I just don't remember them being around when I started playing in the late 70's. I sort of cut my musical teeth on the low or shallow fret set-ups. They just seem to play so much smoother and faster.

I was told that some guys like them so they can get a better grip to put vibrato on some chords.

I think there is a connection to fast playability. I could be wrong but
there was a time when it was a somewhat popular practice to scallop the
fretboards between the frets. I think Yngwie Malmsteen scallopped his.
Don't know for sure but jumbo frets I reckon raise the contact height of the string/fret from the fretboard so as to reduce contact with the fretboard and thus allow faster transitions. That's my theory.

I play on three Strats and 2 of them have Jumbo frets. Personally I like the ease in transition and bending using jumbo frets. I also do not have to press as hard to get a note to ring out. Also if you do not dig your strings into the neck, it causes less wear than lower frets.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

i have to play on jumbo frets. i have two hwy 1 strats and an american special strat as well as a scalloped warmoth strat all with jumbo frets. i just find that you can bend easier and have more control of the string. i also think i prefer jumbo's due to my overly large hands. i don't really know but i like em'. traded my new usa standard for a usa special because of the size of frets.

i'v got vintage frets on mine.
Honestly, it doesn't bother me, i figure that you will get used to anything provided you play it enough.

I have small hands but prefer jumbo frets any day of the week.

They allow you to bend easier and put less pressure on the strings.

If you mash strings, you'll hate them because you will press all notes sharp. Jumbo frets are smooth and fast in my opinion. I love them.

Hey, that's a good point to ponder because players who play acoustics
are more apt to mash strings thus may explain the common medium jumbo frets. Easier intrument adaptability.
I played a scalloped fretboard once and noted while it was easier to play
faster, it was also easier to sharpen notes.
Definitely would demand that you learn finger pressure control.
Although I am not a particular fan of Malmsteen's, he can sure play real
good and I had heard that he also had excellent stringbending control so as not bend sharp or flat.

I have vintage and jumbos. I prefer jumbo.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Put me down for vintage frets on a 7¼" radius.

Jumbos on a flat board feel like speedbumps in a Tastee-Freeze parking lot.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I prefer jumbo's for ease of bending and just all around better accuracy. I used to have a Malmsteen strat so that taught me to develop a lighter touch, so no more pushing the notes sharp. They are easier (for me) to play faster on as well.

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The mind is like a parachute; it doesn't work unless its open-FZ

I don't think jumbo frets make a difference with bends, it all feels the same to me. The down side to jumbo frets is when you press down to hard it easily knocks the strings out of tune. I compensate for this by tuning to fretted notes on the 3rd fret with the amount of pressure I play with. It may mess up the open string tuning but I hardly ever play open notes anyways.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

I have a Strat with the Dunlop 6105 frets that I guess could be called jumbo...I don't care for them,like Retroverbial said they feel like speed bumps.
I guess it's all in what you get used to,give me vintage frets anyday...I can bend to wherever I need to on those.

That's one of the primary reasons I took to building my own guitars. That, and I don't care for the "uni-rout" swimming pools under the pickguard, 22-fret necks, two-point trems, and all the rest of the recent "player-inspired enhancements".

That said, I think it's a good thing that FMIC offers the flatter boards with jumbos since a lot of the younger players prefer them, especially those who switch regularly from Gibson to Fender instruments and back again.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Another for the vintage camp. Got med-jum's on four of my guitars and had to grind em down. Far too deep and felt like I was playing on railway sleepers, or a skeletal ribcage.

Now if only I could do something about the width of the things. I reckon I'm close to losing 1/4" of exposable maple across the board of one guitar.

High/fat frets make no difference at all to a well set up guitar when it comes to bending. It's just more marketing hype. Reason being your action is set from the tops of your frets and not the wood of the fingerboard. Infact the wood of the fingerboard has absolutely nothing to do with fretted notes. The string never touches the fingerboard wood of a fretted instrument. The flesh of your finger may, the string doesnt. Unless you tune your .009"s down to B or something.

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No no and no

I guess that I'm old school too....vintage tuners, frets and valves.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!