Vintage frets - are they good then?

[Engl Kramer]

I've seen people here expressing a preference for small frets, but never providing any info on why that's their preference - can you explain why you prefer smaller frets and what you feel they give your playing/tone.

 

I've always favoured guitars with frets like tide breakers.

I love the sustain and the smooth bends/vibrato.

 

Before I sold my MIM strat though, I was really enjoying the vintage style frets and felt them to be part of the guitars expressiveness and tone.

Not sure how much of that was down to the fact that it was a strat and therefore different from anything I'd previously had.

 

If you prefer em tell me about it.

[o.versteer]

My two CS relics have vintage frets. They sound and play great. However, when the time comes to have them refretted, I'll go jumbo. I just prefer bigger frets overall.

 

I guess that didn't add much to the discussion

[Hotrod Lincoln]

I've come to the conclusion that I hate medium jumbo frets. It feels like I have to play light to keep chords from going out of tune. I get a little woudn up when i'm playing and press harder and some stuff just sounds bad because of that slight warble of being off pitch

[Les Paul Lover]

It

[Engl Kramer]

Yeah it definately felt awkward to begin with.

My guitars are each very different in terms of neck size and shape and general ergonomics but the frets and the Fender neck shape were a challenge to get to grips with each time I picked it up.

I liked it though! I would like to have had longer to see if it was something I would have got used to or whether it was always going to be tough.

 

It seemed to be a guitar that enabled me to (scuse the guitarist cliche) really dig in, and to allow a lot of dynamic control with both hands- but again I don't know how much was down to other factors like maple neck, construction etc.

[chuck1016]

 

I've come to the conclusion that I hate medium jumbo frets. It feels like I have to play light to keep chords from going out of tune. I get a little woudn up when i'm playing and press harder and some stuff just sounds bad because of that slight warble of being off pitch

 

 

That hadn't occurred to me, but it makes sense! I'm a pretty heavy-handed player and I get the same thing. Different positions on the neck will sound just slightly out of tune, I play it softly to check it and it's in tune. I figured I was either crazy or somehow pulling a string.

 

I have three electrics and they have Jumbo, Med. Jumbo, and Large frets. The most comfortable to me are the Large. I feel the wood of the neck more and sliding from one position to the next is smoother than with the Jumbos.

[sxyryan]

I don't have a problem with feel or playability so much, but they seem to wear faster than the bigger kind.

 

So if at all possible, I aim for mediums, but vintage frets aren't a dealbreaker.

[guitarcapo]

I hate tiny frets. They wear out quicker. I also hate the feel of having to press harder to avoid buzzing and being stopped by the fretboard. The only thing good is that sometimes you can get better intonation with them if they are more accurately placed. But that's a big if.

[arclite]

I used to have a preference, but now I'll play whatever came on the guitar. My left hand technique has developed over the years and to the point where I feel comfortable adapting to most fret and neck radius sizes. If and when I re-fret my guitars they'll get the same size they came with when new. Usually Fender "Vintage" or Gibson "Medium Jumbo".

 

So this message disappears in 11 hours and 6 minutes?

[Brian Krashpad]

 

So this message disappears in 11 hours and 6 minutes?

 

 

That, and the world as we know it will cease to exist.

[ashasha]

I prefer mediums myself. But to be honest it doesn't bother me either way.

[chadd]

 

I've come to the conclusion that I hate medium jumbo frets. It feels like I have to play light to keep chords from going out of tune. I get a little woudn up when i'm playing and press harder and some stuff just sounds bad because of that slight warble of being off pitch

 

 

I'm a little heavy with my left hand and feel the same way about the larger frets.

[arclite]

 

That, and the world as we know it will cease to exist.

 

 

We both joined May 2001.

 

"Who-da thunk?"

[flummox]

Given a choice I prefer jumbos, but it takes me maybe two minutes to get used to the vintage ones.

[jtr654]

I play and like them all Small vintage frets intonate better.

[sonvolt]

It all depends on how you play, etc. Vintage frets aren't for me though.

[schoolie1]

The 6105 frets are a nice compromise.

[cratz2]

I have a couple strats with vintage frets, some with medium jumbos, two with 6105s and a Highway One neck with jumbos. I like them interchangeably though if I were to order another Warmoth, I'll still go with stainless 6105s.

 

[Angry Tele]

I love them! I despise speed bumps.

[ashasha]

Given a choice I prefer jumbos, but it takes me maybe two minutes to get used to the vintage ones.

He's gained some weight over the years as we all have, but I don't think that he likes to be called jumbo.

 

 

And vintage Frets99 was young and silly at times.