I finished doing a refret this weekend on someones guitar who wanted stainless steel frets put in. It was the third one I've done using SS, and I hate them, from my point of view. The problem I see putting in stainless steel (and a problem I see happening later on with these guitars) is the rigidity of the frets. The stainless steel dont want to move out of the bend they have, no matter how much you put them down to match the radius of the neck, the ends keep wanting to pop back up. With time, I get them in, and they stay, they're level, and feel smooth to bend on. Ive done all of these within the last 4 months. Every other day I have this feeling of dread that they're all going to come back in with frets popping out. If you're putting them on a brand new neck, I dont see too much of a problem, it's the refrets that I worry about. Every time you pull frets out, and put new ones in, the wood around them get weaker and weaker. Something I experimentd with to great success is taking the nickle frets, and bending them back and forth a few times. Like bending copper tubing for your gas lines or plumbing; each time you do this, the metal gets harder and harder. I did this on a friends guitars who tours heavily. He has several guitars, but like most players, has 2 or 3 he uses most of the time. He uses 11's and 12's on them depending on what tuning he has them in. The last fret job lasted a couple years ( I know, thats a rediculously short amount of time, but he likes the small vintage style frets, and has a tight grip). He brought them to me a few weeks ago, and to my astonishment; there was very little fret wear relative to how they normally wear. Personally, i dont like the tone of SS, but thats me. This is just something to keep in mind if you're about to get a refret done and are considering SS frets.

Always a trade off. If you want something to last forever you give up something. Such as if you want your vintage frets to last you just can't play the guitar or move on to stainless steel. Refretting is always part of the gig for me. No big deal if done properly. Like buying shoes.

Thomas

Hi windwalker: I'm very interested in your post, particularly that bit. I might be doing stainless steel frets for someone later in the year and have not worked with them before. From what you're saying I guess it becomes more important to closely match the radius of the fret to that of the fingerboard before hammering them in.

I've always done that by hand, but maybe it will be time to make or buy a fret-bender to do the job with maximum accuracy with stainless steel, if their hardness does not give much margin for adjustment.

Anyway, I'm itching to have at it, just to get the experience under my belt and also to try for myself to seperate reality from myth regarding tone and feel with stainless steel.

Be fascinated to see if some the others here who do fret work will have things to contribute to this thread.

Cheers - C

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You're absolutely right about the radius. I used a press to get them in (strat necks), typically, I push them in on one side, then pull down the handle and you can feel the thwump, of them hitting home. I ended up using the bender I use with Martin fret wire to get them to the proper radius, the problem was that they want to go back to their original shape. I can most definitely hear a difference, but Im very anal about tone, to the point where while i cant tell a difference between batteries in pedals like E. Johnson, it does sometime drive me crazy. I put them in very different strats; 2 w/rosewood fretboards, one maple. the maple i heard the difference more than the rosewood, and the difference is more noticeable on single coils (one was a double fat strat). One had a slightly floating trem, the other 2 were flush, the flush you notice it more. Once you start using higher gain, the difference becomes negligable, but a lot of strat players (myself included) tend to use a cleaner signal. One more thing; if you don't do your own fret dressings, be prepared to spend more $$ getting it done, they take longer to do, and chew through tools quicker. If fret longengevity is what you're after, I'd get/make the bender, and run them through a couple times bending them back and forth, this will harden the frets, and you can keep the nickle tone. If I were to buy a guitar that had them as an option, I might be persuaded to get the S.S. frets. I really hope they stay in, no luthier/repairman wants angry clients calling them 6 months afterward saying the fret ends are popping up. Now, with more practice, or advice from people that do them more often, i may figure out a way to do it without having to worry about it, but they dont get done that often. These actually are the only 3 that were ever done at the shop, and its been there for almost 10 years now.

Hi again windwalker: that is also interesting. Even after only three fret jobs you are noticing the stainless steel ones wearing out your tools faster, huh? Anything more you want to add on that would be welcome.

I'm glad of this discussion. Even with 321,380 registered Forum users there are not many here who do fret work, let alone installation, so it is a rare thing to get to talk about. Thank you for that!

Cheers - C

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That's about it, but if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer to the best of my ability. One more bit of advice for all out there; over the last couple months, I've seen COUNTLESS acoustics coming in for split tops. This is especially true on acoustics with solid tops, and laminate back and sides. HUMIDFY YOUR ACOUSTICS DURING THE WINTER. Also, If anyone is going to order acoustics, hollow-bodies, and semi-hollows; pay the extra money to have it one or two day aired. If you order them regular ground, and you have to wait over a weekend, know that your nice new guitar is going to be sitting in a delivery truck over the weekend, outside, in very low temps. The local Guitar Center has been having to send back guitars because of cracks. NO FACTORY WARRANTY is going to cover any problems that arise from cold weather issues. Marin, Taylor, Gibson, all of them consider this to be a neglect issue. So beware.

I know exactly what I'd be telling any of the above manufacturers about neglect. That the neglect was on the part of their dealer for not shipping the guitar correctly.

Some years ago I decided I would open any package before I signed for it. If the delivery person would not let me, I simply wouldn't accept the package anyway.
It's well worth doing and puts you in a much stronger position with mail order purchases. The seller could be sending you anything. If you accept it and sign for it, you rely solely on the sellers return policy rather than law. Should anything be amiss when you do open the package.

As for stainless frets. Hmmmm I'm undecided. If they will destroy a diamond tipped fret file in minutes, what are they doing to strings?

I'm considering a fretless strat rather than refret my MIM. I've played double bass a couple of times lately. The pitch worries are really not a issue with that. You just slide up or down to correct pitch should you be sharp or flat, and it sounds great. Not sure how that would translate to guitar.

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Hi Nick: as well as the stainless steel frets I've also long been meaning to have a go with fretless necks.

I have an old Squier neck kicking about with knackered frets: the neck probably isn't worth the trouble of refretting - but it ain't a dog. So for ages I've been intending to get round to removing the frets and replacing with maple place markers (rosewood 'board). Then I'll have a quick try at fretless playing, discover I'm no good at it and then use the neck for slide from that moment on.

It's a plan - it's just getting round to this stuff that always takes me so long!

Anyway. Sooner or later...

Cheers - C

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Remember that clever chap from Egypt who used a epoxy resin to fill his fret slots?

I've not stopped thinking of that since I saw it.

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My tools werent' affected, but they will go through them much quicker than the nickle. I talk w/a friend in CT. that does a lot of them, and had to replace his tools. Now he has two sets for fret dressings. Like I said, there have only been 3 to come into this shop in 10 years, but he's done many of them. I have a feeling that the stainless steel frets wont be long for the world. You mostly see them on shred guitars. Though they eat at tools relatively quickly, there wont be a problem with strings. To the contrary, you may get a little more life out of your strings if you're someone who doesnt change them regularly. The stainless will keep their rounded crown much longer than your typical nickle, and the round crown is easier on the string than one that has worn down flat. As for fretless guitars, I havent played any, but i dont think they'd play too well, but id like to hear/play one.

The thing with fretless is that it's all down to the player. Their ability to hear.

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