Has anyone gone from medium/jumbo frets to vintage?

bmaker · #1 02-12-2010, 05:35 PM

I have an 06 MIA Fender Jazz that I love in many ways. The one area that I would like to change is the fret size. Reason? I love the feel and playability of the Vintage frets. The Lakland I played was the most wonderful bass I have ever played and the salesman said the light pressure was in part due to the fret size. Now...I am not saying that if I get my Fender refretted with vintage frets that it will play like a Lakland but I do hope it will get the light feel. Has anyone had this done? If so, any shops out there that is known for this??

bongomania · #2 02-12-2010, 05:46 PM

I haven't refretted one bass from jumbo to mini frets, so my opinion is not scientific, but I will say that the basses I own or have owned that have mini frets, are my favorites to play. It seems like my left hand doesn't have to work as hard.

A-Step-Towards · #3 02-13-2010, 01:40 AM

i like vintage frets as well i just always fear i will wear them quick

ehque · #4 02-13-2010, 01:53 AM

I think salesmen will say anything to make a sale.

Use a lighter touch - the smaller frets prevent you from pressing the string down too far, which may feel better, but you really shouldn't be pressing the strings into the fretboard anyway.

John Wentzien · #5 02-13-2010, 02:23 AM

Can you get slim frets in stainless-steel?

bmaker · #6 02-13-2010, 05:24 PM

I have no idea if you can get vintage frets in SS. All I know is they feel darn good on all the basses I have played. I am working on my technique to try and fret the note right in front of the fret to reduce the pressure as much as possible but from my limited experience, the vintage frets do seem to require noticably less pressure. It may not be worth considering having my existing bass refretted but I do like the feel. Anyone have any comparions as far as wear between the medium/jumbo frets and the vintage?

bongomania · #7 02-13-2010, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ehque

I think salesmen will say anything to make a sale.

Use a lighter touch - the smaller frets prevent you from pressing the string down too far, which may feel better, but you really shouldn't be pressing the strings into the fretboard anyway.

FWIW, I got into mini frets not because of any salesman, but because of Lee Sklar saying he loves mini frets because of how they play for him.

ehque · #8 02-13-2010, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bongomania

FWIW, I got into mini frets not because of any salesman, but because of Lee Sklar saying he loves mini frets because of how they play for him.

Yup, but i was making a specific point regarding the OP's post rather than yours... I'm sorry it came across that way.

I've had salesmen tell me that the J and the P have the same shape before, so i take everything they say with 2 pinches of salt.

vejesse · #9 02-15-2010, 06:30 AM

Usually the TALLER the fretwire, the less pressure you need. Ever played a neck with very low frets? Lots of pressure needed. Hard to find taller fretwire in narrow widths. The narrowest stainless wire available seems to be .080". Narrow frets have a different sound and feel although I'm not sure you could say it's less fretting pressure.

Narrow frets do give you accurate intonation as there's less room for error in the position of the 'land' on top of the fret. More important for guitars really. I don't think that really narrow Lakland wire is that tall either. If you play all the time you're going to wear out those frets a little faster.

At one point., U.S. made Laklands used a method of fretting the neck where the fret slots were just slightly wider than the fret barb - the Don Teeter "finger tight epoxy method". No interference between the fret and fingerboard and the air space is taken up by epoxy glue. Anybody know if they still do this? I assume the Korean ones aren't this way.