Crystal frets?

[Vrad]

Wyle E. Coyote..superrrr geniuss.....

 

[shreder75]

ya know, if they're going to charge that much for 'perfect' tone, they should have a vid to prove it.....that old dude with the walrus moustache playing barre chords on his LP really ain't proving that they nailed the price point

 

[Vrad]

ya know, if they're going to charge that much for 'perfect' tone, they should have a vid to prove it.....that old dude with the walrus moustache playing barre chords on his LP really ain't proving that they nailed the price point

Yumpin' Yimminy!

 

[shreder75]

ya know, if they're going to charge that much for 'perfect' tone, they should have a vid to prove it.....that old dude with the walrus moustache playing barre chords on his LP really ain't proving that they nailed the price point

Yumpin' Yimminy!

holy shit...I've got no words...NO WORDS!

 

[Vrad]

ya know, if they're going to charge that much for 'perfect' tone, they should have a vid to prove it.....that old dude with the walrus moustache playing barre chords on his LP really ain't proving that they nailed the price point

Yumpin' Yimminy!

holy shit...I've got no words...NO WORDS!

Firing up the wayback machine... LOL!

 

[shreder75]

HHHHHHHHHAHAHAahhaAHaH

 

[rsm]

So is tone in the frets now?

My ears would likely not hear the difference. If your ears do, and it works and you can afford it I'd say go for it. Like anything else, it is up to the individual to decide what something is worth to them.

<rant>

Just because something is expensive (relatively) or inexpensive (relatively) does not mean it is or is not worth it to someone. And If they want to spend their money on something they want why do you care enough judge someone at any level?

I don't get that line of reasoning...you may not want it, be able to afford it or justify it, but why ridicule someone who does and can? Sounds like income class jealousy to me. Slippery slope to envy, socialism, etc. Sounds like demoncrat thinking. If you can't afford something, and someone else can...who's fault is that? Putting other's down really make you feel better about yourselves?

</rant>

I may see if I can go with "depleted uranium" frets given it's density, though I would have to consider the possible health effects, it may save a few grand?

 

[sinfish]

They are pretty but what about the metal on metal from the bridge and locking nut? So how can they claim there is no distortion from metal on metal when it has not changed and is still present. So now they will have to make a crystal nut and saddles. I don't buy it and will not buy it at 7 grand.
MORE MAGIC BEANS

What don't you buy?

I may not agree with the distortion claims at face value but the sustain and lifetime of use CAN be assumed based on science.

I see your point about the nut an bridge! I suspect they'll design guitars around theses frets with zero frets and at least crystal saddles.

Lifetime of use? My wife has had crystal figurines much thicker than a fret wire and I have seen them break just by being tipped over. Quickly grabbing a guitar by the neck out of the stand or using a tremolo slightly bends the neck especially if it is Mahogany or another soft wood. A little neck flex is unavoidable and with wood and metal there is forgiveness There is almost no forgiveness with Crystal.

I am sure scientifically you can claim greater sustain from Crystal frets. But by doing so you are forgetting the other factor in the equation the soft fleshy tissue holding the string to the fret that acts like a dampener to string vibration.

No doubt crystal frets a beautiful. I could see having them on collector grade acoustic guitars that never leave the studio. I have nothing but doubts on gigging instruments. I think Titanium frets would be a better idea.

 

[rupe]

given the laws of density.

The only "laws of density" at work here apply to the brains of people who buy into this crap.

Says you, if money were no object to me and these live up to the claims, i would.

Oh, and my Mensa card illustrates the density of my brain just fine thank you.


I wonder if the posts would be less inflammatory if the price was say; $200. I tend to believe the people freaking over the cost so much are the ones who cannot afford them and never could. If money were no object to you it would only be about the results in the end.

If those results prove the claims then this is the next step forward for guitar frets. I suspect if the density proves to increase sustain the race will be on to produce fordable material denser than the metal currently used.

Oooooh, a Mensa card! Color me impressed. So you were tested as having a high IQ as youngster and mommy & daddy paid for you to join an elitist club. PM me if you want to know how I know about it...I don't talk about things like that in the open. It's kinda like bragging about how much something costs or how much you make...a bit classless IMO.

Back on point. How much appreciable difference do you really think crystal frets are going to make in regards to sustain? I have plenty of well built guitars that have all the sustain that I could ever want. Depending on the amplified tone that I'm using, I can have near endless sustain. Just how long do you want to hold a note?
Basically, we as guitarists come up with some pretty silly ideas in the never ending chase for tone. The vast majority of them have very little meaningful impact all things considered. I would love to see a comparison in this case of "crystal frets" vs. increased headstock mass for additional sustain...I know where I'd put my money. In the end it's just splitting hairs for negligible (or perhaps marginal at best) gains. Every once in a while something truly meaningful is discovered...I'm willing to bet that this ain't it.

 

[rupe]

Wyle E. Coyote..superrrr geniuss.....

 

[Vrad]

given the laws of density.

The only "laws of density" at work here apply to the brains of people who buy into this crap.

Says you, if money were no object to me and these live up to the claims, i would.

Oh, and my Mensa card illustrates the density of my brain just fine thank you.


I wonder if the posts would be less inflammatory if the price was say; $200. I tend to believe the people freaking over the cost so much are the ones who cannot afford them and never could. If money were no object to you it would only be about the results in the end.

If those results prove the claims then this is the next step forward for guitar frets. I suspect if the density proves to increase sustain the race will be on to produce fordable material denser than the metal currently used.

