fret size 6100 vs 6105 advice

[Smpl9]

i have the gold 6105 med jumbo in me new 22-fret warmoth compound neck for me strat. love the neck.

would the jumbo frets help a bit with barre chords and finger creases? that is, if i get the crease out of the way of the E & B strings then the G & D strings don't get fretted well and vice versa.

is it generally speaking, expensive to get new fret wire installed?

 

[Kostas]

I was playing yesterday with my '92 Gibson SG and I thought how easier it would be for barre chords if the frets were bigger. The guitar has 12'' radius and the originally medium frets have been shaved twice so new frets would help.

All my Warmoths have SS6105 but I'm gonna try SS6100 in the next one. I think it will help for barre chords and if I don't like 'em I can shave them.

As for installing new frets I think a price for uninstalling the old frets and installing new frets would be close to a showcase neck (no fancy woods). If we are talking about SS frets maybe more than a new neck.

 

[Cagey]

Yes, it would help and yes, it would be expensive. As Kostas said, it might be easier to just buy another neck, especially when you consider that you can sell the one you've got to help finance the change. A neck with gold 6105s on it would be fairly desirable. It's unlikely the frets are worn at all and gold frets are unusual as well as a joy to play since they feel like stainless. Be a shame to tear 'em out.

 

[Smpl9]

thanks for the feedback.  you both answered my question about the playability factor.  for all the frustration with some chords, i'm gonna try to just order the same neck but with the jumbo gold frets. i really like the gold so i'm gonna stick with them.

i sure  didn't realize the cost of a new fret job thats for sure. yes, its a beautiful 16 compound 22 fret neck. so maybe i'll need to put it on ebay or something

time to save some money and get a new neck it looks like.

 

[Steve_Karl]

You can also post the sale here : http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?board=25.0

 

[Smpl9]

i paid 531.00 for the neck in 2/2011. delivered in april sometime i think

there is a luthier in vegas, vegasguitars.com that refrets for ~350.00.  if anyone knows of another good luthier in vegas that can do a refret for a bit less, let me know.

its going to take awhile to save up another ~600.00 for a new neck.  we'll see in a few months what i can save. i do honestly believe the jumbo frets would be better for my finger type and playability.

thx for the link and help

 

[Cagey]

Must be one helluva neck for $531. That's gonna narrow your sales prospects down quite a bit, I would think. You'd need to find a serious enthusiast. I have a Koa neck with gold 6100 frets that I paid a little over $600 for, and judging by what I've seen some pretty nice necks go for I have my doubts about getting more than $200 for it. You can buy a new Warmoth Pro Black Ebony over Pau Ferro neck with gold 6100 frets, a black GraphTech TUSQ nut, and the envy of all your friends for about $470, and that's one helluva neck. If one was in the Showcase right now, I would expect it to cost about $400.

The frets you have are actually pretty decent. I'd rather have the 6100s, but your 6105s aren't too shabby. Rather than replace the neck, you might consider taking some lessons to improve your technique. Everybody has creases at their finger joints, but not too many have trouble playing bar chords. A great deal of guitar music almost wouldn't exist if that were the case. So, you may just be doing something wrong, or perhaps aren't practicing enough, or both. In any event, lessons are cheap and rarely take anything away from you. You can't help but come out ahead on that deal, and it's substantially cheaper than a neck. $600 would probably buy you 6 to 9 months of private lessons, which will likely do you a lot more good than a different neck.

 

[Smpl9]

they are good frets indeed. no doubt.

i'll look at that neck you mentioned...description reads really nice.

i am a beginner for sure. i have had a teacher for about 8 months and it went well. moving on to another one now, a bit more involved so to speak, so we'll see where it takes me.  maybe i won't need jumbo frets, but i'll save just in case...you know how this journey is.  for me, learning the guitar is as much therapy(think vet) as a new world of enjoyment. anyways, certainly appreciate the feedback and help

 

[Cagey]

Sounds like a good plan. Worst thing that could happen is you save up enough for another neck and buy it while keeping the one you have, which would be pretty sweet. Then all you need is a body and some hardware/electronics, and you've got another fine instrument. Keep your eye on eBay. Used guitar parts are usually pretty reasonable, and every once in a while something really nice comes along that you may have to bid up, but will still cost less than a new one. Plus, people sell/trade stuff here, too. I've gotten a couple nice bodies and necks from board members.

