Do Stainless Steel Roundwound Strings Still Eat Frets?

[EdO.]

Short version - interested in hearing others recent experience with using stainless steel round wounds on newer issue basses. Trying them on a newer Player P I bought new about a year ago, don't want to destroy the frets and have to deal with all of that.


Longer story version - Back in the day I had a new '74 Ric 4001 (same one in my avatar) that I used RotoSound stainless steel strings on. Because I wanted that Chris Squire Ric sound and thought that was the ticket. What I really needed was more talent, but anyway...

Over the course of about two and a half years and three fret jobs the damn thing was practically fretless due to how the strings destroyed the frets and I finally just sold it off. Now, I've read that "soft" frets was an issue with that era Ric's but since that day I've never used SS strings on another bass being worried about how much fret damage the SS strings might do to another one.

So I have a slightly used set I took off another recent new purchase (SS Sadowski strings from a new Metro Express) because it was TOO bright and put some NYXL's on it, which that and a bunch of tone tweaking finally got me where I wanted it to be with that one tonally. Put those Sadowski strings on my year old Player P as a test just to see if it would wake it up tonally and it did, in spades. But now I'm concerned about leaving them on long term, don't want to go through that again. Liking how they sound on the P but worried about premature fret damage.

 

[rockdoc11]

Thanks for this post!

Throughout my increasingly long career as a bassist I've always heard this about Rotosounds, so much so that I have never bought a pack (and probably never will).

So I really want to hear from the TB collective wisdom on this.

 

[Geri O]

I've used Pro Steels stainless strings off and on for many years on many basses.

I hear that, but I believe that the more you play the bass, the more the frets will wear, regardless of what material the strings are made of (except tapes. I guess...).

Stainless steel frets will help alleviate this condition, I think. When I need a re-fret on my 2 forever basses, they will be refretted with stainless frets.

EDIT: I don't use Rotosound strings, but not because I'm worried about fret wear....

 

[EagleMoon]

I’ve used SS roundwounds almost exclusively for the past 30 years and have never noticed any real significant fret wear. I don’t use Rotosounds though. I’ve also heard that they can eat frets.

 

[mikeswals]

No, and it may depend on the brands of string.
Back in the day, Rotosound was the game in town for stainless, and the surface was very coarse.
I use DR stainless for almost 30 years and have never worn or grooved any frets.

 

[lowendblues]

DR's a great strings.

 

[JumboJett35]

Coincidentally I just noticed the same thing with my player jazz which is wearing Roto nickel rounds. Theirs a visual difference on the frets where the strings touch and where they do not. I had heard about how rough rotos can be on frets but I hadn't experienced it myself until now. Personally I absolutely love those strings, I prefer old strings and have had them on for a year and a half. I seem to find myself playing that bass more than the rest so I just consider it " honest wear." Someone will pay me retro relic prices for it one day. Now to keep playing and adding value.

 

[Discount Bassy]

Strings gonna string. Frets gonna fret. Your touch and technique are the variables.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

I don't really fret about it...

 

[smokinjoe]

I use Roto 66 on my 78 P bass exclusively. After about 35 years I finally did a re-fret. It got played and gigged regularly. I do use a light touch. On my fretless I use GHS Pressurewounds and don't have wear issues. There is some, but it doesn't cause problems.

My advice: use what gives you the sound you like.

 

[40Hz]

I’ve used a set of Rotosounds on at least one bass since the 70s. I never noticed they caused more significant fret wear than any other string I’ve used. But I also play fingerstyle with a fairly light touch most times. So that may have a lot to do with it. If you’re using a pick, use a heavy touch, and really dig in a lot, you’ll probably see a greater amount of wear on your frets.

 

[Wyrdlow]

Short version - interested in hearing others recent experience with using stainless steel round wounds on newer issue basses. Trying them on a newer Player P I bought new about a year ago, don't want to destroy the frets and have to deal with all of that.


Longer story version - Back in the day I had a new '74 Ric 4001 (same one in my avatar) that I used RotoSound stainless steel strings on. Because I wanted that Chris Squire Ric sound and thought that was the ticket. What I really needed was more talent, but anyway...

