Roundwound Strings Eat My Frets!

kherber · #1 03-05-2007, 01:34 PM

Hey...

I've been playing a long time, but have little or no experience with roundwound strings. I've had my Precision for decades, always used flatwounds and sometimes groundwounds. Rounds sound nice, but I worried about fret wear.

It's taken decades, but the frets are now just about worn to the wood, and the P is in the shop. I was lucky enough I could buy a Geddy so I'd have a bass to use while the P is tied up. It's only my second EB ever, and I really like it (I now understand why some people have so many basses--it's fun!). I strung the GL with Rotosound 66's because I wanted the bass to have a very different voice than the P. It plays great, sounds wonderful, but I'm shocked at the amount of fret wear already visible. I've had the instrument three weeks and it's only got about a hundred hours playing time on it.

At this rate, can anyone estimate how much time I have before the GL has to go into the shop? Right now it looks like one or two years of this kind of wear, and it'll be ready for re-fretting.

What kind of mileage do people get out of their basses when strung with stainless roundwounds?

Thanks.

Doc

Philbiker · #2 03-05-2007, 01:48 PM

Rotosounds OBLITERATE frets in my experience!!!!!

slugworth · #3 03-05-2007, 02:12 PM

It took around 15 years of very heavy playing before my Rickenbacker needed its first refret. Stainless roundwounds are harder on frets no matter who makes the string. FYI, Rotosound makes the RS66 in a nickel version and a compression wound string that is very easy on the frets while keeping the roundwound sound. The nickel "Swingbass" set carries the "N" suffix, while the compression wound is the RS55, aka the "Solo Bass" set. Both are very good.

Good luck

Slug

SGT. Pepper · #4 03-07-2007, 08:07 AM

DR Hi-Beams are stainless and don't eat your frets per Marcus Miller and DR themselves.

johnvice · #5 03-07-2007, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philbiker

Rotosounds OBLITERATE frets in my experience!!!!!

+1

When strings wear into the frets, the frets get grooves in them. To prolong fret life, when you change your strings, lightly sand out the grooves with fine grade steel wool.

JimmyM · #6 03-08-2007, 02:42 AM

Whoa, dude! Don't be advising people to do that! Sanding the frets like that will result in grossly uneven frets, which will cause buzzing and fretting out. Just leave them and when they get bad, go get a fret dressing.

fullrangebass · #7 03-08-2007, 06:55 AM

try Ritter strings
they are smooth and great sounding (roundwound but very smooth)

Fuzzbass · #8 03-08-2007, 10:26 AM

Believe it or not, flatwounds wear frets too. People don't notice this because the wear is... well, flat.

Yes, rounds can leave visible grooves in the frets which are easier to detect. Don't worry about 'em. For decades I've used steel rounds almost exclusively, usually Rotosounds, and have never needed a refret. My two long-term workhorse basses eventually needed fret dressings (one each), but after many years of playing, that's to be expected.

If you're that worried about fretwear, switch to nylon tapewounds.

kherber · #9 03-08-2007, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fuzzbass

If you're that worried about fretwear, switch to nylon tapewounds.

I'm not sure that's the sound I'm looking for...

I like the way the Rotosounds sound. I guess I'll just stick with them (and maybe give the Hi-Beams a shot) and I'll find out for sure how long my frets will last.

Thanks for the input.

Doc

saxnbass · #10 03-08-2007, 11:37 AM

Fretwear with rounds is normal. Nothing to worry about. It'll take quite a while until you need a fret redress/recrown or complete refret.