Its not super common but it really should be. Believe it or not, fret size can also affect the intonation of your guitar. The top of the T is the crown of the fret, and the smaller piece under it is the tang. Personally, I dont think the tonal claims hold too much water but, if you hear it, great. As with anything guitar-related, there will always be some pros and cons to consider when choosing gear. After all, just because the fret is taller, doesn't mean that the string tension is any higher. "Yeah we should definitely jam some time". This is incredibly hard to quantify, as its impossible to quickly change the frets on a guitar so that the tone can be properly compared. A little taller and wider than narrow/low wire. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. This also helps to slow down fret wear. Best bang for your buck guitar right now. Some of their guitars featured really low and wide frets. Pretty much every fret on pretty much every guitar out there is nickel silver. (or some other way with no tone pot). Look at the end of a piece of fret wire or look at the edge of a guitar fretboard that doesnt have binding. Also called jumbo fret wire. If you can find someone to do it, of course. It has narrow tall frets. The part of the fret that goes into the slot is called the tang, and the part that sits on top of the fingerboard is called the crown. When we talk about fret sizes, were only talking about the crown. I've never considered myself heavy-handed, nor do I grip the neck with my whole hand or use my thumb, but I am a stickler for intonation, & I'll be damned if I could get either of them to play/sound in tune (even after factory set up from actual manufacturer). I ordered my Strat style Surh with "heavy" frets which are on the tall side. Close to the frets used on some pre-war acoustic guitars. Fe, Recently, I had the opportunity to sit with Olene Walker, Utahs 15th Governor, in her lovely St. George home to talk about teacher leadership in education. This makes it last longer than regular frets without being so hard to work as stainless. Guitar Parts Guitar We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. Randall Hughes. This small wire is popular for mandolins and ukuleles. Lets have a look at some of them, and what they mean for your guitars playability. The crown sits on top of the fingerboard and is what the strings vibrate against. I definitely prefer the latterit's just so easy to play. Feedback should be considered a coach that helps us reduce the discrepancy between our current and desired outcomes (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). He couldn't tell me what size, just "the biggest guitar frets they had". A lot of players prefer the smoother feel of lower frets. On the other hand, Taller frets will help keep your fingertips off the surface of the fingerboard and reduce friction and resistance as you play. Now, dont worry about them any more. Also, the best test would be if the same figures were played with the different frets. In the 80s "jumbo" frets were all the rage. These are beefy frets and not for everyone. Let me know in the comments!! Damn, its hard. This can give the feeling of playing on glass, and it means that fret wear is almost non-existent. If you have a heavy touch and you find yourself needing to get frets re-crowned or replaced regularly, then stainless steel might be the answer youre looking for. The part number can be helpful for cross-referencing fret wire between different suppliers. Is agree. If you want to go down the stainless route, itll almost certainly cost you more but, if you have to refret or level often, it might be worth it. Electric basses tend to use large frets to counter some fret wear caused by their heavier strings. Its on the wider end of the medium width wires and has more height. That makes getting clear articulation much easier. Because of this, the frets can have a huge impact on the feel, playability, and setup of your instrument. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Lower and narrower frets can give better intonation than larger ones. It's just worth considering the possibility that a lighter more controlled touch is something that can be learned, and something that many players have. Does it really matter that much? Wider frets will generally last longer than narrow ones. You want the tang to have a snug fit in the fret slot but not be super tight. Most instruments come with a medium width wire and, while whats considered standard seems to have been getting slightly wider in recent years, a medium width and height wire is still very common. UPDATE: The first 8 frets on this guitar are stainless steel, so what you are watching is two notes on regular fret wire and two on stainless steel, played on each string. Copyright 2022 Seymour Duncan. The downside is that you really have to play with a lighter touch or you'll tend to go sharp. Still takes the same amount of pressure pushing down on the string to make it go sharp, right? I had a guy refret it , he ruined it putting jumbo acoustic frets on it ! Given that there are pros and cons to wide or narrow, short or tall frets, how do we choose? Thats what sits on top of the fingerboard and thats what your string contacts when you play. I had my old strat with small frets refretted years ago with Jumbos. JavaScript is disabled. Thanks for reading, and see you at the next one! The tang measurement is a little trickier, though. Humbucker I have three Les Paul Customs from the 70s-80s. When the frets are low and you press down on the string, the finger contacts the fingerboard much more than higher frets which keeps you from pushing the string down far enough to cause it to go sharp. For more info on different fret materials and their durability, check out my other post linked below!! Some manufacturers will list the thickness of the tang, while others list the length of the tang. If thats your thing, you can read more about bar frets). This gave the fretboards of these guitars a very smooth, slinky feel. Pay close attention to the thickness of the fret tang. Do you like larger or smaller fret wire on your guitars?? From reading I went to writing. Thats tangs and barbs. Its now relatively rare to see guitars with narrow, short frets outside of the classical sphere. The crown is the business part of the fret. Whether youre doing a re-fret or planning a full-on custom guitar build, you need to think about what. Right away I knew I was talking to the right person. However, everything