My new Starcaster has 'narrow-tall' frets and so far, I really like them. You cant replace frets like you can a set of guitar strings. I suspect the information contained here will help to validate why you chose that particular guitar. They also slide up more difficult and add to the effective neck thickness. The significant drawback for blues guitarists, is that as with vintage frets, it is more difficult to bend with these frets. Before we look at different fret sizes, I think it is useful to quickly run through the anatomy of a fret. It is partly for this reason that over the years, jumbo frets have proven popular with blues guitarists playing with a heavy and physical style. Hey thanks for taking the time y'allno I get it. It was at the advice of the luthier folks I take my guitars to. This can be great for creativity and can bring out different elements of your playing. This stuff is really huge. This will help you to understand what you do and dont like. The last category of fret size worth noting is the medium jumbo. For example a typical Tele will have 1.650" nut width while the Butt Width (the width of the neck after the last fret) is 2.2". This is partly because playability is affected by a number of factors, all of which interact with one another. They had extremely low frets that have been flattened out on top and they require very little pressure to get a note to sound. 6150: Vintage jumbo. These are as follows: Refrets are expensive. It is impossible to cover all of the different situations that could affect the suitability of a refret. And this has led to these guitars being jokingly described as fretless wonders. As guitar players, we each have our own experiences with frets so I'd love to hear your thoughts, comments, and stories. In the Custom Shop catalog that I have they say it's their most popular fret on CS guitars. And that is a totally separate topic that I will cover in more detail in future. Youll be well on your way to finding the right guitar for you. frets. If you are a physical player and you really like to dig in with your fretting hand, then you might benefit from bigger frets. The width of the frets gives these guitars a very smooth playing feel. Is it comfortable to play? 6130: Medium jumbo (.106 x .036). That being said, thats something I personally get used to quick and isnt a deal killer for me. And so if you are playing at your best and can properly express yourself, then you will produce a better tone. REMEMBER! And the impact of this will be more or less pronounced, depending on the scale length of your guitar. Watch this video. 6230 fret wire is .078 wide and .043 high. Very tall frets can also prove problematic if you are a heavy handed player. Having said that, if you have quite a heavy playing style, it is easy to apply too much pressure to the strings with these frets. There is more fret material that you need to slide over. And if not, worry not! And in total they have around 20 different sizes of fret wire. However in this case, some guitarists take issue with both the height and the width of these frets. An extreme example, the Gibson Fretless Wonder. This fret will allow for easier bending and vibrato than the Short and Thin fret but still not as good as a Tall fret that buys you a little Real Estate between the fingerboard and string. This is a less intensive process and is also less expensive than a full refret. In the 1960s, a lot of Gibson guitars had low and wide frets. So you end up with a smoother playing feel, whilst potentially enjoying the benefits of a taller fret. And so if you like to dig in, very tall frets that are also narrow might not be appropriate. The one drawback is that the scalloped feel, not really touching the fingerboard with my fingertips, isnt as comfortable as with larger (much larger?) As such, it is not that common for guitars to come with jumbo frets as standard. It's the best playing neck of all my guitars. Super Jumbo. Jescars 57110 and 58118. As such, if you have a vintage guitar, then it is likely to be fitted with this type of fret wire. . As the name suggests, medium jumbo frets have dimensions that sit somewhere between modern narrow and tall frets and jumbo frets. Guitars that have them: Lots of Fender Custom Shop guitars, many American Made Fenders utilizing Narrow-Tall frets. Too tall and I am constantly out of tune with chord playing. That will help you to feel the differences between different frets. I believe Fender means narrow as vintage but taller. We just explained fret anatomy because when we talk about fret sizes, were talking only about the width and height of the crown. To talk in depth about fret wear and the different materials used to make frets is beyond the scope of this article. Do you ever just feel like you're over a certain guitar or type of guitar? And modern blues guitarists like Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Philip Sayce both of whom play a high octane style of blues guitar play with the same size frets. JavaScript is disabled. This is also because playability is linked to tone. I love the narrow tall frets on my Am Pro Strat. Individual frets are snipped to match the width of a guitars neck and hammered (lovingly tapped, more accurately) into slots pre-cut into the fingerboard. This is called the crown. , Unsplash, Rock Guitar Universe, Manchester Guitar Tech, Harmony Central, Strat Talk, Guitar Player, Fender, Guitar Gear Finder, Haze Guitars, Joe Bonamassa Forum, Strat Talk, Music Radar, Seymour Duncan, Zing Instruments, Guitar, The