what to do with train track 6100 frets?

[appar111]

Turns out I don't dig the big ol' train track frets as much as I thought I would. I have a warmoth vintage modern strat neck with them, and I've had to move to 11-49 strings to really make things feel balanced. With 9's it's way too easy to overpress on chords and go sharp.

Should I continue to just use heavier strings with them, or should I take them way down with a level & crown? I hate to do that as all I'm doing is literally shaving life off them, but if it makes the guitar more comfortable to play, I wouldn't be opposed to it.

Otherwise the neck has a great feel and look to it, so I don't want to sell it.

I plan on messing around more with relief, action and the lighter string gauges to see if I can get 'er to feel right, but just wanted to check with others here who may have had a guitar with frets that were too big for them, and what you did to deal with it (i.e. bring the frets way down, change string gauge, sold the neck, etc.)

[KokoTele]

IMHO, only one thing is going to make a 6100s feel and play like smaller frets, and that's to make them smaller.

It would be lots of work, though, and you'll need a set of calipers to measure fret height to make sure you're reducing them all evenly.

[Thighbanez]

rats. I'm in the same boat.

[garrett]

Same here. As a result, I have a Highway 1 Strat neck sitting in my closet waiting for me to get around to chucking it on eBay.

It was only reasonably comfortable with 11's. I play 9's now, so that's no good. I learned not to go any bigger than 6150.

[charlie chitlin]

Good time to start working on that lighter touch.
It sounds like a bit of a joke, but it's not.
I have several guitars with widely varying characteristics, including fret size.
For me, it's a fun experience to get used to all their idiosyncrasies and work with them

[davmac]

Originally Posted by charlie chitlin

Good time to start working on that lighter touch.
It sounds like a bit of a joke, but it's not.
I have several guitars with widely varying characteristics, including fret size.
For me, it's a fun experience to get used to all their idiosyncrasies and work with them

+1. I have a Benford Custom that I specified with big fat frets. The tuning issues came as something of a surprise. It is taking a while but I'm using it as an opportunity to improve my technique and make sure I'm not pressing the strings down too hard.

I will eventually remove height from the frets but, for now, I'm following the "when life gives you lemons..." approach. Yes, it will reduce the life of the frets but, on the positive side, it means I'll be able to refret it with a gauge I like sooner.

[TNO]

I don't like narrow and tall frets much either so on my Allparts FAT necks I just did a really aggressive fret level and recrown. Now the frets are just a lil' bit taller than vintage Fender wire.

[Doug 54]

Level em taking some height off and recrown em yourself!!

[gogirlguitars]

I love 6100 frets. i have a pro tone Squier Tele neck with vintage frets and I never play it because I don't like the thin frets.

Trick is light touch

[BlueBuddha]

+ 1 on light touch.

lighter touch = faster playing.

not that speed is everything, because it's not, but its useful.


all my guitars (apart from acoustic) have big ol' jumbo frets, i ended up selling guitars that had smaller frets

[gitold]

+2 on lighter touch. I have told lots of students that thats the key to playing faster and more in tune.

[garrett]

I've been working on the easier touch myself, since it's easier on my hands. That's why I've gone down to 9's. I just don't like the feel of the 6100's. They're just too tall and wide compared to my other guitars, so they hang me up. So I'm not sure if just dressing them down will make them work for everyone.

[melodicaster]

Lordy be, I hate those frets. Light touch or not, you'll get hung up moving around at some point. Besides, how are ya ever going to be able to dig in on riffs with a light touch? I'd take them to a good tech or luthier and let them do a nice pro job. It's expensive but so worth it. Take them down to something more sane. Funny, but I call them train track frets, too.

Models have been showing up with these and 6105s. It means that's a model you'll never see me endorsing. It's too bad, too.

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by BlueBuddha

+ 1 on light touch.

lighter touch = faster playing.

not that speed is everything, because it's not, but its useful.


all my guitars (apart from acoustic) have big ol' jumbo frets, i ended up selling guitars that had smaller frets

Basically, I think using 6100 frets force you to abandon guitars with much smaller frets. As long as some of FMIC's finest guitars, and other builder's finest guitars are still found equipped with 6230s and similar, that's a step I'm not willing to take. For most guys, this is a zero sum game. Add 6100s to your quiver, and throw away some pretty sweet guitars at the other end of the spectrum you can no longer play.

Quite right, that speed is not everything. Not even sure how useful it is, personally.

[Thighbanez]

Dont forget that if you do long-length slides, it will feel and sound like CRAP with big frets.
Ask me how I know...
My old neck was never like this. I'd go back if it was a FAT like this one is.

[appar111]

Originally Posted by KokoTele

IMHO, only one thing is going to make a 6100s feel and play like smaller frets, and that's to make them smaller.

It would be lots of work, though, and you'll need a set of calipers to measure fret height to make sure you're reducing them all evenly.

Why would I need a set of calipers to make sure they're all even if I use a leveling beam and sandpaper?

[appar111]

Originally Posted by boris bubbanov

Basically, I think using 6100 frets force you to abandon guitars with much smaller frets. As long as some of FMIC's finest guitars, and other builder's finest guitars are still found equipped with 6230s and similar, that's a step I'm not willing to take. For most guys, this is a zero sum game. Add 6100s to your quiver, and throw away some pretty sweet guitars at the other end of the spectrum you can no longer play.

Quite right, that speed is not everything. Not even sure how useful it is, personally.

I think that I'll attempt to just get used to the idiosyncracies of this size frets. I have an esquire with a warmoth strat neck on it with 6130's (really low) and love that thing to death. I also have an allparts fat tele neck with the medium jumbos that were taken down a bit when I finally had them leveled and crowned last year. I dig that one too. Heck, even my $69 Bullet Special (the first one I leveled and crowned myself-- yay!) has small frets, but it plays great.

I'll slap some 9's on this 6100 equipped neck and see if I can adapt. Going away from smaller frets altogether ain't gonna happen though. I don't want to play it exclusively though, even if it means I finally get used to the frets, if it makes my other guitar's feel "not right" anymore.

[geetarz]

It's all down the size of the strings you want to use.

Personally, I hate anything larger than 9-42 or 9-46 on a guitar with vintage frets. It's just too much work to play.

6105's are a great compromise, and 10s work great.

But the problem with 9s and 10s, you're never going to get that solid, low end THUMP from the wound strings. So, on my guitars with vintage frets, I string 9s, on those with 6105s, 10s, and then I have a couple (a '58 Strat and '64 Strat, see pic) with 6100s, and those have 12s.

But yeah, putting weenie strings on giant frets makes them play like rubber bands, and can cause all sorts of intonation problems.

Good Luck!

[Thighbanez]

So maybe go up to 11's instead of shaving down the frets...yes?

[geetarfreek82]

+3 on the light touch. I used to hammer the strings when I was younger and inexperienced, but in the past five years I've been battling carpal tunnel issues and had to go to the lighter touch. Besides switching to Dunlop Jazz III picks, playing lightly was the biggest improvement in technique I ever had. I also don't "over-pick," meaning I keep my pick hand over the strings and don't needlessly strum across the whole guitar. I no longer break strings and my pickguards remain largely scratch free! Lol

All of that said, my favorite frets are 6105's, though I have Teles with small frets and other things with jumbo frets and I can play fine on any of them with no problems.