Anyone else think SS frets should be standard by now?

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Vede":22an5m0x said:
I think SS frets can make a guitar acoustically brighter, so it's assumed that it will make the amplified tone brighter as well.

Never done an A/B test myself, but as a couple people on the thread have already said, the current wisdom suggests it makes no real tonal difference.

Several of my guitars have SS frets and I prefer them to nickel, primarily due to the slicker feel.
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Ive played both and did a back to back comparison as well. I think it is complete hogwash. SS frets being brighter sounding is snake oil.
 
It must depend on the guitar. I went to SS on a maple/maple 25.5" guitar w/6100. It definitely added a "plink" noise to the initial attack of the note on the clean channel. Slight buzzes that were barely audible acoustically and were not heard through the amp with nickel frets are indeed heard with the SS frets, again on the clean channel.
Vintage narrow frets like 6105 do feel much more "slippery" with stainless, though the wider fret wire like the 6100 the difference in feel is not as drastic between nickel and SS.
Its a give and take, though I do really really like that they just don't wear. I'm murder on nickel frets, I get groves in them quickly. I got two guitars right now that have been dressed too many times and need refretted as well as a third that needs to be dressed, when nickel frets start getting grooves it's harder to bend smooth.
So I'm caught in the middle, I do hear a difference and prefer the sound characteristics of nickel but love the durability and feel of SS.
 
SS frets have the same effect as putting new strings on your guitar. They add a bit of 'zing' and snappiness to the feel and acoustic sound of your guitar. I think some people take this feeling and perceive it as sounding brighter. This effect doesn't translate through the amp, in my experience.

They also make bends smooth as silk.
 
Agreed, but i think the block letter ss frets are the ones to get
 
Do they make SS frets in 6000 and 6100 sizes ? I was under the impression they didn't make them that big !

Thanks
 
screamindemon":2k2kkc25 said:
Do they make SS frets in 6000 and 6100 sizes ? I was under the impression they didn't make them that big !

Thanks
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Up to around the 6100 size, yes.
 
I've never tried ss frets, but I've been curious about them for a while now. Do nickel strings break more often on ss frets compared to nickel frets? If so, is it enough to be an issue?
 
No breakage issues that I've noticed. I find my strings don't get as dirty and grimy as they do on nickel frets. Actually, I haven't broken a string in probably 10 years or something.
 
rocknrolla":2ydo9jze said:
I'm sold. Anyone recommend a good luthier in the Denver area?
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I just sent one to Jerry at Luxxtone for a Jumbo Stainless refret. I'm playing it as I type this...Stainless is the way to go!

He did a great job and couldn't have been any nicer to deal with! :rock:
 
SS frets for me, from here on out. My Rasmus S200 is the only guitar I have that doesn't have them....and it's about to be going up on the block soon.
 
Phil Jacoby refretted one of my Wolfgangs with SS 6105 wire and set up the guitar with the Plek.

This is my main guitar, been playing it for 8 years everyday. I'm very tuned in to the tone and feel of this instrument. Changing to SS fretwire had ZERO affect on the tone of the guitar but the feel did change. Like everyone else has said the SS wire is super smooth. First time I played the guitar with the SS wire I kept bending notes sharp. Didnt take long to get used to it but theres a big difference in feel.

If I had the cash on hand I have three more guitars I would love to have refretted with SS6105 wire and plekked...
 
Yes on SS frets and locking tuners!
I've gotten lazy and I hate changing strings on my guitars with non-locking tuners.
SS frets feel awesome for bends, and it's always nice to know I won't have to worry about a refret! :lol: :LOL:
 
SS FTW!!! I too have tested the tonal differences and came up with "none". I think everybody who makes those claims is either going by what they hear acoustically or is repeating something they heard/read with no firsthand experience. Ed Roman (RIP) fanboys were a major source of this misinformation based on one of his highly opinionated (and uneducated) rants.
 
Code001":14bd4tbp said:
No breakage issues that I've noticed. I find my strings don't get as dirty and grimy as they do on nickel frets. Actually, I haven't broken a string in probably 10 years or something.
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Awesome. :thumbsup:

I'm having a neck made with a maple board. I'm going to try to change the order to ss.
 
I LOVE the feel of SS frets. The new GMW guitar I just got, is getting a SS fret upgrade. They are 6100 Jumbos.


Hey Zack:

Great speaking with you over the phone this weekend. As I mentioned over the phone, the stainless steel frets were to be installed either by today or tomorrow. So the frets are now in place, and I'll get started on the reapplication of the fretboard satin finish later tomorrow. As such, I'll have that work done by Friday so that while I'm away, Neal Moser's son can finish up the fretwork with the mill and dress. So things are moving right along.

Lee

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