Oooooh, a Mensa card! Color me impressed. So you were tested as having a high IQ as youngster and mommy & daddy paid for you to join an elitist club. PM me if you want to know how I know about it...I don't talk about things like that in the open. It's kinda like bragging about how much something costs or how much you make...a bit classless IMO.

Back on point. How much appreciable difference do you really think crystal frets are going to make in regards to sustain? I have plenty of well built guitars that have all the sustain that I could ever want. Depending on the amplified tone that I'm using, I can have near endless sustain. Just how long do you want to hold a note?
Basically, we as guitarists come up with some pretty silly ideas in the never ending chase for tone. The vast majority of them have very little meaningful impact all things considered. I would love to see a comparison in this case of "crystal frets" vs. increased headstock mass for additional sustain...I know where I'd put my money. In the end it's just splitting hairs for negligible (or perhaps marginal at best) gains. Every once in a while something truly meaningful is discovered...I'm willing to bet that this ain't it.

I was tested for mental retardation... The tests were... inconclusive....

 

[rottingcorpse]

last time i used crystal i played guitar for 3 days straight. played really fast too. didn't cost $7,000.

if stainless steel frets make a guitar brighter, i would have to remove the treble knob on my amp to use these frets.

and what happens when you add gain and volume? then you score that choice feedback harmonic? shattered fretboard. woo-hoo!!! ultimate stage show!! "man, that dude tore his guitar up!!"

 

[Deleted member 3860]

...

 

['63-Strat]

Kind of like those silver duncan pickups, I could see these being "better" in some ways but at the same time so what? None of my favorite recorded tones were made with guitars with crystal frets and they came out just fine, most of those tones made with pretty standard, or sometimes pretty old stand stuff with vintage-focused guys like EJ and SRV for ex. I'd be interested in trying them but $7000 can be used in a lot better ways than a fret job IMO, though as said if money were no object I guess my opinion might be different.

 

[Shark Diver]

SEVEN GRAND???
some douche with too much money

You can never be too rich or too thin.

At that price they should at least be compensated frets.

I might buy a guitar that already had them, but I doubt I'd refret with them. Simply because I would like to hear/feel the results before I committed to them.

 

[Deleted member 10619]

Stainless steel frets: Extra durability, smooth feel, brighter tone.

Crystal frets: They look horrible

 

[glpg80]

there is a reason they use quartz for crystals to run clocks for processors. by how thick you cut them depends on the resonate frequency of that cut when a voltage is subjected to that slab.

the fact that nothing can wear down quartz or cut them except lasers and diamonds, im pretty sure it will be the last refret and last fret job you would ever have on that guitar. ever. period. hell you couldnt even polish the bastards unless you went to a diamond shop.

the fact that quartz has significant resonate properties is nothing new to the market, but this, this is ingenious. it will basically be a transparent means to getting the most out of the guitar woods.

i would not do it to a guitar that did not already have great resonate/tonal properties to begin with. but on a suhr or tom anderson guitar that was well built, i'd spend the money on it no problem. quartz at a molecular level is very complete as well - it would be like playing on butter.

i have studied quartz in detail in the electronics field and i work around clocks that have resonate frequencies easily into the 50Mhz range all day long - quartz is extremely resonate when it is introduced to a current/voltage.

all of you guys can say what you would like, but i would definately consider this an option over SS frets on a high end main guitar that i did not have any intentions on selling. i could play as hard as i would like and in 10 years never need another fret dress, re-fret, or worry about using steel strings wearing down frets.

i consider it no more of an option than a $400 titanium resonate block for floyd's. when i own some high end guitars i would definately consider it.

as far as the price goes?

well, thats up to each person to disconcern. is it high? yes. i would like to see it closer to $half its current price, around $150 a fret which is more reasonable considering the labor involved here.

welcome to someone who figured out the tool and die machining to do it for guitars, and has the means to getting high quality quartz in quantities. you could always try to figure it out yourself, but i say fuck that

 

[ke2]

Lifetime of use? My wife has had crystal figurines much thicker than a fret wire and I have seen them break just by being tipped over. Quickly grabbing a guitar by the neck out of the stand or using a tremolo slightly bends the neck especially if it is Mahogany or another soft wood. A little neck flex is unavoidable and with wood and metal there is forgiveness There is almost no forgiveness with Crystal.

I am sure scientifically you can claim greater sustain from Crystal frets. But by doing so you are forgetting the other factor in the equation the soft fleshy tissue holding the string to the fret that acts like a dampener to string vibration.

No doubt crystal frets a beautiful. I could see having them on collector grade acoustic guitars that never leave the studio. I have nothing but doubts on gigging instruments. I think Titanium frets would be a better idea.

So fucking this!!
The harder most materials become, the more brittle they get. (Diamond frets!!?!?!?!?)

More snake oil every year, because people are too lazy to sit down and practice to sound amazing with a Squier and a Bugera.

 

[ke2]

Kind of like those silver duncan pickups, I could see these being "better" in some ways but at the same time so what? None of my favorite recorded tones were made with guitars with crystal frets and they came out just fine, most of those tones made with pretty standard, or sometimes pretty old stand stuff with vintage-focused guys like EJ and SRV for ex. I'd be interested in trying them but $7000 can be used in a lot better ways than a fret job IMO, though as said if money were no object I guess my opinion might be different.

Most of the guys that made me wanna play, did it with a Boogie, a Laney or a Marshall.
And they did it with a Fender, a Gibson or an Ibanez.

If money was no object, I'd send 7000 to Haiti, and keep playing Nickel, or maybe upgrade to SS

 

[Ola Englund]

Can't wait when they take this even further and announce: Crystal Strings! No need to refret your guitar!