Zero Fret

Chris-Mason

I converted a 1970 Epiphone Dreadnaught into a slide guitar over the weekend. Interesting that the guitar has a zero fret.
What is the purpose of a zero fret and if it does have a use why aren't guitars manufactured with them. Was it just a fad in the 70's.
Saddle and Nut

Bob-Dubery

Saddle and Nut wrote: I converted a 1970 Epiphone Dreadnaught into a slide guitar over the weekend. Interesting that the guitar has a zero fret.
What is the purpose of a zero fret and if it does have a use why aren't guitars manufactured with them. Was it just a fad in the 70's.
Saddle and Nut

You still get them on some guitars. Flylde (small, high-end English brand) use the zero fret as standard. I got talking to the luthier a few years ago and he said that he regards it as superior because you can get the set up more exact (especially if you like a really low action) and there's a more consistent tone.

He also that Americans don't understand zero frets and that they throw bluegrass players a loop (he's a man with strong opinions). He looks after Martin Carthy's guitars. Carthy used to have his Martins modifed to have a zero fret, but now you can get a Martin Carthy signature Martin but, so this luthier opines, they have no idea what they're doing with a zero fret and so he had to fix up all the zero-fret Martins that came Mr Carthy's way.

Highway-Chile

Selmer Maccaferri's and SelMac clones come with the zero fret. I don't understand the part about the zero fret throwing American's for a loop...or any nationality player for that matter. What's the big deal? My Gypsy Jazz guitar (SelMac clone) has one and I don't even think about it when I am playing it. Am I missing something? ???

Bob-Dubery

Highway Chile wrote: Selmer Maccaferri's and SelMac clones come with the zero fret. I don't understand the part about the zero fret throwing American's for a loop...or any nationality player for that matter. What's the big deal?

I was repeating comments given to me in a conversation. I don't necessarily endorse them. Possibly I erred in repeating them. My apologies for any offence caused.

Highway-Chile

X-rated Bob wrote: I was repeating comments given to me in a conversation.{snip}. Possibly I erred in repeating them. My apologies for any offence caused.

? XrB, no problem at all....I was not pissed or anything......I just did not understand why that would be said.....like maybe there is some actual American mando/guitar/banjo/bluegrass/country technique thing that gets thrown for a loop by a zero fret....but I could not for the life of me figure what. ?

I was thinking.....maybe behind the nut bends? Very common in country, on a Tele especially but even then I'm thinking, how does a zero fret hurt that?

It was just a curiosity thing on my part....I am sorry if I came off as a pompous ass or like I was pissed .....but still, you are a good man for saying that Bob..... but there is absolutely no need to apologize and you did not err at all.

Hope you are doing well friend.

singemonkey

Wait, speaking of Americans and zero frets, don't Gretsch guitars still feature zero-frets?

Edit: Ok. Had a quick squizz and it seems that most, or all, modern Gretsches no longer have zero-frets. I've seen Americans on fora - even experienced players - confused by the notion of zero frets. But I've also seen that here. All in all there are more Americans on guitar fora than anyone else. So I think that guy was confusing correlation and causation.

Sean

singemonkey wrote: Wait, speaking of Americans and zero frets, don't Gretsch guitars still feature zero-frets?

LOL

AlanRatcliffe

X-rated Bob wrote: I was repeating comments given to me in a conversation. I don't necessarily endorse them. Possibly I erred in repeating them. My apologies for any offence caused.

Don't fight it Bob:

Dictionary.com Word of the Day for Friday, December 2, 2011
bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun:
A disturbance or a brawl.

Averatu

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
X-rated Bob wrote: I was repeating comments given to me in a conversation. I don't necessarily endorse them. Possibly I erred in repeating them. My apologies for any offence caused.
Don't fight it Bob:

Dictionary.com Word of the Day for Friday, December 2, 2011
bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun:
A disturbance or a brawl.

Carefull, he might throw his Crocs at you, the red ones.

Bob-Dubery

Averatu wrote: Carefull, he might throw his Crocs at you, the ~~red~~ ruby ones.

Fixed the glaring typo for you

Highway-Chile

Averatu wrote: Carefull, he might throw his Crocs at you, the red ones.

Oooh....eish....yeah, just noticed. Ouch!!! ?

Sean

Highway Chile wrote:
Averatu wrote: Carefull, he might throw his Crocs at you, the red ones.
Oooh....eish....yeah, just noticed. Ouch!!! ?

"Ouch!!!" Clearly you don't have these abominations in the US....I doubt they could hurt a fly ?

Highway-Chile

Sean wrote: "Ouch!!!" Clearly you don't have these abominations in the US....I doubt they could hurt a fly ?

Oh no...we have them of course...it's actually an American company and the design comes from Canada. They are really big here, at one point they were huge....a craze. I am just cracking funny about meneer X-Rated Bob's shoes. I know dudes who wear them. Rodney Charters who was our DP (Director of Photography-not Durban Poisons) on "24" wore them all the time and claimed they were incredibly comfortable and I gather they are good for people with diabetes.

But RED...... ??? :-[ ? ?

AlanRatcliffe

Bob's just a trend-setter. Red veldskoene for the new milennium. ?

Sebber

zohn wrote: Different strokes for different folks - the main function of a zero fret is to get an even and low action, that's it. The nut on such a guitar is a string spacer only.

The strings sit at about the same height above the fret board on a well made and functional nut. I prefer the extra surface contact area that such a nut offers.

Now that's interesting because I've always thought the point of a zero fret was to make open strings ring out clearer because the open strings are, in essence, fretted against a metal fret rather than a plastic/bone/whatever nut.

Caveat: I've never owned a guitar with a zero fret, nor, if I recall correctly, have I even played one before.

singemonkey

A pic for clarity: