Fret Sizes...A Dummies Question.....

TomCat

Hi All

Being new to things guitar.......Can anyone give me a 101 on fret sizes.

Some guitars are mentioned as having medium frets and others having jumbo frets. What's the difference between these.

Is this spacing between frets or the depth of the fret....etc...etc.....Huh...!!

Hopefully not asking a too dof question here...... ??? ???

Squonk

Dont FRET Tom, It will all be revealed ?

FatBoy

Not sure myself, but I believe it has to do with the size of the fret wire?

guitarboy2828

http://www.kavanaghcustoms.co.uk/help/fretsizes.html

No need to write it all out when there is a nice picture willing to explain it all! ?

WantzChas

I found this site a while back and while browsing, I came across the fret section, it explain things a bit. http://www.guitarpartsusa.com/item--Guitar-Fret-Wire--PROD292
Don't know if this helps though.

TomCat

Squonk wrote Dont FRET Tom, It will all be revealed ?

HaHaHa...LOL.....Good pun.... ? ?....I certainly hope so.....

DonovanB

That's interesting. I found that with jumbo frets on my Ibanez, the string doesn't touch the fret board when I play. if I were to push it right down it would change the note.

Squonk

guitarboy2828 wrote http://www.kavanaghcustoms.co.uk/help/fretsizes.html

No need to write it all out when there is a nice picture willing to explain it all! ?

Quite a good link, I didn't realize there was such a scope in size ?

TomCat

guitarboy2828 wrote http://www.kavanaghcustoms.co.uk/help/fretsizes.html

No need to write it all out when there is a nice picture willing to explain it all! ?

@ Guitarboy

Thanks for the info......all is revealed and I don't have to FRET about it anymore...... ?

AlanRatcliffe

It's usually to do with the height more than anything else, although taller wire tends to be wider too. So a jumbo is both tall and wide, while a vintage Fender Wire will be narrow and low. Modern Fenders use a medium height and width and the standard Gibson wire is a medium jumbo.

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DonovanB wrote That's interesting. I found that with jumbo frets on my Ibanez, the string doesn't touch the fret board when I play. if I were to push it right down it would change the note.

Pushing a string down to the fretboard between tall fret wires is actually an interesting technique some players use instead of slight bends. I remember reading an article wherein Jeff Beck was saying he liked that as a trick.

cain

Yeah, stratisfear is right. The key to that trick is to know about it and be weary cos it can make good playing sound very crappy.

Its all up to your playing style, i have jumbos on my ibanez, mediums on my fender. My old japstrat had ultra humongous frets. The bigger the frets the nicer for speed according to allot of people, but the bigger the fret the more it kills your fingers on slides ...

guitarboy2828

http://www.fretbase.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/scalloped_fretboard1.jpg

A sliders nightmare.. Ouch ouch ouch ouch ouch.. ?

DonovanB

Stratisfear wrote Pushing a string down to the fretboard between tall fret wires is actually an interesting technique some players use instead of slight bends. I remember reading an article wherein Jeff Beck was saying he liked that as a trick.

It must be a complete pain. Instead of using a bend which we get used to, instead you tense your hand to press harder. Can't be much fun.

The Wizard neck on the Ibanez's is very easy to play, it is so soft. I love it.

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AlanRatcliffe

Scalloped fingerboards are great for vibrato and bending - bending in to the board is easier to do than the usual side-to-side motion. You also learn to fret lightly which for many is an aid to speed.

Malmsteen, Blackmore, McLaughlin all use fully scalloped boards and Vai has just the upper frets scalloped.

aja

How difficult is it to change to a smaller or larger fret size?

Manfred-Klose

How difficult is it to change to a smaller or larger fret size?

Take it to a good guitar tech to do it.

Riaan

Scalloped fingerboards are great for vibrato and bending

@Manfred: How did it go with your scalloping project - when was it, last year?

Manfred-Klose

@Manfred: How did it go with your scalloping project - when was it, last year?

Runs of to go and search for the neck in the workshop............

Since i uploaded the pics last year, i havent really done anything, just some more layers of sanding needed.
I dont really have a body for the guitar, so i have to make one.

Riaan thanks for reminding me, i think its about time i finish it and fit it to a body, and see what all the fuzz is about scalloped necks and neo classical shredding.

........i might have a extra body somewhere, just need to go and check if it fits.