Stainless steel frets pros and cons

[spetsnaz1123]

To all GC experts, anong masasabi nyo sa stainless steel frets?

Pros & Cons please?

[somil]

hard steel and expensive i think

[spetsnaz1123]

Si eddie van halen yata stainless steel ang frets ng gitara nya. May nabasa din ako, mahirap daw ikabit sa fretboard. Sa tone naman iba-iba din ang opinyon...

Meron ba dito sa GC stainless steel ang frets ng gitara?

[r_chino18]

Stainless steel?

cons.. pain the the ass na ikabit para sa luthier.. usually halos double ang cost nun kesa regular na frets.. susuko jan ang gamit ng luthier eh..

pros.. sa gagamit ng gitara, ok yan kasi matagal talaga mapudpod.. as in.. tonal change? ymmv, pero i think ok lang na stainless steel.. when i will have my guitar for a refret, balak ko din na stainless steel ang ipakabit.. mahal na kung mahal but i think it's really worth it.. lalo na at stainless steel din ang strings ko (it would just eat regular nickel frets)..

[spetsnaz1123]

Meron na bang PM member na nagpakabit ng stainless steel fret dito sir at sino yung luthier?

[r_chino18]

Meron na bang PM member na nagpakabit ng stainless steel fret dito sir at sino yung luthier?

most luthiers kaya magkabit ng stainless steel frets.. but the charge is almost twice the price of a regular refret.. Arie Hipolito of guitar hospital can surely do it..

O.T.>> Anong brand ng stainless steel strings nyo sir? Di ba mahirap i-bend yun sa tigas?

Alice.. hehe.. compared sa ibang 10s, medyo mas stiff siya.. pero nasanay na ako.. yun gamit ko kasi sobrang sweaty kamay ko.. don't want to spend on pricey strings na saglit lang ang itatagal sa akin.. sa bahay lang naman ako nag gigitara eh.. practicality wins for me..

[spetsnaz1123]

most luthiers kaya magkabit ng stainless steel frets.. but the charge is almost twice the price of a regular refret.. Arie Hipolito of guitar hospital can surely do it..

Alice.. hehe.. compared sa ibang 10s, medyo mas stiff siya.. pero nasanay na ako.. yun gamit ko kasi sobrang sweaty kamay ko.. don't want to spend on pricey strings na saglit lang ang itatagal sa akin.. sa bahay lang naman ako nag gigitara eh.. practicality wins for me..

hehehe ...delete ko yung second question ko parang may pagka-stupid e...nasanay kasi ako sa nickel plated which is medyo warm yata yung tone kumpara sa stainless.

[spetsnaz1123]

Available kaya sa pinas yung stainless steel frets?

[bryanarzaga]

To all GC experts, anong masasabi nyo sa stainless steel frets?

Pros & Cons please?

if you have 1 guitar and want the frets to last(depending on how hard of a player you are), SS frets are the way to go..

cons, i dont think there is any aside that if you dont do your own frets some luthiers charge your for the amount of work to get the frets just right..also they come in different grades so how hard the SS frets are depends on the composition

[curiousdcat]

This may or may not help...someone here in PM used to sell and intall them.  If I remember correctly it was less than 4K for the SS frets and the installation but you could buy the SS frets only for less than 2K.  I'm sorry but the search function isn't working for me (surprise, surprise) but I believe that guy is located in the Commonwealth area.

[Jaco D]

Meron ba dito sa GC stainless steel ang frets ng gitara?

I have a Warmoth Gecko Bass with stainless frets.  Warmoth, and I guess any luthier for that matter, would charge a premium to install stainless frets since dressing stainless frets are more cumbersome relative to the regular nickel ones.  They "feel harder", and stainless strings on stainless frets sound a bit brighter.  Fret wear is less vis-a-vis nickel.  I guess the same could be said on an electric guitar.

[arkeetar]

papotzki (elegee custom) ni papotz naka SS frets 

weird nung naka unplug pero nung naka plug na sa amp, na-appreciate ko na tunog, agree with chino, pag nagparefret ako SS na rin,
agree din ako kay bryan 

Stainless steel?

cons.. pain the the ass na ikabit para sa luthier.. usually halos double ang cost nun kesa regular na frets.. susuko jan ang gamit ng luthier eh..

pros.. sa gagamit ng gitara, ok yan kasi matagal talaga mapudpod.. as in.. tonal change? ymmv, pero i think ok lang na stainless steel.. when i will have my guitar for a refret, balak ko din na stainless steel ang ipakabit.. mahal na kung mahal but i think it's really worth it.. lalo na at stainless steel din ang strings ko (it would just eat regular nickel frets)..

if you have 1 guitar and want the frets to last(depending on how hard of a player you are), SS frets are the way to go..

cons, i dont think there is any aside that if you dont do your own frets some luthiers charge your for the amount of work to get the frets just right..also they come in different grades so how hard the SS frets are depends on the composition

[bluenote]

To all GC experts, anong masasabi nyo sa stainless steel frets?

