Stainles steel frets

Ray

I'm thinking of getting some. I know they're pretty hard on the tools. Sort of trade off for having the hard wearing feature. I'm in two minds really becasue I dont play much so I dont know if the extra cost/effort is worth it.

Anyone ever tried them and have any thoughts?

guidothepimmp

Ray, I have stainless steel frets in 3 of my fiddles , I think they're awesome, they are a bit extra work putting them in because they're so hard but are well worth it, fret life is well improved, to be honest, any refrets I get done will all be with SS frets.

ryanguit

Been looking at them for a few years, but i need to get a guitar / neck that i plan on keeping. If any of my guitars are still around in a year, they will be getting them installed. At the moment, the only guitar that needs a refret is the only guitar i know won't still be in my hands next year.

AlanRatcliffe

I won't use anything else now. Four years and going strong on my main guitar with barely any wear at all. As and when the other guitars need refretting, they'll be getting the same.

Ray

Yes, thanks guys that is what I've been reading. And I asked the question about wear on tools and some guy who is a luthier/repairer in USA reckons maybe a bit but he doesnt think it's a killer. And he also reckoned they are goign to last much longer. Just reckons there is a bit more effort to getting them fitted.

So, where would you get them locally or do you order from otherside?

Mr-M

Grant at TOMS Sandton does re-frets with SS.

My 1982 Ibanez Blazer has SS frets. I don't know if they were replaced at some point or if they came standard. :-\ What I do know is that I love 'em. The guitar itself is beat to hell and the gloss maple fretboard is very worn, but the frets look almost like they have no wear on them. And in the 3 years I've had this guitar with very frequent play I haven't noticed any more fret wear.

My similarly aged but far less beat up 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II with regular nickel fretwire has already had one fret dress in the 5 months I've owned it. At the current rate of wear and how low these frets already are, it will need a re-fret in another year or so. It will get SS frets for sure. ?

BMU

I'm also going to need this at some stage. Three of my guitars now have very noticeable fretwear.

But how do you trust someone to do that kind of surgery on some vintage treasure? Or say, a 7 string Ibanez J-Custom I might not ever be able to replace. It's harder than leaving the kids with a babysitter. (Ok I lie. That's actually easy HAHAHA.)

guidothepimmp

Any of the reputable repair guys/ luthiers can do it... the Cape has a bunch of guys..

Up here, the bloke at TOMS and Andries at the Fretshop in pretoria

Ray

And the actual fretwire? Does anyone get their own? I see on Warmoth site the stainless steel seems to come in long bits and I just want enough for a Stratocaster neck. Well more actually but not to start a refretting business with or anything.
Cheers - Ray

EttieneB

im thinking about doing this aswell!!! is there any tonal implication concerning steel fretwire?

Ray

Well, I aint don it yet but I understand not. A bit of PT doing the frets but then they say you're good to go for a lot longer.

AlanRatcliffe

EttieneB wrote im thinking about doing this aswell!!! is there any tonal implication concerning steel fretwire?

Some report stainless fretwire is brighter, but that's not the case in my experience.

Ray wrote And the actual fretwire? Does anyone get their own? I see on Warmoth site the stainless steel seems to come in long bits and I just want enough for a Stratocaster neck.

There is only one manufacturer of stainless wire, so everyone has the same stuff. LMII sells it in four foot lengths for single jobs. Be aware, it's not the best stuff to use if you are doing your first refret - best to get the hang of the techniques on normal nickel-silver before you move on to stainless. Also, you must radius it before use.

Here's some good info for the refretter at Allied:
http://www.alliedlutherie.com/fretwire.htm

Ray

You know Zohn, I was looking at that but I dont dig the color hey. All my other stuff is chrome or silver or whatever and the gold frets arent going to go down so well there will they?

Ray

But to be quite honest Zohn, I'm snoep. And going with the SS on the neck I have bought already broke my heart for the $. The gold wire is quite a bit more I think. On another neck I'm starting on, I may just go for this and then get all gold hardware and tuners.