I play with light touch but still argue SS frets are best. They have a slick feeling and make bends smooth. Also they are shiny and last forever. I have many guitars with SS or Nickel and whenever a guitar need new frets I'll absolutely go for SS ones. The only big downside is the hard work, only cut them can be a pain.
I'm someone who likes to play the same guitar everyday and I like to bend a lot of notes, more so on electric but still a good amount on acoustic. I need a refret every 3 years with nickel. Stainless last forever, feels great and sounds great. I refret all my guitars with stainless steel, sure is nice having frets that feel brand new for years...
I wear through nickel bass frets in about 1 or 2 years due to how much I practice/perform. My bass with the stainless frets look barely played and are CLEARLY lasting longer. I'm in the process of replacing all of my frets/necks on my main instruments to stainless.
For scratchy pots, use contact cleaner. A very good choice would be DeoxIT D5. It's a little pricey (about $17 a can), but it takes just a tiny squirt or two and will pretty much last forever if you only use it on your own equipment. It also works on amp pots and all kinds of electronics. There are cheaper contact cleaners, but the DeoxIT contains a lubricant in addition to the cleaner that reduces wear and keeps everything feeling nice and smooth.
The main issue with stainless it that techs don't want to deal with them because they are way more work to put in, harder to do right and eat up tools. That's why I learned to refret my own guitars
That's an exaggeration, a fret job that would take an hour now takes 1:20, it doesn't make a huge difference. It's no harder to do right, just takes longer. The job costs the client more to account for that and tool cost should be covered otherwise the tech is incompetent
@@BryanMiranda96 I'm talking about a refret. with nickel you can just slightly over radius them and they go in perfect. Stainless you gotta get that radius dead on. Leveling not really a big differents. But if you put a little fall away on the last bunch of frets like I often like to do, then crowning those stainless frets is going to be a lot harder. Doing the bevel on the ends of the frets is also way harder, same with clipping the ends of every fret. Polishing is also more time and work.
Yeah but even with the lightest touch, fret wear is still happening, just not as quickly. And after years of playing, I'm basically programmed to know how much force I'm exerting when fretting notes. considering this, I'd still like to have the added benefits that stainless steel frets offer. To me, a harder substance means you don't have to press quite as hard in order to get a solid connection between the string and the fret. Plus, SS frets make bending and vibrato easier, since there's less friction and friction/abrasion happening.
He said it all. “You don’t have to worry about the fret itself but everything else” •Your strings will wear out faster (unless you use stainless steel strings) then you will wear out your fret. •Your fingerboard will wear out faster •Your fingers will also wear out alot more due to playing on material that is harder. But that comes down to person to person
Actually stainless steel frets make my frets last longer, because they are mirror polished in my case, and they keep that very low friction glassy feel. And the result in real life = no corrosion points on the strings and no specific wear.
What do you consider the ideal humidity %. I have a 100 year old steamer chest that I keep my tenor ukuleles in and can pretty much keep a consistent humidity level anywhere between 40-60%, usually around 50%. I live in the desert so maintaining humidity is critical.
If you literally oil your strings on a regular basis your frets will have a micro coating of oil between the sting and fret. I have oiled my bass strings with 3 in 1 Oil daily for over 50 years! I have never had to replace a single fret. The oil also keeps my fretboards and fretless fingerboards from having humidity issues.
It's not good for your hands or the wood, yes it will hydrate it but it gets sticky and will clog the wood and causes defatting dermatitis on your hands. There are safer products like fast fret.
Risk Compensation is the thing you're describing about saftey. But, what are players doing to wear through their frets so quickly? How common is that steam hole dealie to remove the neck?
Ah, yes thanks for the term! Regarding fret wear, some people just hold their guitars like a hammer I think. I dunno! That steam hole dealie is super common!
I wouldn't say the issue has to do with stainless steel frets themselves, but how they're marketed. Stainless steel does rust, but it takes a lot more for that to happen. Also, they do wear out, but it takes way more time because the strings are made of a softer metal (nickel plated spring steel). If you put them on an acoustic, they will probably outlast you. Now, if you use stainless steel strings on stainless steel frets, they will wear at the same rate as regular frets because you have two metals of the same hardness rubbing against each other. And if you use them on regular frets, the frets will wear faster.
To be fair its not just wear right? I have VERY sweaty hands and my frets get this oxidation layer very fast. I can polish them every string change but I would rather not :) (the same reason why I pretty much have to use coated strings... which feel slightly worse but I can't change strings every week). A light touch is great but that's the guitar teachers job not the frets materials. But that's just my opinion :D
Interesting! Yeah i’ve heard of folks talk about that. I suppose that’s fair, but most of what I hear as people who need refrets all the time. Beyond wear a light touch is everything! Also if you’re looking for good coateds that don’t shed check out stringjoys! I’ve had mine on for months as an experiment to see if they would shed, and they haven’t yet!
I get through a set of medium jumbos in 8-12 months. Lots of bends. Lots of repetition. Usually my D and G strings are completely scooped by 6 months and won't do anything but "plunk" by the year's end. I'm just scared to put stainless on my #1 and #2 because I worry it will change the sound. :(
not quite sure I'm getting the point of this. - and your table saw analogy doesn't make any sense either. I suppose we drive more recklessly because we have seatbelts, ABS and airbags? What? Oh It's the *player's* problem that they wear through frets too fast...well yes dude, that's entirely the point and it's why they get SS frets. But they MUST be playing incorrectly then.... ....Rubbish dude. pure rubbish. Let's go back to the tool thing: If these are all tools, tools are meant to be used and tools WEAR OUT depending on use. How you use them and how I use them are not going to be the same way. But one way is not better than the other and to suggest that a person wearing out frets too often is not playing correctly is beyond super cork sniffing elitist. You gonna finger wag SRV for holding the guitar a bit too hard in his monster mitts as he's doing 2 step bends on 13 gauge strings? Ok... If fact if you aren't wearing them out, you aren't using the tool very much. I apparently have a death grip fretting hand because i used to be that guy going in for a fret dressing every 8 months or so. (I actually don't have an iron claw but I certainly played alot when I was younger and gigging professionally). do I have arthritis after playing 35 years? ironically not in my fretting hand but in my strumming hand....I do have a few SS fretted guitars as a result. probably has saved me hundreds in saved fret dressings over the years. YMMV but it's a viable option for those that need it - some opinions should be left indoors.
Yo! After seeing so may guitars in the shop come in over the years with premature fret wear (as compared to folks who play just as much with next to no fret wear) my hope is to put the power back in the players hands. You don't have to pay up for stainless steel frets when you can just lighten up that old touch. I also used to have a heavier hand and was thankful I had a fret to tell me so. Of course all frets wear out, it's just better those do than our hands when you can avoid it. Best!
I'm allergic to nickel so stainless steel frets are a must for me, I have them on both my guitar and bass.
Glad you have those as an option dude!
I play with light touch but still argue SS frets are best. They have a slick feeling and make bends smooth. Also they are shiny and last forever. I have many guitars with SS or Nickel and whenever a guitar need new frets I'll absolutely go for SS ones. The only big downside is the hard work, only cut them can be a pain.
I'm someone who likes to play the same guitar everyday and I like to bend a lot of notes, more so on electric but still a good amount on acoustic. I need a refret every 3 years with nickel. Stainless last forever, feels great and sounds great. I refret all my guitars with stainless steel, sure is nice having frets that feel brand new for years...
I wear through nickel bass frets in about 1 or 2 years due to how much I practice/perform. My bass with the stainless frets look barely played and are CLEARLY lasting longer. I'm in the process of replacing all of my frets/necks on my main instruments to stainless.
For scratchy pots, use contact cleaner. A very good choice would be DeoxIT D5. It's a little pricey (about $17 a can), but it takes just a tiny squirt or two and will pretty much last forever if you only use it on your own equipment. It also works on amp pots and all kinds of electronics. There are cheaper contact cleaners, but the DeoxIT contains a lubricant in addition to the cleaner that reduces wear and keeps everything feeling nice and smooth.
WD40 can also be used to clean contacts.
@@travishemming3783 sick! I’ll let him know! I knew someone here would have some sweet tips.
The main issue with stainless it that techs don't want to deal with them because they are way more work to put in, harder to do right and eat up tools. That's why I learned to refret my own guitars
That is true! Good on ya for learning how to refret too man!
That's an exaggeration, a fret job that would take an hour now takes 1:20, it doesn't make a huge difference. It's no harder to do right, just takes longer. The job costs the client more to account for that and tool cost should be covered otherwise the tech is incompetent
@@BryanMiranda96 I'm talking about a refret. with nickel you can just slightly over radius them and they go in perfect. Stainless you gotta get that radius dead on. Leveling not really a big differents. But if you put a little fall away on the last bunch of frets like I often like to do, then crowning those stainless frets is going to be a lot harder. Doing the bevel on the ends of the frets is also way harder, same with clipping the ends of every fret. Polishing is also more time and work.
Yeah but even with the lightest touch, fret wear is still happening, just not as quickly. And after years of playing, I'm basically programmed to know how much force I'm exerting when fretting notes. considering this, I'd still like to have the added benefits that stainless steel frets offer. To me, a harder substance means you don't have to press quite as hard in order to get a solid connection between the string and the fret. Plus, SS frets make bending and vibrato easier, since there's less friction and friction/abrasion happening.
Damn, the guy who needs a refret job every 6 months probably already has arthritis and tendinits
@@zaxmaxlax ooof
So, what about SS frets?
Wasted 2 minutes.
He said it all.
“You don’t have to worry about the fret itself but everything else”
•Your strings will wear out faster (unless you use stainless steel strings) then you will wear out your fret.
•Your fingerboard will wear out faster
•Your fingers will also wear out alot more due to playing on material that is harder. But that comes down to person to person
@@axelnoi nailed it bud!
Actually stainless steel frets make my frets last longer, because they are mirror polished in my case, and they keep that very low friction glassy feel. And the result in real life = no corrosion points on the strings and no specific wear.
@@notalkguitarampplug-insrev784 I love stainless frets, I refret all my main gigging guitars with them
What do you consider the ideal humidity %. I have a 100 year old steamer chest that I keep my tenor ukuleles in and can pretty much keep a consistent humidity level anywhere between 40-60%, usually around 50%. I live in the desert so maintaining humidity is critical.
@@turbochargedus-vz5dz nice! Yeah 45-50% is recommended. But you’re doing more than 90% of people by trying at all haha.
If you literally oil your strings on a regular basis your frets will have a micro coating of oil between the sting and fret. I have oiled my bass strings with 3 in 1 Oil daily for over 50 years! I have never had to replace a single fret. The oil also keeps my fretboards and fretless fingerboards from having humidity issues.
It's not good for your hands or the wood, yes it will hydrate it but it gets sticky and will clog the wood and causes defatting dermatitis on your hands. There are safer products like fast fret.
@@MrSongwriter2 I have been doing it for over 50 years. There's never been a problem on my skin or my neck wood.
I use Tri-Flow on mine. Teflon based synthetic lubricant. You could probably use WD40 as well.
yep i have a death grip and killer vibrato also using 9 to 42, 12 months and frets are toast moving to stainless as soon as i can
Risk Compensation is the thing you're describing about saftey. But, what are players doing to wear through their frets so quickly? How common is that steam hole dealie to remove the neck?
Ah, yes thanks for the term! Regarding fret wear, some people just hold their guitars like a hammer I think. I dunno!
That steam hole dealie is super common!
Death grip and pressing way too hard, combined sometimes with stainless steel strings
I wouldn't say the issue has to do with stainless steel frets themselves, but how they're marketed. Stainless steel does rust, but it takes a lot more for that to happen. Also, they do wear out, but it takes way more time because the strings are made of a softer metal (nickel plated spring steel). If you put them on an acoustic, they will probably outlast you. Now, if you use stainless steel strings on stainless steel frets, they will wear at the same rate as regular frets because you have two metals of the same hardness rubbing against each other. And if you use them on regular frets, the frets will wear faster.
Nailed it!
To be fair its not just wear right? I have VERY sweaty hands and my frets get this oxidation layer very fast. I can polish them every string change but I would rather not :) (the same reason why I pretty much have to use coated strings... which feel slightly worse but I can't change strings every week). A light touch is great but that's the guitar teachers job not the frets materials. But that's just my opinion :D
Interesting! Yeah i’ve heard of folks talk about that. I suppose that’s fair, but most of what I hear as people who need refrets all the time. Beyond wear a light touch is everything!
Also if you’re looking for good coateds that don’t shed check out stringjoys! I’ve had mine on for months as an experiment to see if they would shed, and they haven’t yet!
I enjoyed the Q & A, thanks
Awesome! Yeah it super was fun to make! I should do more of them! I’ll definitely ask here in the RUclips community tab next time too.
Thanks!
Thanks Issam!
I will never own another guitar with nickel frets. SS is just far superior in all aspects imo.
I get through a set of medium jumbos in 8-12 months. Lots of bends. Lots of repetition. Usually my D and G strings are completely scooped by 6 months and won't do anything but "plunk" by the year's end. I'm just scared to put stainless on my #1 and #2 because I worry it will change the sound. :(
It technically will because everything does but unless you’re a total audio file you probably won’t notice!
Great stuff. Thanks!
not quite sure I'm getting the point of this. - and your table saw analogy doesn't make any sense either. I suppose we drive more recklessly because we have seatbelts, ABS and airbags? What? Oh It's the *player's* problem that they wear through frets too fast...well yes dude, that's entirely the point and it's why they get SS frets. But they MUST be playing incorrectly then....
....Rubbish dude. pure rubbish. Let's go back to the tool thing: If these are all tools, tools are meant to be used and tools WEAR OUT depending on use. How you use them and how I use them are not going to be the same way. But one way is not better than the other and to suggest that a person wearing out frets too often is not playing correctly is beyond super cork sniffing elitist. You gonna finger wag SRV for holding the guitar a bit too hard in his monster mitts as he's doing 2 step bends on 13 gauge strings? Ok...
If fact if you aren't wearing them out, you aren't using the tool very much.
I apparently have a death grip fretting hand because i used to be that guy going in for a fret dressing every 8 months or so. (I actually don't have an iron claw but I certainly played alot when I was younger and gigging professionally). do I have arthritis after playing 35 years? ironically not in my fretting hand but in my strumming hand....I do have a few SS fretted guitars as a result. probably has saved me hundreds in saved fret dressings over the years. YMMV but it's a viable option for those that need it - some opinions should be left indoors.
Yo! After seeing so may guitars in the shop come in over the years with premature fret wear (as compared to folks who play just as much with next to no fret wear) my hope is to put the power back in the players hands. You don't have to pay up for stainless steel frets when you can just lighten up that old touch. I also used to have a heavier hand and was thankful I had a fret to tell me so. Of course all frets wear out, it's just better those do than our hands when you can avoid it.
Best!