 

[elfro89]

You might also want to consider this with bigger frets, bigger frets make it easier for you intonate poorly so it can take a bit of time to get used to not pushing down too hard. You also have an increased fret timbre, which can make bar chords sound a bit... funkeh. I've always gone with a happy medium, I've had the biggest fret size to the smallest and 6105 is about the best in my opinion, but of course, everyone is different.

I feel obligated to throw this bomb out too...  :icon_biggrin:
I know how important it is to find a neck that is comfortable, but are you 100% sure its the neck that's at fault and not your own technique, I would hate to see you throw money at something that isn't really an issue.

Pete

 

[Smpl9]

You might also want to consider this with bigger frets, bigger frets make it easier for you intonate poorly so it can take a bit of time to get used to not pushing down too hard. You also have an increased fret timbre, which can make bar chords sound a bit... funkeh. I've always gone with a happy medium, I've had the biggest fret size to the smallest and 6105 is about the best in my opinion, but of course, everyone is different.

I feel obligated to throw this bomb out too...  :icon_biggrin:
I know how important it is to find a neck that is comfortable, but are you 100% sure its the neck that's at fault and not your own technique, I would hate to see you throw money at something that isn't really an issue.

Pete

good tip on the intonation issue with jumbo frets. wasn't on my radar.

certainly could be my technique, no doubt. i'll give my technique/practice more time to develop. i will add, i did find getting a compound neck with the medium frets added much more playability for my particular hands versus the stock 9.5 with fine frets. way too much fighting that one.  that is kinda the logic i was using thinking of jumbo frets. 

i've certainly improved in 8 months, relatively speaking, academically and general technique wise. maybe in another 8 months me and my barre chords with this neck will have improved and saved $$$ along the way. so i don't consider that a bomb tossed my way, its just the truth, room for improvement in my case.



i'll get with my new instructor and revisit this jumbo fret issue in the near future. thx

 

[Tonar8352]

I'm putting 6100's on my Taylor 12 String. I can hardly stand playing a guitar with anything else on them now that I have grown accustomed to them.  You just have to play with a light touch.

 

[Tipperman]

I'm a loser and prefer 6230. I might try 6105 or 6100s on my next build, however. They just seem so huge! I played a guitar with 6100s at my friend Matt's music shop recently. It felt like Godzilla was on the fretboard.

 

[Cagey]

They seem huge because they are huge. But, it's like Tonar said, you have to get used to them. Once you do, you'll wonder how you ever used anything else. You have incredible control, as they're very tactile and you never lose the string(s). The only downside is they're not very forgiving of heavy-handedness. You'll be sharping notes all over the place until you calm down and just play the thing.

 

[elfro89]

They seem huge because they are huge. But, it's like Tonar said, you have to get used to them. Once you do, you'll wonder how you ever used anything else. You have incredible control, as they're very tactile and you never lose the string(s). The only downside is they're not very forgiving of heavy-handedness. You'll be sharping notes all over the place until you calm down and just play the thing.

I used to use only the biggest fret size I could get hold of years ago, they always felt great at the time; much better then say the extreme opposite, I had a guitar with very small frets and it was impossible to grip the strings as much as I like too which is why jumbos for me were always best, but there was always something that never sat well with me regarding the jumboist of jumbo's and that was the way the guitar vibrated when you played, I like to feel the notes travel up my fingers and arm, with jumbos those vibrations felt less intense and much more sterile, the medium jumbos for me were always the perfect mix between touching the fingerboard and having the grip I like.

Each to their own.

 

[Strat Avenger]

A re-fret will cost you $200.
I had 6105s on a guitar and didn't like them. They are tall enough, but too narrow for my taste.
I like 6150s, and 6100s.

6000s seem a bit extreme to me.

 

[stubhead]

I like scalloped.... :evil4: