Alternative fret materials.

dudemeister · #1 10-31-2002, 02:20 PM

I just had a thought:
Are there frets in other materials than metal?
How would for instance carbon fibre frets sound?Would they last more than five minutes or are there any other materials that would work better?

Jazz Ad · #2 10-31-2002, 04:01 PM

I've seen some made from different materials, but always metal.
Magnesium, aluminum, bronze, ...

ldiezman · #3 10-31-2002, 11:09 PM

I do believe it is possible to have wooden frets... but I don't see much point in that at all..

The Mock Turtle Regulator · #4 11-01-2002, 04:06 PM

Danny Ferrington built an acoustic bass with wooden frets (ebony) for Don Was.
there's a track featuring it on the CD with the Ferrington guitars book- a woody

quasi-fretless sound.

British company Bond built a guitar with a graphite neck and fingerboard, featuring steps moulded into the board to act as frets.

but I think most non-metallic fret materials wouldn't last long with a set of Roto swing bass rounds grinding into them.

boomerang · #5 11-01-2002, 04:18 PM

Warwick of course, uses bell brass.