Art of Lutherie. And so what feels comfortable for you might feel very uncomfortable for another player. And these are as follows: 1.) When you play a guitar with shorter frets, you have to exert more pressure to play each note. Fender does not use stainless steel frets on any of its models. This makes them some of the largest frets available (although you can also get super jumbo frets, which are even bigger). An excellent and informative article, Aidan. We need a better term for "grumpy old men yelling at clouds" in the misinformation age. They use to come with Dunlop 6105 frets which were narrow jumbo. When we say frets, were talking about the thin wire strips spaced at very precise intervals along the entire length of the fingerboard; not the spaces in between the thin wire strips where your fingers actually go when youre pressing down on (or fretting) the strings. Medium Height and Medium Width frets: Jescar 47095, 47090, and 45080 are all great options. As such, a lot of modern guitars are fitted with medium jumbo frets. As I will explain in more detail throughout, different fret sizes have an impact on playability. I'm a convert now. This style is not in fashion at the moment so no manufacturers that we deal with are using them. Try out similar guitars with different fret sizes, and see what feels best. It also helps with sustain. In my opinion it doesnt make a lot of sense for the frets on your guitar to cost as much as the guitar. The same is true for many of the modern guitars that are modelled on vintage instruments from the 1950s and 60s. You are using an out of date browser. In other words, rather than being tall and narrow, vintage jumbo frets are short and wide. Test out a whole range of different fret sizes, whilst trying to keep as many other variables constant (the type of guitar you are using, the gauge of the strings etc). Guitars that have them: 70s era Gibson Fretless Wonder LP Customs, other Gibsons of the 70s and 80s saw considerable reduction in fret height but not to fretless wonder levels, some Mosrite Guitars, other assorted odd birds from the 70s. It is because of these drawbacks that a lot of players prefer to opt for medium jumbo frets. There is a wider break point where the string meets the fret. In fact, depending on the height of the frets, your fingers might not even touch the fretboard, which can give your guitar an almost scalloped feel. I speak partly from personal experience here. Firstly, it is important to note that when we talk about fret size, we are talking about the size of the fret wire. Much wider but not as tall as 6230 (.102 x .042). 6105: Modern narrow and tall; currently very popular (.090 x .055). I was trying to solve the issues of A: burned through the original skinny/small vintage style frets, B: wanted something meatier (and taller) to facilitate bending, but C: wouldnt change the sound of the guitar as a re-fretting will sometimes do, depending on the size of the fret. For now though, lets look at tone in as isolated a way as possible. You can then use this to make a more informed decision about fret size in the future. And this includes frets. I like .046 ish tall. Also, feel free to give us a call and speak to one of our Refret Specialists who can certainly help you pinpoint the right fret for your guitar. String bending is an essential part of playing effective blues lead guitar. And this is great for sliding up and down the fretboard and moving around your guitar. You cant really feel the frets under your fingers. If you like your fingers to actually touch the fingerboard when fretting the strings, frets that arent very tall like the 6130, 6150 or 6230 are for you. 1. A Medium Height and Medium Width provide great playability potential, which makes bends and vibrato easier by allowing you to get under the string easier. JavaScript is disabled. However, I am not totally convinced that either of these differences are noticeable within the context of a full rig. You are always in contact with your frets and they are vital in enabling you to create music. Each fret has to get a little longer to keep up with the widening of the fingerboard. Although they are less popular than the other fret sizes listed here, vintage jumbo frets are still one of the most common types of frets that you are likely to encounter. I have just bought the Clapton strat and had 11s fitted yes some buzz but no real issues in bending the vintage size frets which he specified. That is related to the scale length of your guitar. So you can get frets that are tall and narrow, or short and wide and so on. Be the first to know about new products, featured content, exclusive offers and giveaways. The Length of a fret is determined by its position on the fretboard. Lets say for example that you are looking to buy a Fender Stratocaster: Well, at the time of writing, you can choose between a Fender American Ultra Strat, a Professional Strat, a Performer Strat, a Player Strat, and a variety of American Original Strats. Jescar 39106, 45100, 47104. Whether you are looking to change the frets on your current guitar, or you just want to pay closer attention to the frets on the next guitar you buy, I would always recommend going to a guitar store in person. For most players, this takes many years. , Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a kind comment Nobrot I really appreciate it and I am very glad to hear you enjoyed the article! At this stage you are probably wondering which fret sizes will work best for you. Let me know how you get on in