Stainless steel frets - Best Frets and Michael Tuttle

[Grant Harding]

I've had my Anderson for a year and a half and play it an average of 30 minutes a day (with 10's) and I can't see any wear yet. I bend lots too. I'm sold.

[aerorockjax]

Switching to stainless steel frets at least of some guitars would be a great move for Gibson. They have lost some reputation on quality over the years and this would be a solid step (if done right) in helping the gibson stand for solid quality guitars (that can withstand countless years hard playing). Of course if their warrantee covered frets who would care but then they would have to spend tons of refreting guitars frequently. However, it would be a great move for other guitar companies too and would give a competitive advantage.

 

For guitarists that play long, hard, and bend strings alot (perhaps excessively) it causes frets wear down fast even within a few years or less. To play its best you need to get frets leveled and dressed every so often and then refrets.. That can get expensive and really reflects badly on the guitar company for using such soft fret metal. The wear can vary since all fretwire isn't equal and guitarists style of playing vary

 

Stainless steel frets play, feel and sound as good or many times reported as better/smoother then standard fretwire. Stainless steel frets can vary in quality and some will last much longer then others but the lowest I have heard was stainless steel lasting at 4 times longer and others saying they last forever and just won't develop any wear atall.

[Forbidden]

Originally posted by Prages Not this Michael Tuttle I hope. My bad, they spell it Teutul.

 

 

Hahahaha, exactly what I was thinking when I saw this thread.

 

 

 

[TaZMaNiO]

Originally posted by aerorockjax Switching to stainless steel frets at least of some guitars would be a great move for Gibson. They have lost some reputation on quality over the years and this would be a solid step (if done right) in helping the gibson stand for solid quality guitars (that can withstand countless years hard playing). Of course if their warrantee covered frets who would care but then they would have to spend tons of refreting guitars frequently. However, it would be a great move for other guitar companies too and would give a competitive advantage. For guitarists that play long, hard, and bend strings alot (perhaps excessively) it causes frets wear down fast even within a few years or less. To play its best you need to get frets leveled and dressed every so often and then refrets.. That can get expensive and really reflects badly on the guitar company for using such soft fret metal. The wear can vary since all fretwire isn't equal and guitarists style of playing vary Stainless steel frets play, feel and sound as good or many times reported as better/smoother then standard fretwire. Stainless steel frets can vary in quality and some will last much longer then others but the lowest I have heard was stainless steel lasting at 4 times longer and others saying they last forever and just won't develop any wear atall.

 

Funny about variation in fret material...

 

I dunno what type of crap fret PRS uses, but I can burn through it 2X as fast as what Gibson uses...

 

And when dealing with non-American made guitars it's a REAL crap-shoot.

 

I've seen stuff from Korea/Japan that looked like 10% Nickel/Silver & would literally wear-out in a month for a hard-player like me (e.g. Epiphone, ESP et al.)

 

I won't even touch that crap coming-out of Red China, so I don't even know 'bout that!