Stainless steel frets

Hahl98Git · November 2017

Howdy all,

Just wondering what peeps opinions on stainless steel frets are? I have super corrosive sweat and play a lot so chew through regular frets. I have a 98 Hahl gitano which has a lovely rich and complex tone and have heard SS frets can brighten up the tone so am just wondering if I'm at risk of messing with the sound of the instrument. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

Stringswinger · November 2017

I had an electric guitar refretted with stainless. I would not use these frets on an acoustic guitar. There is a light ping on the plain strings that was not there with nickel frets. It does not come through the amp, so I am able to live with it. Had I put these frets on an acoustic, I would have either sold the guitar or had to have it refretted again. Try EVO frets. I have played an acoustic guitar with those frets and did not hear the ping. I did not however, find any brightness caused by the stainless.

Paul Crabill · November 2017

Craig Bumgarner put stainless steel frets on one of his new guitars. You might ask him what he thinks. Also, he used an EVO gold fret as the zero fret. Beautiful work.

HCQ · November 2017

The guitar tech I use recommended Jescar or EVO. Tone profile changes aside, stainless steel is a bear to work with in regard to them ruining tools used for refrets or fret levelings.

Jeff Moore · November 2017

The stainless would seem to make most sense on an axe with carbon fiber in the neck so you won't be trying to level out stainless steel when the neck moves with the weather. Makes less sense on a truss rod only neck that might be changing with the humidity where the ease (though still difficult) of leveling nickel will be a lot easier.
Stainless is really hard! You wouldn't want to have to go back and mess with it once it's done once nicely, but on a wood neck without lot's of carbon, there's gonna be some of movement.
I don't know why anybody installs truss rods, but they mostly still do!
An eternally straight neck with stainless frets would be nice!

Hahl98Git · November 2017

Great, thanks for the info all everyone. My luthier has good things to say about evo so might go with that just to be on the safe side. Cheers!

Craig Bumgarner · November 2017

I've used stainless frets on the last two guitars I built and so far I'm pleased with them The reason to use them is to reduce or even eliminate string wear on the frets.

No one who has played these guitars so far, maybe 6-7 people, have had any comments one way or the other about the sound the stainless frets impart. Most knew the frets were stainless and some I asked directly if they had any observations about the stainless frets. Shrugs.

While the stainless alloy used is purposefully harder than nickel silver, I have not found it overly difficult to work. I had to get a better set of cutters (vintage Starret nippers off eBay) to cut the frets to length without my hand cramping up, but otherwise, my standard fretting tools work well. One needs to be more careful with the fret radius before setting, but otherwise they seat and form well. Fret leveling and crowning did not seem overly difficult, but I do strive throughout the fingerboard and fretting process to get the frets in as level as possible before dressing, usually the leveling needed does not cut deeply

At the moment, I plan to keep using stainless as I would rather be building new guitars than refretting three year old guitars, but of course I offer nickel silver and Evo Gold upon request.

One comment on Evo though. The hand sweat of some people will corrode Evo. Not everyone, but when it happens, the frets turn a nasty green and the fret area between the strings may corrode away leaving the frets with what looks like inverse wear, scallops between the strings, not under them. I saw this recently on a guitar I built around three years ago and has been played many hours a day since. While it was kind of spooky looking, it had not yet affected the playability, the fret under the string is not worn or corroded at all. My guess is eventually this corrosion will become a problem that will require a refret. This is why I turned to stainless.

Jeff Moore · November 2017

Craig, Nice to hear your not having much trouble working with stainless. My efforts with it have just been projects. I found my regular drill bits just wandered across the surface and cutting it just seemed beyond me. So I made a point avoid stainless if I could.
Not having done any SS frets, I should have kept mum about it. What tool do you use for leveling SS frets?
The idea of doing fret work less often is very appealing!

Craig Bumgarner · November 2017

I worked in yacht repair for 40 years and encountered plenty of stainless there, burnt up my fair share of bits, blades and tools, I feel your pain. I've only done two stainless fret jobs with Jescar stainless fret wire, but me thinks the alloy used they use is not as hard or stiff as the stainless used in marine hardware and fabricating (typically 1808, 304 and more recently 316). Considerably harder than nickel silver of course, but NS is pretty soft stuff to begin with, softer than common steel.

For fret leveling, I use the same 8" DMT fine/extra fine diamond sharpening plate I use on nickel silver and Evo frets. Dandy. I use standard fretting and bench files for crowning and the ends, they seem to work fine and I don't see any damage to them from working the stainless, yet.... :-) I have a diamond crowning tool, but files work better. I use Summit tang trimmer when needed and Summit end cutters for a near flush cut at the edge of the fingerboard after the fret is installed.

The only tool I had to get special was a better pair of nippers for cutting frets to length before setting. After 12 frets, my hand was killing me. For one fret job, anything will do, but as I planned to do more, I bought a pair of Starrett 5-1/2" double action levered nippers for the second fret job, ah, much better. New ones are $350, but there are lots on eBay for under $100, some are new. I got an old but never used pair for $50.

Bones · November 2017

Jeff, it really depends on what kind of SS alloy it is. For example 302/304 'work harden' instantly. That's why it will burn up drill bits. Gotta use super sharp bits and if they spin at all and don't bite in you are done. By contrast the 303 alloy is the 'free machining' version and doesn't work harden like that. I'd guess the SS fretwire is made of some free machining alloy but I don't really know.