suggest an instrument that is beyond the beyond: I wouldn't have bought it.

This next however is a completely different matter:

Maple fingerboard necks are finished by spraying the (mostly urethane) lacquer over the whole neck, including the frets. It is then scraped off the tops of the frets but remains on their sides. Some small makers work differently, but that is how the big boys do it. What you describe here is normal and not a problem. Some think it a positively good thing because the lacquer seals the edge of the fret and prevents hand moisture from penetrating beneath it.

Of course, if there is actually lacquer on top of the fret then that is an issue. Again, I wouldn't have bought a guitar like that, though it is a very simple and quick thing to fix.

Then:

Strats from every year vary from one instrument to another. Wood is unpredictable like that - that's why we play a guitar before buying it.

Many of us like lighter guitars, but as it happens, Mike Eldred of the Fender Custom Shop says that the majority of their professional customers order instruments built from medium or heavy pieces of timber. Presumably for real or perceived tonal reasons.

You pays your money, you takes your choice on that one. Shop around.

Lastly:

Several millimetres - truly? That would be a totally dud guitar. Why did you buy it?

I'd love to see some pictures of that if you cared to post them. I've seen a lot of Strats and I've never seen one like that. It would be one for the archives for sure! Feel like showing us a photo...?

In short, a lot of different issues with several different answers.

Any help?

Cheers - C

I have a 1991 Strat Ultra, whose frets are fine. However I use Fender Bullet strings, w/ nickel alloy to minimize fret wear. For years I used GHS Stainless steel strings, but never experienced excess fret wear.

My older 1971 Stratocaster definitely needs a fret job, but I bought it used.

I also use fender bullets on my 2007 Baja Telecaster to minimize fret wear. Because the frets are similar in composition (Nickel alloy) to the strings, this will minimize fret wear. Ask any chemical engineer.

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2007 Classic Player Baja Telecaster
1991 Strat Ultra
1990 Gibson ES-347
1986 Yamaha SBG2100
1980 Gibson L6-S
1971 Stratocaster
Fender Stage Lead Combo
Marshall MOSFET 100 watt Amp

My 2007 EJ strat is my main guitar and I play it a lot, and I bend notes
a lot. Three years down I see no noticable wear. That wil change at some time in the future, I'm sure. This Stratocaster is one of the very finest guitars that I've ever played, hands downs. No QC complaints from this
happy picker.

fenders suck not all but alot of them do. gibsons are better and ibanez has good guitars too. look elsewhere

Exactly which Fenders are you referring to? You can't compare a MIM Fender with a Gibson. A MIM is in the same price range as an Epiphone. Also, what does "suck" mean? I own all of the above brands. They are all nice guitars. The Ibanez is what it is. A cheap, well built jazz box. Not much on tone and at $300 will be thrown into the fireplace and replaced with a new one if anything costly needs to be done.

I have yet to see any of these horribly built guitars from any of these companies. I have seen frets that stuck out to far in my opinion, but this was from both Fender and Gibson. Any guitar you buy, plan on having a real luthier go through it. Especially anything at the lower end (i.e. below an American Standard, the Classic Player stuff seems pretty good also) Having a real luthier work your guitar is not the same as the free setup included with the purchase.

Spoken like a true troll.

My Mustang has similar stuff happening--but it took over twenty years to do so.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

Yep!!
Seen his other post?? All in his first day!!

The problem with Fenders? I don't have more of them.

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Don't worry, Be happy.

I have a 93 SRV wich I play ALOT. Had it refretted in 98,crowned last year thats it. play with a really heavy hand, although I have lightened up considerably in the past couple years! not as angry I guess! I gotta say I truely Love my SRV. Also a good tech can make all the difference. Rock on brothers and sisters.