Jehle Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 I just got a catalog from antique electronics and noticed that they had several gibson and fender pre-cut fret wire packs. From the looks of it, it's already radiused, already cut, and it's 24 frets. It's plenty to do a neck and for 10 bucks it seems like a good deal for a one-off neck build. Up to now, I've ordered the 2 foot sections of fretwire from stewmac and you have to get 3 strips of 2 foot wire to make one neck. I always have a ton left over. http://www.tubesandmore.com/new/scripts/si...P?item=P-GTFW01 That's one link to the fender fretwire there. I dunno if you guys have seen it before, but if you want to get just enough to do one neck and not fuss with radiusing it or worrying if you have enough, I think it might be worth looking at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 I just ordered "one necks worth" of wire from Warmoth. It came a three pieces, pre-bent at a bit over 2' per. For $6 its a better deal than Stew-mac. Pre-cut is nice though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MzI Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 i got a package of the gibson stuff. 26 pieces for $10 precut and preradiused for 12". it feels like a medium/jumbo fret wire. not like a normal jumbo of today. no complaints here so far MzI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Those all sound better than buying long lengths. Pre-cut sounds good, can anyone think of any disadvantages to using pre-cut fret wire? What about pre-radiused assuming it is matched to your radius? Also do any of those places sell stainless steel pre-cut frets? How about Pre-cut and pre radiused? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Those all sound better than buying long lengths. Pre-cut sounds good, can anyone think of any disadvantages to using pre-cut fret wire? What about pre-radiused assuming it is matched to your radius? Also do any of those places sell stainless steel pre-cut frets? How about Pre-cut and pre radiused? ← when you radius fret wire you don't actually bend it to match the radius of your guitar. it should actually be bent so that the outside ends touch the fretboard before the center of the wire does. the purpose is to get the ends to seat properly and not pop up as you apply pressure. there's really no down side that i can think of to buying pre-cut and pre-radiused wire and if you're just doing a single neck it's probably a good thing. can't help you with the stainless question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Ive got stainless in precut and preradiused pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Ive got stainless in precut and preradiused pieces. ← very good stuff too...that's where i got my beast's frets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gemleggat Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Isn't fretwire the cheapest part of a guitar build anyway? I've never been unhappy about the price of it, i get it at about 9 feet for around £4. Only con i can think of with precut packs is that you make a mark on bit of it and only have enough to do one guitar your &$^$ed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted July 31, 2005 Author Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 Isn't fretwire the cheapest part of a guitar build anyway? I've never been unhappy about the price of it, i get it at about 9 feet for around £4. Only con i can think of with precut packs is that you make a mark on bit of it and only have enough to do one guitar your &$^$ed! ← True, but there's something nice for a first-timer about getting enough frets for one fretboard. It's also not the price so much as the idea of getting just enough for the project with the plus of already being radiused. If you're going to build a lot of guittars, then, yeah, getting 9 feet is the better way to go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MzI Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 THe reason I bought a pack was to try it. I didnt have enough other stuff to place a full order from stewmac. 26 pieces came in the pack so there is more then enough in case of mess ups. I only had a 22 fret boards so 4 spare is more then enough and I didnt have any scew ups. I have a fret bender and its really not that hard to cut fret wire into little pieces. So if I was working on more then one guitar at a time and had enough to place an order at stew mac then I would just buy a bunch of fretwire. It doesnt take that long to radius and cut it. MzI Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted July 31, 2005 Report Share Posted July 31, 2005 QUOTE(rhoads56 @ Jul 31 2005, 08:34 AM) Ive got stainless in precut and preradiused pieces. * very good stuff too...that's where i got my beast's frets Perry, Would you, if requested, do something like selling a pack with 26 frets, so a first timer like myself would have an extra fret or two just in case( I'll be using a 24 fret neck)? I know personalizing all your products to suit every individual would be stupid, but having an extra fret or two would be a big selling point for my first set of frets, after the first fret job I probably won't ever worry about it. Thanks Perry. I am very interested in the SS frets, so far there has been quite a few people that I look up to that have been very happy with the SS frets, and they sound real good to me. Anyone have any issues with SS frets? Thanks guys. Later. