How do I know if i have stainless fret wire?

[Pete Baker]

I bought some stainless steel fret wire from Stewart MacDonald, and just finished installing it in my J 45. It didn't seem to be that much harder to work with than nickel silver. However, I've only done three re frets with nickel silver, so I don't have that much experience with either material. I got to wondering if they sent the wrong stuff. I've read that the stainless will hold its polish for a very long time, but nickel silver will not. Does anyone have any words of wisdom on how to tell what I've got?

 

[Slowpoke]

Hi Pete, a simple test would be to offer a magnet to the fret wire and if it is stainless steel it won't be attracted by the magnet.. S

 

[ebb soul]

Yeah stainless is a damn sight less magnetic.

 

[mherrcat]

Nickel silver isn’t magnetic either...

 

[Pete Baker]

Update. Like mherrcat said, nickel silver isn't magnetic either. I tested both with a really strong rare earth magnet. Furthermore, I may qualify for the TDPRI idiot award. While cleaning up, I found my stainless fret wire still taped to the bottom of the box it came in with the invoice. That was a big job, and it turned out beautifully, only with the wrong wire. I'm trying to decide now if I want to pull it all back out, or just play through it and replace it next year.
In my defense, I've spent the past month gluing up ten loose braces, and the refret was the last step, I guess I just lost my focus. On the bright side, I now know how to fret over the body, and I was intuitive enough to question weather I was using stainless or not, based on how it felt and responded. Good thing I only work on my own stuff.

 

[MatthewK]

Well if you pull it out now you wreck the wire anyway, and it's the same amount of work if you pull it out when it wears out. You may as well leave it in and see how much life you get out of it.

 

[5ofeight]

Why give yourself twice the work?.

 

[Finck]

You could just use a diluted sulphuric acid in a small point of the fret. Theoretically, conventional nickel-silver fret will turn black, stainless will not.

 

[boris bubbanov]

If you've kept some scraps, why not.

I'd be very reluctant to try that acid, on the guitar. The risk of liberating some of the fret metal and having a stain migrate out into the maple, is simply too high.

 

[Pete Baker]

You could just use a diluted sulphuric acid in a small point of the fret. Theoretically, conventional nickel-silver fret will turn black, stainless will not.

Thank you, that is the answer I was originally looking for, something based in science.

Well if you pull it out now you wreck the wire anyway, and it's the same amount of work if you pull it out when it wears out. You may as well leave it in and see how much life you get out of it.

Why give yourself twice the work?.

I'm not thrilled about doing the job a second time, but I was really excited to have it finished once and for all. I play full time and go through the first seven frets in less than a year. My busy season starts in a month or so and I've had my J 45 sidelined for over a year, and am so excited to have it back. I've been playing my J 150, and have always fought with that guitar since new. The cost of the fret wire doesn't factor in. Gonna sleep on it for a few days. Thanks everyone for your input.

 

[Finck]

Take into account that it's not just the price of the fretwire itself, but the price of the service to install the frets. Stainless frets are a PITA to install, so probably the luthier will ask a higher price for the job (and a larger time, maybe). But the result is really great, according to the general opinions.

 

[Bob Arbogast]

As Billy Joel sang: "Get it right the second time, that's the main thing."

 

[rich815]

If you feel you did a great job and it feels good playing it leave it and put in the stainless next time.

 

[Geo]

Good you choose the acid test as some stainless steels are magnetic and most often are widely used.
https://www.fastenal.com/en/75/magnetism-in-stainless-steel-fasteners

 

[Old Tele man]

If it ain't "broken" don't FIX it anymore.