discussed here would also apply to any other fretted, stringed instrument. Well worth it for me, and I haven't noticed any tradeoffs or disadvantages with the bigger frets. A little taller and wider than medium/medium. This isnt, Most suppliers will list the dimensions of fret wire in thousandths of an inch. I have a couple of strats with small frets and a couple with larger frets. Stainless, Nickel Silver, EVO. For our purposes here, were just interested in the crown. Measuring the height and width of a fret is pretty straightforward. Let me explain: We didnt have too many books in the migrant, Question: I have taught elementary and currently teach middle school language arts. IMO, there is a meatier, ballsier feel off the large frets. Also, because taller frets offer less resistance than lower frets, some players will play with a lighter touch on tall frets. Right. Stew Mac Part #0147, Medium/Medium .084 wide/ .039tall/ .055 tang. Believe it or not, fret size can also affect the intonation of your guitar. That was a super fast, down and dirty, whistle stop tour of fret properties. In this post, well be focusing mainly on guitars. Now for fret width. Guitar Gear Again, well disregard some of the less common things like brass and concentrate of the two (no, three) materials youll come across most often. If he notes are going sharp, you should check your technique. This gave an incredibly slinky feel when sliding up and down the fingerboard. Tall frets can make it a little easier to play high notes (17th fret and above, especially bending notes). This can, in turn, make bending harder, because you have to move your finger across the wood to make the bend. However, you shouldnt have to force the frets into place either. I think what you may have experienced is that when you put jumbos in place of vintage the bridge saddle must be raised to compensate which in my experience can and often does exactly what you described. It can completely change how you feel about the guitar! Acoustic Guitar The first one is my nashville tele, with very narrow, tall frets. Is it possible to change a pickups' tone via a 3 way mini toggle switch and no tone pot? Guitar Setup You dont have this problem with low frets. The second reason is that as frets wear down, the intonation of the guitar can shift slightly. Nickel silver is an alloy of copper, zinc, and nickel. Would love your thoughts, please comment. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. There is also an argument that stainless steel frets change the tone. Apologies for this the first 8 frets on the guitar are stainless steel. Now, this could get pretty in depth but Im going to keep it at a higher level to avoid dragging you too far into the weeds. I want to tell you something that isnt in that book I wrote but I want you to know. This article written by Gerry Hayes and first published at hazeguitars.com, Solving Intonation Problems (Free Download). I would wager that was the difference. I suspect itd be more popular if: A. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Within these categories, there is some variation here and there but you can easily get a feel for whats being described. I cant tell what a jumbo fret is from this article. I'm getting better at it but it still happens occasionally and its really annoying. Tall frets are good for bends. Not all repairers and luthiers like working with stainless because it makes life much more difficult than it needs to be and these people are human too; just like you they want as little pain and stress in their lives as possible. Also, everything disused here is just guidelines, and nothing is set in stone. You probably know, but you have to begin every discussion of nickel silver with the disclaimer that theres no actual silver in it its just a name. Its definitely worth trying these out to see if you like them first as, like so much in the world of guitars, in the final analysis its a purely personal preference. Taller (whether wide or narrow) frets gain you more control over vibrato and bending but in turn demand more control from the player. Think of the barbs like little hooks that help to hold the fret in place in the wood. Durability has a lot to do with the materials the frets are made of but fret size also plays a part as well. Recently, I heard from a former student of mine, Ashley. Hi there. From the outside, InTech seems like any other small charter school. http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/FretSize.aspx. There are various properties of the frets that can really change how the guitar plays. Some older guitars also use narrow wire but you wont come across it much. I love them but I've also seen them drive some heavy handed players a bit crazy. More people knew about it andB. Harder frets for blues bends or they will wear badly , I had a 1966 LP custom that scalloped the fret board out as only a thin wire was left but it still played lol ! This is more of a beginners article. In this post, well be going over how to choose the correct size fret wire for your next guitar build! In fact, this is why Gibson experimented with what they called the fretless wonder back in the 1970s. I'm finding it hard to put into words, but it sort of encourages me to grab the neck and wrangle notes out of the guitar with more gusto than the small frets. On a Taylor fretted 1-10 stainless, the difference was greatest at the first few frets, then diminished as you approached the transition. With the tall frets it seems like it's easy to press down and make the notes go sharp. She certainly understands and emulates leadership. Frets are cut from fret wire, which comes on a roll. This isnt all of the sizes available but should be enough for you to get a good overview. Other more common frets will fall into these categories: Medium wire has been the workhorse fret wire. Am i being too picky in regards to a dead spot on a suhr? The width of the fret is a measure of how wide the T shaped part of the fret is. At first I thought they had been crowned and that there may need to be a refretting. Also similar to the smaller frets on some older banjos and other folk instruments. The frets height is a measure of how high the top of the crown is above the fingerboard. Not onky have I been plahing since I was 15 I alhave been working on them since I was 12. The newest version is due to be released this June, and I have been asked many questions regarding the changes and my observations concerning possible adoption and training. One guy says