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 the only people i have ever heard diss ss frets are the ones who have never actually used them... don't believe anyone who tells you they "chew through strings" either..truth is that the dense stainless is plenty slick...slicker than the regular nickel frets...and slicker means LESS string wear,not more. it's a fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 don't believe anyone who tells you they "chew through strings" either..truth is that the dense stainless is plenty slick...slicker than the regular nickel frets...and slicker means LESS string wear,not more. Thanks. It makes sense. And the slicker feature is one of the reasons I wanted them, I'm not big on trems so I tend to bend more to make up for that. Again thanks for the help, I shall be using them so if you have any other tips for installing or otherwise let me know. Later. Jason Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 You have to prove you can build guitars before i'll sell the wire. Stainless steel is less forgiving than standard nickel silver. Custom packs are fine, its all hand cut and radiused, and i just have a bucket full of the pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 You have to prove you can build guitars before i'll sell the wire. What do you have in mind? Maybe some pics when I get to the point I need the wire? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 Basically, ive sold the stainless to people before, then i get heaps of emails from them saying they can level it, bla bla, because: 1. they didnt insert them properly, and stainless is WAY hard to level unless its close to perfect 2. they dont have the proper tools to make up for their crappy installation. So, either, you have to prove you can install the frets nicely (eg: you HAVE to use a press for stainless), OR, dont email me to ask for advice on how to fix the fretjob if you CANT install them correctly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 Perry, Is the stainless any harder to undercut for binding? Also, to contest and earlier statement "The only people who dislike stainless frets are those who don't like them": Not true. I've heard a number of folks comment that they found stainless frets too bright sounding. These are folks who are monster players, with years of experience, and they don't like them. It isn't that there is a fault with the frets, but they won't necessarily suit all tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 (edited) Personally, ive found that the only people who say stainless is too bright, are the retailers or manufacturers who cant get a hold of the stuff for themselves. they then tell this to players, and they pass it on as gospel. Personally, after maybe 40-50 refrets in stainless, i cant tell the difference in sound. Ive never ever had a complaint, and in fact at least half the people end up bringing in other guitars to get refrets, well before they are due for them. Yes, it is harder to undercut for binding, harder to trim to length, and harder to level. BUT, with a good fret press, and experience, its no hassle. You will probably have to throw away your cutters are trimming them, or make some flush cutting cutters from a small bolt cutter tool like i did. Edited August 1, 2005 by rhoads56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 1, 2005 Report Share Posted August 1, 2005 like perry said...i do not find them brighter at all....maybe the guitar they were put on was bright... also like perry said,i really had no installation issues.yes they are a bit harder to cut...but the end product is so much nicer that it is worth it...and i undercut all my frets,so that i can fill the ends with wood dust and ca glue. i don't care how much of a "monster" player you are...ss is just superior in the long run...i get fret wear within just a few days on all my nickel fretted guitars...within 3 to 4 years they are far less playable. so far after a month or so on my beast,i have no fret wear at all that i can see...and being an almost entirely mahogany guitar,it has no brighter of a tone than my all mahogany explorer does... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapbarstrat Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 I like the myth that it's hard to get SS wire these days. I have tons of it. German made. Vickers hardness rating on some sizes is HV5-250 , other sizes are HV5-260, and the huge 6100 size I just got is HV5-300. That will kill your cutters. LOL To put that in perspective, the "18% Nickel-Silver" wire made by the same company is HV5-200 And I was wondering why the Gold colored fret-wire seemed so hard. Then I found out it's HV5-230. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 2, 2005 Report Share Posted August 2, 2005 Basically, ive sold the stainless to people before, then i get heaps of emails from them saying they can level it, bla bla, because: 1. they didnt insert them properly, and stainless is WAY hard to level unless its close to perfect 2. they dont have the proper tools to make up for their crappy installation. So, either, you have to prove you can install the frets nicely (eg: you HAVE to use a press for stainless), OR, dont email me to ask for advice on how to fix the fretjob if you CANT install them correctly smile.gif I understand your response now. You don't need to worry about me as I can own up to my own mistakes, and I will have a press to use. I have seen and read quite a few people that have used it now, so I would never believe that any problems I would run into would have anything to do with the frets themselves, thats what I meant by I can own up to my own mistakes, if I did have a problem I would understand that it was due to a poor installation on my part. Anyways I shouldn't have any problems, and by the time I order them I will already have all the tools required for the job, I have a few already. Thanks for the tips anyways, but as I said I would never blame the product for any issues especially after seeing and hearing so many people that had no problems and actually like them far better than the regular nickel silver. Thanks for the help and info on the ss frets, I will contact you when the time comes. Later. J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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