the comments, and if you have any questions, just pop them below or send me an email on [emailprotected] I am always around and happy to help! We talk about amps, guitars, pedals, pickups and strings and yet we often dont look at some of the key elements on the guitar that actually allow us to play. They are often constructed using 6105 fret wire, which is .090 wide and .055 high. This is what makes the world go 'round. Broadly speaking, there are two different sections to a fret. Applying more pressure than you need can push notes sharp. There is not a set or size of frets that will categorically improve the tone and playability of your guitar. Tall and Wide Fret examples: Dunlop 6000-6100, Sanko SBB-215, SBB-221, and SBB-213. Guitar sounds great though, extremely spanky and the neck feels great, the guitar ringsjust the frets ain't my fave. Here though, the added width of the frets helps to offset some of the drawbacks of tall and narrow frets. That is not to say you need to go for very tall and wide frets. I had an American Original with "vintage tall frets" that were a little narrower. The information outlined here will help to make you a more knowledgeable guitar player. As noted above, frets get worn down over time. This is the size fret I chose for my own builds as I find they have the perfect blend of dimensions for my slightly heavy left hand. While guitar shopping, you will often run across mention of the size of a guitars frets jumbo frets or medium jumbo frets and so forth. However just as guitar strings are described as being either light or heavy, frets are also categorised by words that refer to their size. I like mine but my fingers don't hit fingerboard on any of my guitars anyway. They interact with one another and so need to be considered together. Well, thats a question only you can answer. The materials are actually brass and nickel. Depending on the type of guitar you are using, and the kind of frets you want fitted on your guitar, a refret will typically start from around $350/250. As such, today I am going to cover frets in more detail. These Strats obviously have many similarities. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. This is particularly the case if you have smaller hands, and prefer a more streamlined playing feel. However it is worth nothing that over the years, a number of notable blues guitarists have opted for jumbo frets. The likelihood of this also increases if you favour lighter gauge guitar strings. This contributes to a smoother playing feel when using wider frets. Here is everything you need to know about different fret sizes: In my opinion, part of the reason that frets are not often discussed is because they are very much a fundamental part of your guitar. In fact if you are a very physical guitar player, then you might be better off looking at jumbo frets. This is largely because of the height of these frets. Likewise, if you are totally new to the guitar, I wouldnt worry too much about changing fret sizes just yet. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. If you want the tallest fret you can find, then your action will only appear higher than if you picked something shorter because of its greater distance off the fingerboard. In fact, the dimensions of vintage jumbo frets almost sit at the opposite end of the spectrum when compared with modern frets. Frets are cut from fret wire, which is manufactured in lengthy rolls and is usually made of nickel silver, an alloy that doesnt actually contain any silver. I will cover: In this way I hope to provide you with all of the information you need to know about different fret sizes. Manufacturers who make fret wire alter both of these elements. Great article. This includes Stevie Ray Vaughan, Rory Gallagher and more recently players like Philip Sayce and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. You might discover that different fret sizes lead you to play differently. Why have different fret sizes? These frets get called everything from bass frets to railroad ties and they certainly provide any guitar with enough height to execute a couple level and crowns before you run out of material. In this way, they facilitate string bending and a more physical style of playing. Yet as I will explain in much more detail below the size of the frets on your guitar has an impact on its feel and playability. We handle a lot of refrets at the shop these days so we have gotten well-versed in helping people find the right fret for them. Having said that, they are not quite as tall as either of the previous frets. With taller frets, there is less contact between your fingers and the fretboard. Medium Jumbo. I say this partly from my own playing experience. This section of the fret is of fundamental importance. It may not display this or other websites correctly. Additionally, I think it is important to understand some of the main features of guitars. And this can have an impact on the precision of the notes you play. As noted above, the downside of tall frets is that you can feel them under your fingers as you move around the fretboard. Depending on how you play, and your expectations or the intended use of a specific guitar, we would cater our recommendation of fret size. They feel very articulate, if that makes any sense. ymmv as they say. Makes sense, probably why I like the feel of Road Worn & Reiic(not NOS) maple necks a bit better, less lacquer on them. #EVO4LYFE, Please note, comments must be approved before they are published. This will ensure you make an