Members Dr. Porkchop Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 Lets say you play a few hours a week on one guitar. How long should the frets hold up before they need work or replacing? Kind of like the tootsie roll pop question I know, but just ball park estimate. I have a pos washburn that I've had for about ten years, and there are some grooves in a few of the frets. Does anyone make a non wearing fret wire? Seems like in these days of titanium and high tech polymers and what not, that it shouldnt be too hard to make a fret wire that would last indefinately.
Members riffmeister Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 stainless steel frets are very hard and long-lasting.
Members brahmz118 Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 I have stainless steel frets on my Emerald and I really like them. I've read arguments that they lead to string breakage, but so far that hasn't happened to me.
Members min7b5 Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 Originally posted by riffmeister stainless steel frets are very hard and long-lasting. I thing Parker guitars use all stainless. I've often wondered why more don't use them.... I go through frets like crazy.
Members knockwood Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 Originally posted by min7b5 I thing Parker guitars use all stainless. I've often wondered why more don't use them.... I go through frets like crazy. I think the primary issue is that they wear the hell out of the tools needed to work 'em. Probably less of a problem for a mass production environment than for a small shop situation. If I ever get around to building guitars, I would like to use stainless but the expense and PITA of constantly replacing tools would have to be a consideration.
Members Freeman Keller Posted January 9, 2007 Members Posted January 9, 2007 Here is what LMI says about stainless "More and more builders are using stainless steel fretwire because of its resistance to wear and its playability, so LMI has decided to carry stainless in our most popular sizes. More difficult to use due its hardness, stainless fretwire is not for everyone. Our experience is that it is much harder on your tools. There are two schools of thought on how to combat this. 1) buy less expensive tools and go through more of them 2) buy expensive tools and they
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