Thoughts on stainless frets

Danielsguitars

I'm interested to hear people's opinions on stainless steel frets, tone etc and downsides 

What about evo gold which I'm keen to try next

richh

I've had them on Parker guitars and they are fantastic!  I know they are harder to work on, but for the player they are silky smooth and great for bends / vibrato, and can be expected to remain so for a long time.  I've heard that they can alter the tonal characteristics, which could be a bit of a gamble - the Parkers were designed around this.

I don't know what evo gold is though!

Ossyrocks

Took the plunge with my Les Paul this year, Jescar 47104 in stainless. No change in tone for me, but dramatic improvements in playability and feel. I absolutely love them. I'm having another done with the same wire next week.

Rob.

ICBM

Every guitar I've played with them on has had an odd 'zingy' tone which I really don't like - like brand-new strings, only worse. On the other hand a lot of people seem to like brand-new strings…

Expect to pay more for fret work, but at least you won't need it doing so often.

guitarfishbay

I'm a bit wary of the zingy thing because I already don't like the sound of distorted fret clank on an electric guitar as it is.  I've not knowingly played an SS fretted guitar yet, so can't really comment from experience, but I've heard this comment from multiple people

Danielsguitars

ICBM said:

Every guitar I've played with them on has had an odd 'zingy' tone which I really don't like - like brand-new strings, only worse. On the other hand a lot of people seem to like brand-new strings…

Expect to pay more for fret work, but at least you won't need it doing so often.

Thanks ICBM

It's that zingy thing that really puts me off, I'm into vintage tone so I don't think I'll use them, I don't need more sustain or top end either which some say it improves

I'll probably try evo as it seem a good compromise for my future builds

Gassage

Overly bright, can be unforgiving and scrapey to bend, but plus side, very good for tappers.

Do not like.

Danielsguitars

Gassage said:

Overly bright, can be unforgiving and scrapey to bend, but plus side, very good for tappers.

Do not like.

lol

The only thing I tap is my foot

I know now I'm not ever using them on my guitars 

FelineGuitars

If you are wanting a harder wire but not EVO Gold hard or even mores stainless then try Jescar wire

Turned onto by @Brize who had us refret a strat for him with it . It seems to be a harder formulation of a nickel silver wire  - down to the rolling/forming process. Certainly I like it a lot and a good alternative to the Dunlop wire that I have always liked.

If you like a vintage Tone then you may want to stay clear of stainless - and definitely avoid on an already bright guitar

When using stainless or EVO gold you find that tools don't actually CUT the wire - they provide enough force till it shears
It can be hard on the tools and the tech using them and the reasons that most techs charge more for installing it are - the extra cost of the wire, the extra time it may take to install over a nickel silver wire and having two replace tools so much quicker as a result of using that wire.

Danielsguitars

FelineGuitars said:

If you are wanting a harder wire but not EVO Gold hard or even mores stainless then try Jescar wire

Turned onto by @Brize who had us refret a strat for him with it . It seems to be a harder formulation of a nickel silver wire  - down to the rolling/forming process. Certainly I like it a lot and a good alternative to the Dunlop wire that I have always liked.

If you like a vintage Tone then you may want to stay clear of stainless - and definitely avoid on an already bright guitar

When using stainless or EVO gold you find that tools don't actually CUT the wire - they provide enough force till it shears
It can be hard on the tools and the tech using them and the reasons that most techs charge more for installing it are - the extra cost of the wire, the extra time it may take to install over a nickel silver wire and having two replace tools so much quicker as a result of using that wire.

Thanks Jonathan for the advice

I've been using Japanese heavy nickel wire out of touchstone and i like it alot but it's always good to try something else 

I've got a couple to try them on anyway

I just keep seeing people say refret only with ss which doesn't suit everyone that's why I asked and it seems my conclusion is the same as most on here

Andyjr1515

I use EVO Golds on all my builds.  I've personally never noticed them being particularly hard to cut, level or crown but they certainly don't wear as fast as some other types and I bow to builders with more experience in terms of the workabilty factors.  I wouldn't have put them at all in the same camp as stainless from that point of view but again, I have limited comparisons.

axisus

Gassage said:

can be unforgiving and scrapey to bend

??? Sounds like they weren't polished properly.

I have them on two guitars and I absolutely love them, they feel really smooth and slidey on bends. Having said that, I wouldn't want to install them myself!

WezV

  I like jescar, it is noticeably harder than many of the standard sources, but not so hard it kills tools.

Stainless is okay for levelling and dressing with some diamond tools and a lot of polishing - relatively painless.  Stainless bends into a radius okay with normal tools, but most fret cutters and nippers will start to perish pretty quickly.  Stew-mac claim theirs works on SS frets - but I have 2 sets of very worn ones which suggest otherwise

webrthomson

I've got a couple of guitars over the last few years with SS frets and honestly I don't notice that much difference, little more top end and a bit smoother on bends etc. but there is not much in it, mind you I'm pretty heavy handed

ICBM

axisus said:

Gassage said:

can be unforgiving and scrapey to bend

??? Sounds like they weren't polished properly.

It amazes me that some luthiers - and guitar manufacturers as well - don't seem to realise that it's essential to polish the frets across the width of the neck and not lengthwise.

Stainless can take an absolutely mirror-smooth polish if you do it properly.

Danielsguitars

WezV said:

  I like jescar, it is noticeably harder than many of the standard sources, but not so hard it kills tools

I think the Japanese wire I've been using is hosco which according to what I've read about hardness it's around 175 and jescar around 200 so I wouldn't expect a big difference anyway

Evo is around 250 and SS around 300 on the hardness scale

It could all be rubbish though as I read it on the interweb 

Roland

Personally I find the idea of soft nickle frets offensive. It indicates substandard material choice. I have guitars with stainless, EVO, and Jescar. Stainless zings, which is great for improving note definition with legato and tapping, but can be irritating with other playing styles. Neither EVO nor Jescar seem to have that zing. Players with other styles may beg to differ.

Danielsguitars

Roland said:

Personally I find the idea of soft nickle frets offensive. It indicates substandard material choice. I have guitars with stainless, EVO, and Jescar. Stainless zings, which is great for improving note definition with legato and tapping, but can be irritating with other playing styles. Neither EVO nor Jescar seem to have that zing. Players with other styles may beg to differ.

 Define sub standard fret choice please

I do not need more top end or sustain and note definition either like some say ss improves

I don't want that zing either as it would annoy the hell out of me too

It's down to playing styles and choices not sub standard workmanship like you've suggested

WezV

I agree with @Roland ;

buy some cheap fretwire and you may find it too soft.  This makes it hard to install evenly, it wears easier, and it doesn't hold its shine as long.

i have thrown stuff away for being noticeably soft 

Danielsguitars

I wasn't talking about cheap fretwire as I wouldn't use it anyway, I've been using the Japanese wire for a good few years and like it alot for what I'm building anyway

I'm not doing ss that's for sure but I will be trying jescar nickel and evo just to see for myself what it's like, it's the tone I'm interested too

Roland

customkits said:

Roland said:

Personally I find the idea of soft nickle frets offensive. It indicates substandard material choice. ...

 Define sub standard fret choice please

If I buy something, other than a consumable, I expect it to last at least five years of normal use. For example, branded dishwashers and washing machines are warranted to work for five years without failure. 

So if a guitar needs refretting in less than five years of normal use then I would consider that the builder had used substandard fretwire.