informed buying decision and choose a guitar that you enjoy playing. Then I tried 6230 stainless vintage wire. As a result, when looking at fret sizes, I think it is much more important to look at the impact that frets have on playability. And this impact is not insignificant. Me likey. Many acoustics go for frets in this size range as well. In theory, a larger mass of metal should result in greater vibrational coupling between string and wood. They have a width of .106 and a height of .036. You must log in or register to reply here. Fender's most commonly used fret size on our most popular models. And in turn this makes techniques like bending and tapping easier. If you are totally new to the guitar though, you probably wont have strong opinions on what you like and dont like at this point. And this can quite easily push the notes that you are fretting slightly out of tune. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please confirm you want to block this member. American Original models. Bending is tough, as is vibrato but if bending aint your thing, these frets will certainly not slow you down. They dont allow for getting under the string very easily so many people find bending or vibrato on these frets to be more difficult than a Wider fret. 6100: Jumbo. And this will help you to decide on the fret sizes best suited for you. However as noted throughout here, one of the biggest impacts of using different sized frets is that they feel different when you are playing. Medium Height and Wide Width Examples: Dunlop 6155, 6110, Jescar 51100, 51108, Sanko SBB-221 or SBB-214. Medium Height and Wide Width frets start getting into the bigger frets. If for example you are playing a Fender Squier or Epiphone, changing the frets on your guitar could easily cost as much or more than the guitar itself. That accounts for why the same fret size feels shorter on an unfinished fingerboard than on a finished one (think Rosewood vs. Of these 20 different fret sizes, they produce 5 different sizes of fret wire that are much more common. In other words, what you like on a finished fingerboard feels shorter than that same fret will feel on an unfinished fingerboard. They have a width of .110 and a height of .055. However, when it comes to frets, only two dimensions matter to the Player and they are height and width. Like guitar strings, frets are measured in 1/1000ths of an inch. They are made from fret wire that is .102 wide and .042 high. Now lets get into which size fret you should choose? Main Stratocaster Guitar Discussion Forum. In which case going for a refret would make sense. That is why guitars still come with a variety of different fret sizes as well as a with a variety of different appointments. 2. The best thing to do would be to simply play as many guitars with different fret sizes as you can and try to determine what fret size feels the most comfortable to you in your style of play. 2.) I can play others, but vintage are my favorite. Choosing A Fretwire? We all like different stuff. Before we get any further, lets get on the same page about 2 very important things to make this conversation easier since frets and action are tied together in most conversations from our experience. Typically just called Vintage Size. my bit of experience with fender and their fret sizes is that you have to get the guitar in your hands and judge if it is right for you. Im having a neck built and needed a primer on fret sizes and this helped a ton. There are various manufacturers of fret wire. And so even though there are a number of different and nuanced factors that affect the playability of your guitar, we can outline the characteristics of different fret sizes by looking at their height and width together. As are the Sanko SBB-217 or SBB-23. And as is often the case, there are two different elements that we need to consider here tone and playability. Compared with vintage instruments, most modern guitars have frets that are both wider and taller. Grooves appear in the frets, and wear and tear can lead to them being different heights. https://www.tdpri.com/threads/new-7ion-usa-esquires.1036910/page-4#post-10280079. For me it is., Thank you so much for the kind words Swede and Im very glad to hear that your current setup is working so well for you! You have to press down harder to fret every note. And all of the following references to fret size here will be focused on this part of the fret. Good luck! For a variety of different reasons that I will explain in more detail below, these frets are also becoming increasingly popular. I used to love 6105s, medium jumbos and, early on, even super jumbos. And as you point out in your article ,it can be a god thing. It will also help you to understand some of the differences between the same type of guitar. When discussing fret sizes, there are two elements of the crown that are important to consider. Thanks so much for taking the time to read through my 3 part series on frets! Want to learn more about frets? Many of the links embedded in this article are affiliate links. The composition of this fret wire, while called "nickel/silver", contains no silver at all. In this way they are almost as wide as jumbo frets, but not quite so tall. First though, lets look at some of the most common fret sizes that you are likely to encounter. However the fret sizes do vary between some of these Strats. The height of these frets means that you dont need to apply very much pressure at all with your fretting hand.

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