Pros & Cons please?

I think the major advantage is fret life... Because stainless steel is harder the frets won't wear out as fast as nickel. But the thing that makes it advantageous over nickel is also its major draw back. Rule of thumb, the harder the material the brighter and harder the sound... I still prefer traditional nickel fret wires because I like the way they sound...  

[pitongjerome]

ask ko lang, if the Stainless Steel frets last twice as long? or thrice? or more? (than the normal ones)

any experience?

and how about the cost (frets + installation), is it twice, thrice or more?

kasi if tone is out of the picture, which means im okay with the brighter tone, i may consider the SS frets, so long as i have can save money, based on the cost-benefit analysis..

(SS vs normal frets life, and SS vs normal frets installation cost)

[AhVia_Musicom]

hard steel and expensive i think

actually its really not that expensive considering a pound of Stewmacs nickel tallest and widest $42.43

while a pound of SS wires will cost around $48.45 thats the price i got per pound when i ordered 5 pounds of SS wires



ok on to the pros and cons

For Nickel-silver

Pros:

- they are easier to work with

- not too heavy on your tools

- its readily available

- a guitarbuilder/repair person wont charge you ridiculous prices to have one installed

Cons:

- there isnt too many really the only real difference between NS and SS are the following:

   - SS will give you more mileage while NS will hang in there but every couple of years  or depending on how often you use your instrument, you will have to refret your guitar or have it leveled

   - tone wise there is a slight  difference based on my experience SS tend to add just a tad treble on your tone nothing really significant  

Stainless Steel:

Pros:

- they really last. a guitar i sold before Have SS frets i had it for 8yrs and it still had plenty of life left id say around 95% pa so in the long run medyo matipid sya.

- personal preference lang to but i kinda like the feel of SS frets better

Cons:

-  if your planning to use those "fret files" being sold everywhere please dont! you'll just waste a good tool those aren't designed for SS rather it is for NS frets, it really doesnt matter if you use a regular fret file or a diamond coated one both are no match for SS frets, try using regular steel files instead but this takes time and practice if your planning to DIY

- tone wise it add a tad of treble but nothing really significant ( some people may like it some people might not ) so im not really sure if its a cons hehehehehe

- cost or labor guitar builder/ repair persons charge double or more for SS fret jobs just to give you and idea on the pricing a very good member of this forum if im not mistaken charges 300 per feet for the SS frets and you'll probably need around 4-5ft for a 21-22 fret guitar so thats around 1500 for the frets plus if i remember correctly but im really not 100% sure for the actual refret service itself for SS he charges 2500 that includes reconditioning your fretboard like re-radius  etc.... so all in all thats 4000 already while a regular refret with NS only cost around 1.8-2.5k depending on which guy you bring it too on the other hand if you come to think of it SS frets will give you more mileage so i dont know if its really a bad thing i mean the cost

[bluenote]

actually its really not that expensive considering a pound of Stewmacs nickel tallest and widest $42.43

while a pound of SS wires will cost around $48.45 thats the price i got per pound when i ordered 5 pounds of SS wires



ok on to the pros and cons

For Nickel-silver


- they are easier to work with

- not too heavy on your tools

- its readily available

- a guitarbuilder/repair person wont charge you ridiculous prices to have one installed

Cons:

- there isnt too many really the only real difference between NS and SS are the following:

   - SS will give you more mileage while NS will hang in there but every couple of years  or depending on how often you use your instrument, you will have to refret your guitar or have it leveled

   - tone wise there is a slight  difference based on my experience SS tend to add just a tad treble on your tone nothing really significant  

Stainless Steel:

Pros:

- they really last. a guitar i sold before Have SS frets i had it for 8yrs and it still had plenty of life left id say around 95% pa so in the long run medyo matipid sya.

- personal preference lang to but i kinda like the feel of SS frets better

Cons:

-  if your planning to use those "fret files" being sold everywhere please dont! you'll just waste a good tool those aren't designed for SS rather it is for NS frets, it really doesnt matter if you use a regular fret file or a diamond coated one both are no match for SS frets, try using regular steel files instead but this takes time and practice if your planning to DIY

- tone wise it add a tad of treble but nothing really significant ( some people may like it some people might not ) so im not really sure if its a cons hehehehehe

- cost or labor guitar builder/ repair persons charge double or more for SS fret jobs just to give you and idea on the pricing a very good member of this forum if im not mistaken charges 300 per feet for the SS frets and you'll probably need around 4-5ft for a 21-22 fret guitar so thats around 1500 for the frets plus if i remember correctly but im really not 100% sure for the actual refret service itself for SS he charges 2500 that includes reconditioning your fretboard like re-radius  etc.... so all in all thats 4000 already while a regular refret with NS only cost around 1.8-2.5k depending on which guy you bring it too on the other hand if you come to think of it SS frets will give you more mileage so i dont know if its really a bad thing i mean the cost

Well based on my experience the tone difference is actually very significant FYI...   

[bryanarzaga]

tonewise, depending how high or low the action of the guitar is, makes it significant or not..

the treble is there, and its up to one's ears and amps to say its preferred or not, there are times i notice it can be too bright when played with a bright sounding amp..

[spetsnaz1123]

Mukhang mas lamang ang advantages ng SS frets...kasi kung ang fret life ng SS ay 10 years or more and costs 4000 while NS is 2 years and costs 2500, ang laki palang matitipid sa SS frets .

Tapos yung tone IMO kaya naman yata i-compensate sa effects at amp yun di ba...Uy parang gusto ko na ring magpa-SS frets.hehehe.

[bryanarzaga]

Mukhang mas lamang ang advantages ng SS frets...kasi kung ang fret life ng SS ay 10 years or more and costs 4000 while NS is 2 years and costs 2500, ang laki palang matitipid sa SS frets .

i'd like to add that  both SS and Nickel frets vary in composition..now dont always assume that because its Nickel Frets it is soft and is the same of those sold in Gaisano or is the same fret used by SX/RJ/Squier bullet guitars..thats why frets sold stewmac, lmii and molotov bros are really worth the price because these guys have good quality frets in thier inventory..

now how long do SS frets last, depending on your fretting hand or your attack on strings it might even outlive the guitar player..

Tapos yung tone IMO kaya naman yata i-compensate sa effects at amp yun di ba...Uy parang gusto ko na ring magpa-SS frets.hehehe.

action and tone controls can also help..

[joesat]

Mukhang mas lamang ang advantages ng SS frets...kasi kung ang fret life ng SS ay 10 years or more and costs 4000 while NS is 2 years and costs 2500, ang laki palang matitipid sa SS frets .

Tapos yung tone IMO kaya naman yata i-compensate sa effects at amp yun di ba...Uy parang gusto ko na ring magpa-SS frets.hehehe.

almost all of my guitars are of ss frets and i still have other guitar projects of ss frets also,,,well maybe im just after for durability...about the tone, research says its sharp but as you've said, you may compensate it...

[bluenote]

I still prefer the old dunlop 6100's... 

[bryanarzaga]

I still prefer the old dunlop 6100's... 

mine is 6105

[AhVia_Musicom]

i'd like to add that  both SS and Nickel frets vary in composition..now dont always assume that because its Nickel Frets it is soft and is the same of those sold in Gaisano or is the same fret used by SX/RJ/Squier bullet guitars..thats why frets sold stewmac, lmii and molotov bros are really worth the price because these guys have good quality frets in thier inventory..

now how long do SS frets last, depending on your fretting hand or your attack on strings it might even outlive the guitar player..

action and tone controls can also help..

exactly bry i forgot to mention that SS from different sources may have different composition so it really depends where you get them and how you use them if your fretting hand is a tad heavy then will probably wont last a lifetime but still definitely longer than NS again there are NS frets that are hard and not easy to wear out ,

bluenote in my experience it was not as significant as yours, experiences varies siguro hehehehehe, what wood idid you use on your guitar? pickups? also those might contribute but what bryan said made sense you can always compensate it with your EQ on your amp or on your pedal, i like my bass either 75%-100% then mid and treble at around 0-25% maybe thats the reason its not as significant to me hehehehehehe

[bluenote]

exactly bry i forgot to mention that SS from different sources may have different composition so it really depends where you get them and how you use them if your fretting hand is a tad heavy then will probably wont last a lifetime but still definitely longer than NS again there are NS frets that are hard and not easy to wear out ,

bluenote in my experience it was not as significant as yours, experiences varies siguro hehehehehe, what wood idid you use on your guitar? pickups? also those might contribute but what bryan said made sense you can always compensate it with your EQ on your amp or on your pedal, i like my bass either 75%-100% then mid and treble at around 0-25% maybe thats the reason its not as significant to me hehehehehehe

I don't think you could compensate with just EQ I think it would affect even your technique...

My strat has a light weight Alder Body, maple neck with rosewood slab fret board and custom made pups...

I remember that it affected my playing, my pick attack started to change and I had to have my guitar re - fretted back to the old nickel frets...   Just my opinion though...

Also take into consideration that most of the greats still use nickel frets...  

But I guess it would still boil down to taste...

[AhVia_Musicom]

I don't think you could compensate with just EQ I think it would affect even your technique...

My strat has a light weight Alder Body, maple neck with rosewood slab fret board and custom made pups...

I remember that it affected my playing, my pick attack started to change and I had to have my guitar re - fretted back to the old nickel frets...   Just my opinion though...

Also take into consideration that most of the greats still use nickel frets...  

But I guess it would still boil down to taste...

considering your body is alder that might add to the high's although yeah probably it all boils down to what works for you, i do like the feel of SS better than NS although you like NS better than SS i guess we have different experiences im not saying SS is The Best its just that i kinda like it more than NS but take note i only have have 1 Guitar left with SS the other 3 have NS hehehe when i get to refret the remaining 3 i might change them with SS na