Stainless steel vs traditional frets

[chriswest]

I know the answer is obvious for many here, that stainless steel is so durable and good. But how about the sound?

I have never tried a guitar with stainless steel frets. People say it makes the guitar sound more "metallic", and I don't know if I would like that.

What do you prefer?

I'm sorry if this has been discussed before but I couldn't find any thread. I want to discuss the sound primarily.

 

[AutoBat]

They sound the same to my ears. bending with SS is smoother, they won't wear down as fast.

 

[drewfx]

People say lots of things.

I say SS frets sound exactly the same and those who say different are just imagining things because people are like that.

I also say SS are much nicer to play.

The only people I wouldn't recommend SS frets to are people who are strongly susceptible to the powers of suggestion and thus might believe there's something "wrong" with a fantastic sounding guitar because they listen to what others say instead of their ears.

 

[chriswest]

Just saw this and I've got to say the difference is little (still a difference) and SS frets sound good! Brighter and more attack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYaXh2IbxJ4

 

[Soylent]

People say lots of things.

I say SS frets sound exactly the same and those who say different are just imagining things because people are like that.

I also say SS are much nicer to play.

The only people I wouldn't recommend SS frets to are people who are strongly susceptible to the powers of suggestion and thus might believe there's something "wrong" with a fantastic sounding guitar because they listen to what others say instead of their ears.

If I've learned anything on these boards, it's that all sound is always opinion. Smoothness on the other hand can be measured. Probably. Stainlessesses are smoother by far, and last a lot longer, by far. Go stainless, you'll love'm. I love'm.. everyone loves'm.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I've tried Warmoths with SS as well as other brands.

I haven't noticed a difference in the overall sound.

But ... I like low action on my guitars. So low that it introduces a slight buzzing - which is only audible acoustically. But that doesn't print through when electrified. On normal frets.

But on SS frets this slight buzzing prints though when electrified.

So if you are not a low string rider I say you are good to.

And this is not the first time this subject has been brought up where some board members here will write lengthy posts trying to convince me I'm wrong or strongly susceptible to the powers of suggestion or whatever.

Spare your energy. I know what I hear.

 

[chriswest]

I've tried Warmoths with SS as well as other brands.

I haven't noticed a difference in the overall sound.

But ... I like low action on my guitars. So low that it introduces a slight buzzing - which is only audible acoustically. But that doesn't print through when electrified. On normal frets.

But on SS frets this slight buzzing prints though when electrified.

So if you are not a low string rider I say you are good to.

And this is not the first time this subject has been brought up where some board members here will write lengthy posts trying to convince me I'm wrong or strongly susceptible to the powers of suggestion or whatever.

Spare your energy. I know what I hear.

That doesn't sound good. But how low is low action with "slight buzzing"? It's pretty vague.
I believe in what you're saying. My ears are good and I don't want to fool myself.

I have never heard that issue about SS before though. I like pretty low action but not too low, because I play hard.

 

[Strat Avenger]

There's no difference in tone, or if there is, it is so small that it's insignificant,

And my SS fretted Warmoth doesn't "buzz" any more than any other guitar I've ever owned.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I have never noticed a difference in sound.  My strings are higher off the neck, and I tend to muscle the things when playing.  The feel is different, but I don't find it is to be too drastic.  It wasn't as different as a humbucker to a single coil, for instance.  One of the problems I have is I like to play a lot of open chords and the way I play is to bend things around the nut as well.  This causes quite a bit of wear on nickle brass frets in not to long of a period of time.  The stainless frets hold up quite a bit better, so from a practical standpoint, they are a better choice for me.  As far as adding attack or high end, they could, but I am pretty sure your fingers would be a much bigger factor in terms of the sound. 
Patrick

 

[Cagey]

I deal with a lot of stainless frets, plus just about all my guitars have them (12 of 13), and I've never heard a difference. As has been mentioned already, there's definitely a difference in feel - they're dramatically smoother. Also, they wear forever.

One thing I think I've noticed, and this could be my imagination, is that hammers/taps/pulls seem to be more articulate. It may be because they're harder. But, the difference, if there is one, is subtle.

You will hear detractors out in the world, but usually they're guys who've played Parkers or something like that, where the neck is made of graphite or carbon fiber or some such thing, and they blame the frets for the difference they hear.

I will say this - the feel is so much better that given a choice there's no way I'd order standard frets ever again. Everybody who plays my guitars notices how smooth they play without being told what they're playing, and everybody I've done fretwork for says the same thing. They're just better, hands down. For the $20 Warmoth charges for them, it's a no-brainer.

Madge! A fretwire that doesn't chew the shit out of my fingernails?
You're soaking in it!​

Incidentally, the gold frets they sell are the same way.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

It's $65 extra if you're having a bound neck.

Personally I'm not 100% convinced. I now have one guitar with SS frets, and I guess vibrato is a tiny bit smoother when I'm really squeezing, but the vast majority of the time they feel and sound exactly like the frets on my other guitars.

Given that on one of my next few builds I'm having neck binding, and that getting work done on SS frets by London luthiers does increase the price of that work by a non-negligible amount, I might not bother with the SS frets.

 

[Cagey]

Many luthiers charge more for work on stainless steel frets, citing the excessive wear on their tools and the additional time it takes to work them. But, there are guys like me who pay what it costs for good tools and so don't care about that who will do it for traditional pricing. If you're buying a neck from Warmoth, have it shipped here for setup, and I'll forward it as a gift. Works out well for everybody.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Well... not really, it seems. Still waiting on that Tele body! Don't worry, I have literally zero doubt about you having sent it when you did. But at the moment it's been, what, 12 weeks? Given that that was the only vaguely reasonably priced way of shipping it, I think if it's going to tke this long every time (I still do fully expect it to arrive, I'd had stuff take 4 months before), I don't think it's going to be workable for most of my builds.

I totally would otherwise though.

 

[Cagey]

No kidding? What's the hold-up? The thing has to be in-country, at least. Man, that's been a while. That sucks.

 

[chriswest]

Does a neck from Warmoth with SS frets take extra long time to get?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Not any longer than normal.
Patrick

 

[Jumble Jumble]

No kidding? What's the hold-up? The thing has to be in-country, at least. Man, that's been a while. That sucks.

No idea. I'm used to USPS stuff taking an apic amount of time to get here, and I didn't want to worry you. But yeah, sucks that our plan isn't going to work out.

 

[Cagey]

That's too bad. Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess.

 

[Torment Leaves Scars]

No issues with my SS frets.  I'm pretty sure every guitar I own has SS frets.  From what I understand, they last a lot longer.

I'm looking into building another Warmoth guitar but I'm waiting for them to offer binding on 24-fret necks with SS frets. 

HINT, HINT, Warmoth!

 

[ZionWarmoth]

Since I got my first SS neck a couple of years ago, I love them and wish have discovered early!!, they feel fantastic and sound is great (different or not).