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Stainless steel refret

fender69

Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2003
Messages
998
just had my main acoustic refretted with SS frets. Observations. 1. They are beautifully smooth and easy to play. A fair amount more so than with NS. 2. The guitar is brighter and more crisp than with NS. It seems a little more articulate. 3. There was a DEFINITE loss of richness in the low end and a loss of overall "warmth". It is articulate but it is also a tad bit more "sterile" than before.
I do this for a living so I'm pretty sensitive about how the instrument performs. I would definitely consider how a given instrument responds and the quality of the voice. You might end up with a guitar that is too bright and glassy for your tastes.

My $.0.02
 

Dave P

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 13, 2001
Messages
976
I've refretted a number of guitars with SS. The main difference I notice in tone is a slightly exaggerated high end ping on the notes, and more fret rattle on the wound strings. Installation is crucial, they must be radiused exactly to the fretboard radius, as they have no 'give' like N/S frets. They must be highly polished with no grittiness, as they will not break in like N/S frets. Another alternative is EVO, which is a little less hard than SS.
 

thin sissy

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 2, 2006
Messages
2,691
I'm a big fan of SS frets. I have two 50's LP:s with SS frets and I doubt I will ever use anything else again.

The big thing a out them for me is the smooth playability and the fact that they last so long :) .
 
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