Fret wire size and true tone? step up to the plate.

[ramseybella]

I have been playing since 1975 have had all sorts of guitars, being left handed that is not much but for some a lot.
I find that in order to get the true single coil tone and feel I have been using vintage thin fret wire on my new builds and I like them a lot the quick cord changes as well as the Tele spank and Stratocaster bell tone.

Now for the heavy blues and hard rock and on up the food chain I do like jumbo fret wire.

But for true Fender tone I have to say I am sticking with thin wire.

Anybody care to take up on this?

[newtwanger]

I'll take a swing and say I do not believe there is a "Fender true tone".

a '52 isn't a '54 isn't a '63 isn't a '69 isn't a '75 and certainly isn't a '09.


I prefer vintage frets on rounded necks because I like the feel.


Tone comes from the mojo trapped in time between the paint and the body anyways, not from the frets!

[originalmatthew]

There is the "mass = sustain" school of thought, but I cant tell a difference in tone between one size fret or another. My thinking says that what the frets are made of might have an effect on tone due to the differing density of the material that the vibrations have to travel through. I have heard guys talk about stainless steel frets making their guitars "ringy" after a refret... no scientific proof tho. I say play what feels best!

[fretbuzzard]

My guess is that different frets give the guitar a different "feel" which, in turn, makes you play differently. I know that my style (and thus my tone) change substantially when I move from a 12" board with jumbos over to a 7.25" with razor wire...

[Al Watsky]

There is also the effect of finger damping.
Its more audible on acoustics and violins , but , as a public service.
If the frets are low there is more acoustical damping from the fingertips.
Often when refreting classical guitars there is a noticeable brightening of tone if higher fret is installed. I discount the extra mass "theory" in this case. I wouldn't guess the extra weight would be more than 2 frets worth. (time to weigh some batches of fret wire)
So there is a difference between high and low fret wire from the point of view of acoustics.
I know that one of my ash/maple tele's is crazy bright with high fret. I put some wire in there , (guess its about .80 by .50.) after the vintage wire . Very bright.
On a maple neck the finger damping may be beneficial.
Its a very slight effect but perceivable.
I guess I like vintage wire pretty well, but for some of the stuff I'm called on to play higher wire and flatter radius is appropriate. I prefer the smaller radius on Tele's.

[95strat]

I started out playing medium jumbos on my Strat, but picked up at CIJ tele with thin wire and actually prefer that now. I still have my Strat, but like the feel of rounder necks with thinner wire.

[ramseybella]

Originally Posted by 95strat

I started out playing medium jumbos on my Strat, but picked up at CIJ tele with thin wire and actually prefer that now. I still have my Strat, but like the feel of rounder necks with thinner wire.

I guess throwing the word tone in the mix was not what I ment, the feel and sound have changed more of a snappy responce I should have put in the mix.
It feels better.

[Maxwell Street]

I think it's what feels comfortable or what you're used to, I also think you adapt technique to get what you want out of the guitar.......

[Gary in Boston]

I've got a friend who re frets all his guitars with tall thin fret wire. In some cases your fingers never touch the fret board just stopping where they fret. It's very noticable on his acoustics less so on electrics but it's an interesting appraoch. Kinda like a poor man's scalloping...... leaing the fret board where it is and bringing the frets up.

Gary

[Nick JD]

I never play an open note. They sound like a different guitar - can't stand them. All that "boney" tone and no mass to make the string sound all nickle-silvery like it should.

[Soapbarstrat]

I've been thinking for a while that "vintage" size fret-wire keeps the tone of an alder guitar "in check". And then along those lines, I'll be inclined to put monster jumbo frets on a basswood body guitar.