Fret ye not

[gordiji]

I'm thinking of doing a fret dress on my strat.It's always the first 7 or 8 frets that get hammered with me and i do have a heavy left hand making serious fretware in about a year.Now this guitar had zero fretware when i bought it
just over a year ago but i've already filed out the ruts that where becoming noticeable about 3 months ago.I only filed where necessary so the top 15 or so didn't get touched. I'd like to do it a bit more thoroughly this time.
Any advice welcome.
 

[shobet]

I'm a heavy handed bugger as well and I'm always creating ruts just like you are. I've got a Strat that I've had re-fretted with stainless steel jumbos and so far so good. Seems to have cured it so far.

How often do you change your strings? Dirty rusty ones cause more ware I've found as well.

I've also been consciously trying to avoid my favourite areas of the fret-board and try and play in the more dusty areas of the neck.

[FELINEGUITARS]

You may well find that replacement fretwire is harder wearing  than the stuff some companies fit at the factory
Sometimes it is worth replacing the first 5-7 frets with a similar gauge of Dunlop wire and then do a fret dress.
Hopefully will reduce the amount you have to take off and give you longer lasting result too.

[gordiji]

Interesting idea feline G, i think the fender frets are soft and they're thin too (vintage style?) so it's double whammy
.Change my strings regularly shobet so it's just heavy hand, and i too have non A days trying to stay out of my fave box especially when practising something repetetetetetetive with bends.

[AndyR]

Is it a Mexican Fender gordiji?

I've never owned a US Fender, but I do find I wear into the fretwire on Mexican Fenders a lot faster than I do on Japanese Fenders.

I took my Mexican Baja tele into Feline when it was only 3 or 4 months old. I went for a complete refret with Dunlop wire on that one (I changed to even heavier frets at the same time). I'm still wearing them, but a lot less than the originals.

My Roadworn strat (also Mexican), on the other hand, has been getting a severe beating over the last few months, but the frets seem to be holding up better...

[gordiji]

Andy, it's a US from '93 but was as new when i bought it last year. It doesn't seem to matter with me ,fender ibanez
g&l they're all well worn after a if i do 2 or 3 hours a

[gordiji]

Should say they're all well worn(whatever the guitar or fret gauge) after a year of 2 or 3 hours a day. This is why i'd like to do it myself, once maybe twice between a pro refret.

[Afghan Dave]

Why dont you guys try stainless steel frets?

Super slinky and ultra hard wearing.

[Sifu Ben]

Why dont you guys try stainless steel frets?

Super slinky and ultra hard wearing.

and annoyingly bright ;)

[shobet]

I think you're hearing things...

Can you point me in the direction of some quantifiable evidence that having stainless steel frets causes more high frequencies to be to the fore when compared to normal nickel silver fret-wire?

I just want to establish if your point of view is from personal experience backed up with corroborative evidence or simply just some anecdotal references you read off them interwebs.

I ask as I have a guitar I've had for 20 years which has recently be re-fretted with stainless steel frets and I can't hear any difference. 

[Matt77]

If there is a difference it's the sort of thing that could be addressed from turning the treble on the amp down by the smallest amount. Like from 6 on a dial to 5.5 or probably less

I used to think that stainless steel frets would make a big difference to tone.
Having investigated it with my ears I know think that it is bollocks

[FELINEGUITARS]

In my opinion Stainless wire can make a difference
I have seen some guitars tone alter and others not discernably
Some guitars that are a bit muddy can benefit from it

I noticed the effect on the Lion I built for Johnny Mac - a bit more zing to the tone

One factor is the hardness of the wire and how it can stiffen up a neck if the frets are tight in their slots
This happens with nickel silver frets too with large tangs/barbs , but the stainless gives no quarter at all

I certainly notice it when working with the wire - it is tough on the tools and on the technician - simply because of its hardness

[Sifu Ben]

I think you're hearing things...

Can you point me in the direction of some quantifiable evidence that having stainless steel frets causes more high frequencies to be to the fore when compared to normal nickel silver fret-wire?

I just want to establish if your point of view is from personal experience backed up with corroborative evidence or simply just some anecdotal references you read off them interwebs.

I ask as I have a guitar I've had for 20 years which has recently be re-fretted with stainless steel frets and I can't hear any difference. 

TBF, the only SS fretted guitars I've played would probably have been bright regardless.

[Tellboy]

Have any of you found that some brands of strings cause more fret wear than others?

I changed to GHS Boomers a couple of years ago and it seemed that my PRS Standard frets seemed to show signs of increased fret wear. Might have been just that I loved the sound of these strings and played a lot more, but I have now taken to wiping a tissue with a little 3 in 1 oil across the top of the frets when I change strings - seems to help when bending strings.