Dreading Replacing Frets:

Inspector #20

Inspector #20

Ambassador of Tone
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I'm killing the frets on my guitars.

Wore the frets down flat on my Gibson Les Paul 50's Tribute in just about 3 months. Not only do bends "grab and drag" but the flat profiles screws with intonation.

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Look at this...even killing the 20th and up:

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Even my Schecter C1FR. I'm on my 3rd level and crown since new in 2019.

Zoom in and look at the brass shavings.

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More wear on the Schecter...

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I'm dreading re-fretting 4 guitars...

Ugh!!!!
 
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Dude...lighten up!

I mean sheesh...are you one of those fellas that has to squeeze as hard as you can when you shake hands?

I seriously recommend SS frets as much as I hate what they do to my tools. Costs more but be done with it.
 
StrumerJoe said:
Dude...lighten up!

I mean sheesh...are you one of those fellas that has to squeeze as hard as you can when you shake hands?

I seriously recommend SS frets as much as I hate what they do to my tools. Costs more but be done with it.
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The Jescar Gold Frets have zero wear...

It's not so much the grip, it's the hours. Grip doesn't wear the frets flat...but hours of use does...
 
I'm not surprised. The Jescar EVO wire is harder than nickel silver.

You must be putting in a hell of a lot of hours.! Props! From my experience, which is I don't know how many fret jobs over the last 22 years (DAMN! how'd that happen so fast?!?) grip does play a part. Regardless, even if you had a grip like The Hulk you shouldn't be wearing them out that fast.

Gibson seems to use a softer nickel silver than some others, and that irks me. I know Schecter isn't using premium wire on their imports, but they do on their CS models. Gibson has no excuse.

These days I think any guitar going for 2K and up should have SS fret wire. For the large manufactures it shouldn't be that big a deal considering the volume of sales they do.

(and no diss on Schecter - I think their imports are a very good quality to value instrument)
 
StrumerJoe said:
I'm not surprised. The Jescar EVO wire is harder than nickel silver.

You must be putting in a hell of a lot of hours.! Props! From my experience, which is I don't know how many fret jobs over the last 22 years (DAMN! how'd that happen so fast?!?) grip does play a part. Regardless, even if you had a grip like The Hulk you shouldn't be wearing them out that fast.

Gibson seems to use a softer nickel silver than some others, and that irks me. I know Schecter isn't using premium wire on their imports, but they do on their CS models. Gibson has no excuse.

These days I think any guitar going for 2K and up should have SS fret wire. For the large manufactures it shouldn't be that big a deal considering the volume of sales they do.

(and no diss on Schecter - I think their imports are a very good quality to value instrument)
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Yes!!!

Great observations. The Gibson's (I've bought 5 brand new ones between 2016 and 2017) had the softest frets of all.

Schecter was second on the softness scale.

My Indonesian Jackson has the hardest wearing nickel-silver frets, but nowhere near the hardness of the Jescar Evo's.
 
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Robert Herndon said:
I've tried many. The Ernie Ball 09x46 last the longest.
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Long time user of Regular Slinky here, 10-46. Nickel wound.

Are you using nickel wound Slinky or M-Steel, Stainless Steel, or Cobalt? Looks like in the pictures the wraps from the wound strings were digging into the frets.

If you are using nickel wound that would just further confirm the softness of the nickel silver used for the frets.

Either way, EVO Gold or SS and you'll be set. Shame to have to pay the extra expense though...especially on a 2K Gibson...although I did think of one reason they might use sofer fret wire - "traditionalists". Change the least little thing and they moan about it. Then when they don't change others moan that they don't keep up with the times. Personally I think it's possible to offer something for both camps.
 
Stainless Steel why the strings lasted 13 years on the Parker two shows per week and band practice three days per week zero fret ware.
My last band lasted 8 years the current one is going on 9 years now.
Over 2 1/2 years on the Hydra guitar SS frets original strings.

Parker Fly Deluxe 001.JPG

Hydra 002.JPG
 
StrumerJoe said:
Long time user of Regular Slinky here, 10-46. Nickel wound.

Are you using nickel wound Slinky or M-Steel, Stainless Steel, or Cobalt? Looks like in the pictures the wraps from the wound strings were digging into the frets.

If you are using nickel wound that would just further confirm the softness of the nickel silver used for the frets.

Either way, EVO Gold or SS and you'll be set. Shame to have to pay the extra expense though...especially on a 2K Gibson...although I did think of one reason they might use sofer fret wire - "traditionalists". Change the least little thing and they moan about it. Then when they don't change others moan that they don't keep up with the times. Personally I think it's possible to offer something for both camps.
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Here's the ones I use...

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67plexi said:
Stainless Steel why the strings lasted 13 years on the Parker two shows per week and band practice three days per week zero fret ware.
My last band lasted 8 years the current one is going on 9 years now.
Over 2 1/2 years on the Hydra guitar SS frets original strings.

View attachment 75590

View attachment 75591
Click to expand...


Good points on the stainless frets. There is no doubt they are high quality.

When I designed my Warmoth neck for YeloStrat, I tried the Jescar Evo's and I absolutely love them. The thing I like most is that they are slightly less hard than stainless and I can easily work them myself here on my bench.
 
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