skinnies bend good. Next time youre getting a refret, or buying a new axe, be aware of all your options when it comes to frets. On a modern metal-style guitar, however, you might find very tall frets so tall in fact that your finger doesnt touch the fingerboard at all when playing! Most suppliers will list the dimensions of fret wire in thousandths of an inch. When it comes to width, you can have narrow, medium, and wide frets. To understand how we talk about fret sizes, we first need to understand the anatomy of a fret. Hand-built instruments. Heres a video that might help you compare the sound personally, I cant hear any difference. So, with those out of the way, heres what the frets youll encounter will look like: The tang is the bit that inserts in the fingerboard fret slots. There are a few different specs to consider, such as materials and profiles, but the essential thing to consider is the size of the fret wire. Stew Mac Part # 0150. Or dimensions. Playing on a guitar with tall frets almost feels like playing on a slightly scalloped fretboard. Height can be categorised as low, medium, and high (actually, StewMac also has a highest section for some fret wires). http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/FretSize.aspx, The Seymour Duncan Green Magic Humbucker Pickup Set, Meet the Seymour Duncan 78 Model Humbucker Pickup, Seymour Duncans 7 Best-Selling Pickups (Over the Last Five Years! Yeah, yeah, yeah. What is feedback and how can it help? It may not display this or other websites correctly. A wider fret will wear more slowly and go longer without needing re-crowning. The height of the fret is probably the most important measurement to pay attention to, but more on that later! The anchor point for the string starts to shift from the center of the fret towards the front edge of the fret. Drove me INSANE. This is because lower frets allow your fingertips to contact the fingerboard more than higher frets. I used to refret my vintage style necks with low wide wire so the height was the same but more metal, and the tone never changed at all. There are three measurements to pay attention to when shopping for fret wire. Guitar Electronics I like larger frets, less finger drag on the fretboard for cleaner playing and easier bending. The downside is that you really have to play with a lighter touch or you'll tend to go sharp. Stew Mac Part #0764, Narrow/Medium .080 wide/ .040 tall/ .062 tang. How To The second is a Squier CV tele 50swith lower wider frets. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. This is one of the reasons why a lot of shredders prefer jumbo frets. They may also list a general size such as Short, High, Narrow, etc., along with the manufactures part number. It just depends on how tall they are. Do the sums. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Height and width play a big part in how your guitar or bass feels to play. How do Cattell-Horn-Carroll (CHC) Factors relate to reading difficulties? When you play on lower frets, your fingers are stopped by the fretboard before you can bend the strings sharp. One guy says skinnies go sharp. It may not display this or other websites correctly. It plays a lot easier, and I still have a pretty low action. Videos kinda useless. This post contains affiliate links. If youd like to know what the different dimensions hit me up 9n facebook. When you purchase a product through one of our affiliate links, we get paid a referral at no extra cost to you. Fret height is more a matter of personal preference than anything. Dont forget that sharing is caring!! However, some players have been known to fret their basses with, Also, because taller frets offer less resistance than lower frets, some players will play with a, Finally, tall frets have more room to be dressed down and. Overview of the WJ III Discrepancy and Variation Procedures WJ III Case Study Examples W, I didnt know what a city reading program was. Later. Also, be sure to grab your Free Electric Guitar Setup Guide below! A friend of mine just had his AVRI Stratocaster refretted with some seriously large frets. I've gotten used to it but I'm wondering what other fret styles are like. However, theres a reasonably large sector of guitars that are meant for fast or heavy playing that use jumbo frets. Academic language is the language of textbooks, in classrooms, and on tests. If you play with a heavy fretting hand, the notes may go slightly sharp. I really like EVO wire. The vast majority of frets are made of nickel silver, which, bizarrely enough, contains no silver. My previously warm and meaty strat was now super bright and harsh. Finally, tall frets have more room to be dressed down and re-leveled when the frets do wear down. Guitar Neck Theres far too much to cover in that. Same applies to EVO. The main differences with stainless steel frets are that they are harder and smoother. So before we can go over fret wire sizes, we have to know how to measure it first! Bass I just had my acoustic re-fretted with jumbo frets instead of the traditional small ones it was made with. Such as.. Fret height is probably the most important thing to consider from a playability and comfort standpoint. Consider just a few categories for height and width. The upside for me is that you can play with a much lighter touch and still make solid contact with the fret. Stew Mac Part # 0152, Wide/Low .106 wide/ .036 tall/ .074 tang. Its not into the wide or jumbo territory but has a bit more meat to it. My ES-137 & 335 both have large frets/higher action which seem better for more accurate single note playing (less chance of inadvertently touching a second string causing unwanted notes). This is more pronounced on wider frets because they have more room to wear and shift the intonation point forward. They may also list a general size such as , The sizes and part numbers listed below are for fret wire offered by, There are a few different points to consider concerning, large frets to counter some fret wear caused by their heavier strings. I've owned 2 guitars with jumbo frets and both had to go. Youd think thatd be good enough for anyone but, no. Guitar Tech I have osteoarthritis in both hands, larger frets are easier on my fingers. Wide/Low wire can also be useful when doing partial re-fret jobs on guitars with worn-out jumbo frets. Frets made of stainless will definitely last longer. If you get them large enough, your fingers aren't touching wood. So before we can go over fret wire sizes, we have to know how to measure it first!