Compound Radius Question

[Paul-less]

SO! I was thinking about getting a neck for my tele. My only issue with the compound radius neck is how would you level it without losing the compound radius? I mean, unless you have a level that has the radius built in, aren't you kind-off screwed when you need a fret change? And I don't really want to go with stainless steel frets...

 

[Rickgrxbass]

SO! I was thinking about getting a neck for my tele. My only issue with the compound radius neck is how would you level it without losing the compound radius? I mean, unless you have a level that has the radius built in, aren't you kind-off screwed when you need a fret change? And I don't really want to go with stainless steel frets...

It's pretty moot if your tech is worth his salt; fret levelling is generally done with something similar to this: http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Leveling/Fret_Fingerboard_Levelers.html, which is done longitudinally without respect to the actual fretboard radius. Never mind the infrequency of refretting; I'd be amazed if anyone can burn through frets in ten years.

Also, SS frets are freaking amazing.

 

[Cagey]

SO! I was thinking about getting a neck for my tele. My only issue with the compound radius neck is how would you level it without losing the compound radius? I mean, unless you have a level that has the radius built in, aren't you kind-off screwed when you need a fret change? And I don't really want to go with stainless steel frets...

It is as Mr. Bass says - it's not an issue. You always use flat leveling tools, regardless of the radius. Plus, you mark the frets in such a way as to see your progress, which you also do regardless of the radius.

Also, SS frets are freaking amazing. You'll be doing yourself a real disservice passing them up.

 

[Paul-less]

I chew frets up. I've had my tele for 9 months and after the initial fret-dress, I had to do one 6 months after I bought it, and it's getting to the point of requiring one. That would be my biggest reason to go to stainless steel.

My problem with that is the tone issue. I've heard people swear they don't change tone, and others swear they do.

Is it possibly an issue of amount of gain? People who use a lot of distortion don't notice a difference, and those who don't use gain (me) do? I've never compared for myself.

 

[rockskate4x]

If you are getting a brand new neck, it will make the guitar sound different regardless of what frets you are using, even if you are using the same wood types, neck profiles, tuners, etc. Simply because it is a different piece of wood, there are already too many factors to attribute the difference one hears with that particular neck to the fret type, so these kinds of claims are ridiculous to make. Maybe stainless steel frets do make a slight difference in the tone... but there is no conclusive way to test that. I have stainless steel frets, and whether they make a difference in tone or not, they don't seem to cause any problems.

That said, get some SS frets! With your playing style you sound like you'll need them. I would guess that since you wear your frets down pretty easily, you bend strings quite a bit. SS frets will give you the added benefit of easier bending. I can say from personal experience that you won't regret it.

 

[Rickgrxbass]

If you are getting a brand new neck, it will make the guitar sound different regardless of what frets you are using, even if you are using the same wood types, neck profiles, tuners, etc. Simply because it is a different piece of wood, there are already too many factors to attribute the difference one hears with that particular neck to the fret type, so these kinds of claims are ridiculous to make. Maybe stainless steel frets do make a slight difference in the tone... but there is no conclusive way to test that. I have stainless steel frets, and whether they make a difference in tone or not, they don't seem to cause any problems.

That said, get some SS frets! With your playing style you sound like you'll need them. I would guess that since you wear your frets down pretty easily, you bend strings quite a bit. SS frets will give you the added benefit of easier bending. I can say from personal experience that you won't regret it.

Pretty much, this.

Plus, it's a tele, so it's already stab-you-in-the-ear bright, right?  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

My problem with [stainless steel frets] is the tone issue. I've heard people swear they don't change tone, and others swear they do.

The power of suggestion is tremendous.

The reality is, there's no difference in tone. There is, however, a difference in feel. Stainless steel frets are super-smooth. You'll notice that immediately. I mean, it's tangible. No exaggeration. Even if you've never played them before, you'd know something was different the first time you picked up a guitar with stainless frets, and once you get spoiled by that, you won't want anything else.

I've been playing for 40 years or so on myriad guitars, and I can't hear a difference. I make no claim on "golden ears", but I do have very good hearing that's pretty well educated. Bit rates on digital recordings are audible to me, and I use good gear so as to not suffer inaccuracies because it bothers me. Still, I hear no change with SS frets as far as tone in general playing.

I will say this, though. It's a harder material, and that's audible if you play clean and depend on the dynamics involved with hammers/pulls/ghost notes. It's not dramatic, but there's an increased clarity to the attack of the notes, particularly with hammer-ons. The note sounds more reliably, so it almost sounds less like a like hammered note than a picked note in that it's almost as pronounced.

I don't think it's anything you need to adjust for, or anything undesirable. Quite the opposite; it makes things sound better. But, again, it's not dramatic and may just be my imagination. For all intents and purposes and for probably 95% of the players out there, you may as well say there's no difference other than they last a lot longer physically.

I know myself I'll never take nickel-steel frets again if I have a choice.

 

[Cagey]

Plus, it's a tele, so it's already stab-you-in-the-ear bright, right?  :laughing7:

Careful. Saying that implies that they're brighter, which they're not. You're gonna scare the guy and increase the chances he might go without one of the greatest improvements to guitars since locking tuners.

 

[duosonic]

Not sure how often you level your frets on your other guitars.  Frets for me last a long time.  With Stainless Steel they'll last even longer.