Over the course of about two and a half years and three fret jobs the damn thing was practically fretless due to how the strings destroyed the frets and I finally just sold it off. Now, I've read that "soft" frets was an issue with that era Ric's but since that day I've never used SS strings on another bass being worried about how much fret damage the SS strings might do to another one.

So I have a slightly used set I took off another recent new purchase (SS Sadowski strings from a new Metro Express) because it was TOO bright and put some NYXL's on it, which that and a bunch of tone tweaking finally got me where I wanted it to be with that one tonally. Put those Sadowski strings on my year old Player P as a test just to see if it would wake it up tonally and it did, in spades. But now I'm concerned about leaving them on long term, don't want to go through that again. Liking how they sound on the P but worried about premature fret damage.

I have a 2015 Rick 4003SW which has had RS66s on it exclusively for coming up to nine years. (Not the same ones! ) I've just had a look with a magnifying glass and there are some very fine grooves in in a few places. Almost invisible to the naked eye and can't be felt with my thumbnail.
I have a Spector Legend 5 that's worn them since 2011 (I think) and that's the same, and I had a MUCH more aggressive right hand back in my hard rock days!
I reckon these frets will see me out, no problem!
Nothing beats the sound of fresh Rotosounds to my old ears!
PS - I still sound nothing like Chris Squire either!

 

[MrBassman22]

IMO frets are wear-ables. Play the strings you like and refret when required. Maybe refret with stainless steel frets, they eat the strings. ;-)

 

[Chrisk-K]

I have been using DR Hi-Beams for like 20 years and the frets on my basses don’t show wear. The key is that I have very light touch. Even Nickel strings will eat frets if the player has heavy touch.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

When I gigged heavily (and rehearsed 3x a week) it took about 8 years to wear down my frets enough to need a refret.

I feel rotos may have been marginally harder on my frets than some other brands but not enough to matter.

it was about hours and technique- I play hard but precise.

play what ya like. Kinda like worrying about the rubber pad on your gas pedal imho

 

[Steve Dallman]

I've been using Pro Steels for the last few years, and used Dean Markley SR2000's prior. No problems with fret wear. FWIW, my early Rotosound use ate up the frets on my 64 P bass pretty quickly. I refretted it and had no problems with the new frets which were apparently harder than the originals from Fender.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I had a nearly identical experience with my 78' 4001 bass. Rotosound Swing 66 are highly abrasive, but Ric was using some kind of softer fretwire in the 70's. When I bought my 78' the salesman gave me the obligatory " If you use anything but Ric branded strings, you'll void the warranty" lecture... as he was ringing up the bass and Swing 66 strings. At the time it supposedly had something to do with Rics not being able to handle the string tension, which was nonsense, as the flats it came strung with were HIGHER tension than rounds. That begs the question why a string set of any average tension range would be a problem for any well built bass but... I digress. I'm convinced that it had nothing to do with string tension, and everything to do with the soft fret wire. At some point they switched to a harder standard nickel silver fret allow, and the problem with "string tension" magically went away. I gave up on Rotosounds a long time ago, they sound great... for about 2-weeks, then they die. I've had better luck with D'Addario Nickel Rounds, they sound like a broken-in set of rounds, but stay that way a lot longer, and are much easier on the fingers and frets. I have (2) basses with stainless fret wire, and 83' G&L L2k and an 86' Steinberger XP-2, and they both have nearly pristine original frets. The XP-2 has always had stainless rounds on it, I've tried various strings with no issues on the G&L.

 

[BarfanyShart]

It probably makes a difference, but it's going to be decades before you need a re-fret regardless of the string, so who cares?

 

[tb-player]

But now I'm concerned about leaving them on long term, don't want to go through that again. Liking how they sound on the P but worried about premature fret damage.

Not playing the strings you like for fear of fret wear is kind of like not driving on asphalt because you don’t want tire wear.

Enjoy your bass.
Drive your car.
Maintain as needed.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

Especially if you play more than one bass (imagine that!)

Agree with Gilmour, the original G&L frets wore quicker than the replacements