How bad can fret wear get?

[BassPlayer900]

I don't have any fret wear or anything, but I am wondering how bad it can get over time. Can it get to the point where it renders a bass unplayable? Or not quite that bad?

One reason I've had this question on my mind is because I like the tone of stainless steel strings, but have read that they cause lots of fret wear. I wouldn't want to get strings that would make my bass eventually unplayable.

[bongomania]

Frets are replaceable. The service is called a "refret". The frets themselves can eventually become unplayable, but that will never make the bass unplayable--just get a refret.

Should take years of constant playing before you need to worry about it.

[seanm]

Don't let the frets get major grooves in them and you can get away with a few fret dressings before you need a complete refret.

But I would not let worries about fret wear stop me from using stainless steel strings. If that is the sound you want, got for it.

[BassPlayer900]

Thanks!

[SBassman]

Enjoy what you like. Don't worry about it.

If it comes to it, you can get a dressing, new frets, or a new bass.
Either way, along the way, enjoy what you like.

If steels press your button, enjoy em.

[fhm555]

I've been using stainless strings on my US J plus since I replaced the stings on it the first time in the early 90's and have heard the same thing from several folks.

I played it a lot the first ten years as it was the only bass I owned and I was always in a working band of some sort. It's kinda sorta retired these days, but I still break it out from time to time and it still plays just fine. The frets show some wear, but nothing serious, and certainly nothing that couldn't be cleaned up with a quick fret dress, which would IMO at this point be wasting a lot of useful life by taking material off the frets when the bass is still playing fine.

Either way, I wouldn't sweat the stainless strings.

[202dy]

Absolutely. Fret wear can get so bad as to render the instrument unplayable. Most folks will do something about it before this happens. Those who do not are usually not aware that frets can be dressed or replaced.

Fret wear depends on two things. First, the hardness and abrasiveness of the string. Two, how hard it is played. This is far more important.

A light touch with stainless strings will produce minimal fret wear. Grinding the strings, using heavy guitar style vibrato, or a heavy hand will cause more wear on the fret.

It is also a function of how much the guitar is played. If the guitar is not played there will be no fret wear. Of course, there will be no music, either. Hardly the goal.

As soon as you see some wear take it to a qualified tech and have them dress the frets. That will give you a fresh surface to play on that will probably be better than what the factory produced. Eventually the frets will have to be replaced. It's not a big deal. Think of it like getting new brake pads and rotors on your car.

The best advice is to learn to play with a light touch. There are many players on this board who can tell you about their forty year old basses that have little to no fret wear after daily play.

[john grey]

Frets are available in percentages of stainless steel and more so today than decades ago. When a neck is designed (custom or not) replacement of size is no longer the only option. This can be visible to the eye in that some frets achieve a golden color while others obviously have more of a reflective steel appearance. Many frets achieve a substantial surface hardness through the alteration of the metal used in construction. Dressing taper can also affect the wear level.

[BassPlayer900]

Thanks everyone. Though recently I discovered that my favorite string tone comes from nickel round steel strings, which I'm guessing don't eat the frets like regular stainless steels. So fret wear is not really a big concern for me anymore. Although if I still thought the stainless steels trumped the tone of every other strings, I'd still want to get them.

[darkstorm]

Main thing is dont buy cheap basses with cheap soft frets like sx makes and a few others have made. Also dont go grinding the strings into frets and fretboard from bad heavy handed fretting technique. Those two things done and you can use rotosounds swing 66 and such for decades before refret is needed.

[bunnykeeper]

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Main thing is dont buy cheap basses with cheap soft frets like sx makes and a few others have made...

Heavens, no. If you did, you might have to spend $50 to replace the neck.

[darkstorm]

Originally Posted by bunnykeeper

Heavens, no. If you did, you might have to spend $50 to replace the neck.

Only thing your going to get for $50 is another low qaulity neck with soft frets. Lol.

[NecroticImbecil]

I've only had a problem with fret wear on 2 basses. One was a 30 year old Ibanez Ric copy. The neck was bent like a W and the frets wore unevenly as a result. The other was a 27 year old Steinberger. From the looks of the entire bass, it had been owned by a troll that played it with a jackhammer, but only used 3 frets and 2 strings. He also apparently transported it by dragging it behind the band's van. Amazingly, it still takes a very low action with no bad spots.

I have another 4 basses from the 80s that have little appreciable fret wear.

[matt descending]

Originally Posted by darkstorm

Main thing is dont buy cheap basses with cheap soft frets like sx makes and a few others have made. Also dont go grinding the strings into frets and fretboard from bad heavy handed fretting technique. Those two things done and you can use rotosounds swing 66 and such for decades before refret is needed.

Rubbish! Buy a cheap bass and grind the strings all the way down to the fretboard.