Fret Size - what are the pros and cons?

[DaveLutz]

What are the different fret sizes and their pros and cons?

Until recently, I guess all the basses I've played have had "medium jumbo" frets, and it seems most basses I see advertised have them listed like they're a good thing.

The other day I got to play a modified P-Bass and the frets were really thin and didn't stick up very high above the fretboard.

I asked the owner of the bass about them and I think he said something to the effect that larger frets transfer more sound than smaller ones. Is this true?

[john grey]

Start here and read the issues involved:

Fretwire chart

Fret wire comes in size variations as well as metallic compositional variations. As with many generalizations there is some truth and some "non-truth" to large-scale sweeping statements. An electric bass guitar works as a unit of separate elements, each contributing to an overall result.
The contact surface of the fret has input to the compression of the string. That effect can vary by the height and width (as well as pressure and string design).

Med-Jumbo frets with a higher nickel content are common because of the impact a modern bass often has in that Slapping is a common method of playing and softer, thinner frets may dent faster than others, (withstanding less abuse/impact, etc). Yet the subjective elements of sound are so minute that it would be tough to tell one from the other if all other factors are equal.

[darkstorm]

I prefer jumbo frets, though medium jumbo can be good to. I find jumbo frets work best for me on both bass and guitar. They allow for easier/lighter fretting to me. Jumbo to medium jumbo frets also wont wear as much as vintage or smaller (banjo) frets. I dont think diff size frets affect the sound. However I have read that several top luthiers including some who post here, dont like the sound of stainless frets. Stainless steel frets are also harder to work with for radiused fretboards and in general from what Ive read by peeps who do fretwork. I have owned a bass that had brass frets and they did nsomething to the sound I didnt really like. Brass bridges are nice imo, but not so much the frets soundwise. Most frets will be nickel belnds of varying hardness. While they dont affect sound like the stainless and brass, softer ones found on some mfg instruments have helped fuel the "roundwounds chew up frets" camp.

Best suggestion is try various basses with similair playing necks but vintage to jumbo frets. (Ibanez is the main mfg useing medium jumbo frets that I know of). And see which size between vintage and jumbo gives you the nicest fretting experience. Then of course theres banjo sixe frets like dingwall uses. If you dont like vintage frets your gonna hate banjo size frets imo. Lol. Excpet for stainless and brass frets, frets arent going to impact sound other then giving the bass a fretted rather the fretless sound. But they do affect fretting action feel. To me small frets require a bit more fretting force or strength to get same type of results as with jumbos. But some do prefer vintage size.

[walterw]

i gotta have big jumbos on my guitars for chords and bending (and stainless for me please, done right they don't sound any different), but for bass?

the strings themselves are so fat that your fingers don't really hit the wood anyway. i've never tried the banjo fret idea on a bass, but i imagine it might give a sort of "precise fretless" tone.