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6105 frets on 7-1/4" R Fretboard? (vs 6230 vint sml)

Discussion in 'Hardware, Setup & Repair [BG]' started by Grinderman, Oct 10, 2022.

  1. Oct 10, 2022 #1
    Grinderman

    Grinderman

    Dec 21, 2013
    Los Angeles
    I've seen plenty of examples of Fender, FCS, and other FSOs with 9-1/2" R and 6105 frets and some with 6230 (or similar), albeit much less common.

    I've never found or notices instances of 7-1/2" R boards with 6105 frets, only with 6230.

    Has anyone used/played this spec combination on a 34" scale bass like a P or J; thoughts or suggestions; yay or nay?
     
  2. Oct 10, 2022 #2
    walterw

    walterw Supportive Fender Commercial User

    Feb 20, 2009
    alpha-music.com
    i don't see any real relationship one way or the other

    you could put 6100s on a 7 1/4" board if you wanted

    that said, i've been playing guitar and bass for many many years now and while i'm super-particular about my electric guitar frets (gotta be jescar 57x110 in stainless, basically their jumbo "6100" size) i'm pretty much agnostic about bass frets; to this day i don't have a strong opinion. bass strings are already big enough that my fingers don't really hit fretboard wood, and that's the whole point of big frets for me
     
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  3. Oct 10, 2022 #3
    Grinderman

    Grinderman

    Dec 21, 2013
    Los Angeles
    What's going on is I'm considering getting another made-to-order neck from Musikraft and I might have this one made with a 7-1/4" R board rather than 9-1/2". I have two basses with 9-1/4". One with 7-1/4" would be slightly easier for chording thus another element of variety between my basses.

    In decades I've played I've had 7-1/4", 9-1/2", 10" radius boards, pre-CBS era vintage (actual) frets, 6230, 6105, whatever the true dimensions of frets are on Fender American Original necks and probably others. I've never had 6105 frets on a 7-1/4" R board though and, I may be wrong but, it doesn't seem common.

    People seem to put 6105 on 9-1/2" and 10" R boards or 3230 on 7-1/4". Maybe that just reflects common dichotomy between vintage style purists (like AVRI and AVS lovers who loathe Fender AO) and people who are a little more open to mod updates.

    I don't feel a meaningful difference between 6230 and 6150 in general so either is acceptable to me, which means, given the choice, I tend to choose 6150 for a bit extra material for future fret wear, cleanings and dressings because that's my mentality.

    Some people complain 6105 frets feel like speed bumps when sliding up and down the neck and tonal differences (more woody) but that seems to me a bit of Princess and the Pea level sensitivity or people fooling themselves.

    Anyway, I do wonder for example whether 6105 might incrementally improve string bending on 7-1/4" R versus 6230 or might it actually be worse or no difference at all.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2022
    walterw likes this.
  4. Oct 11, 2022 #4
    Grinderman

    Grinderman

    Dec 21, 2013
    Los Angeles
    I suppose in a way this and wherever else I could read anything about this specific topic supports a suspicion of mine. I suspect the difference between any combination of these two radiuses and fret sizes may make is about a 0.03"-ish total margin of difference between 6 of 1 and half a dozen of the other.

    That has me more inclined to sticking with 6150 frets on 9-1/2" R.
     
    walterw likes this.
  5. Oct 12, 2022 #5
    bigtone23

    bigtone23

    Dec 10, 2014
    Denver, CO
    I'm the same, much more particular about guitar frets, less so with bass.
    I do like small, vintage frets on bass for the 'woodiness' of the tone, but most of my basses have something in the neighborhood of 6150, medium jumbo, which sound great, too, but not quite as 'woody.'

    I have 6150 on a '69 Strat that has evolved to about 8.5-9" radius after a couple refrets and the fingerboard planings in doing so. It's a really great fret size for that radius. I'm thinking that the next refret a bass gets, it will be a stainless steel 6150.

    The taller 6105 is pretty nice on guitar, and would give an extra dress/crown/polish or so in it's lifetime. Plus, you can also do some minor manipulation of the radius with the taller frets and how they are dressed. However, I tried a bass with 6105 and found them to sound a little bright and the frets kind of wear the strings out at the fret contact pretty fast. Perhaps it's the tall, knife-y shape that allows the string to get pushed harder instead of being stopped by the fretboard?
     
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  6. Oct 13, 2022 #6
    Grinderman

    Grinderman

    Dec 21, 2013
    Los Angeles
    6105 frets are tall enough that it's good to play with a soft touch. Press hard enough, notes can sound sharp (#), besides whatever additional wear to frets and strings from grinding them together.
     
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  7. Oct 13, 2022 #7
    walterw

    walterw Supportive Fender Commercial User

    Feb 20, 2009
    alpha-music.com
    right

    in that vein, i prefer the (same height but much wider) 6100; you get the same clearance and grip for bending but the shape makes for a smoother, less "railroad track" feel when sliding along the neck. those tall but narrow frets necessarily have more vertical sides, leading to a bumpier feel when sliding up and down

    the fatter fret might create more sustain and wear longer, but that's more esoteric
     
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  8. Oct 13, 2022 #8
    bigtone23

    bigtone23

    Dec 10, 2014
    Denver, CO
    Yeah, my 2022 Squier 70s Jazz V has the narrow/tall 6105 type fret (they are around .095x.053" ish). I don't fully notice how bumpy they are relative to my basses with 6150 style frets. As mentioned above, the thicker strings and such kind of mask that effect. They certainly feel like bumps when compared to my P with small, vintage frets.
     
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