Excessive fret wear with SS rounds

[Sid Fang]

FWIW, all my fretted basses have visible fret wear - though on my newest you really have to look for it. Lots on the older ones. I started out on Rotosounds in the 70s, and stayed with steel rounds. But even where it looks scary, fret wear has never been an issue in terms of sound or playability. I like a low action, but never so low as to be sensitive to a fret crest dropping a few hundredths of a millimeter.

 

[Tubehed]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...Vaw3UGXlQVKuO2SHfdrLwKg-3&cshid=1617074567729

This is the demo that sold me on Pro Steels. Recently installed them on my p/j and can get close to the tone in this demo. Really digging them so far.

 

[shoulderpet]

Most importantly ProSteels. These are the worst strings for frets. Like ever. They destroy fingers, too. I don't know how people enjoy them, but hey! Glad they work.

Hate Prosteels, moist scooped strings I've ever tried

 

[Tubehed]

Hate Prosteels, moist scooped strings I've ever tried

It must depend on the the bass they are on. I think they might sound scooped if you run the tone knob wide open. But, IME, if you allow them to settle in a few days and back off the tone knob some, you actually get a great, punchy midrange that sounds the opposite of scooped, to me. I really like the tone Ed gets from the Pro Steels in the demo I posted above. That's what I hear out of my bass. Doesn't sound scooped to me. But, as always, only my experience.

 

[shoulderpet]

It must depend on the the bass they are on. I think they might sound scooped if you run the tone knob wide open. But, IME, if you allow them to settle in a few days and back off the tone knob some, you actually get a great, punchy midrange that sounds the opposite of scooped, to me. I really like the tone Ed gets from the Pro Steels in the demo I posted above. That's what I hear out of my bass. Doesn't sound scooped to me. But, as always, only my experience.

Glad they work for you,I tried them on my bass and pretty much instantly wanted to take them off, my mids just completely vanished, I gave them a month and no improvement so I took them off, I put the Rotosounds back on and it was a night and day improvement

 

[zon5string]

*Warning: hate speech ahead*

Fret or fingerboard wear is part of playing electric bass.

I play stainless strings on all my basses, except the ABG, which gets phosphor bronze type. The bass I play the most (the Zon) is 24 years old and has had one fret dressing in that time.

 

[Sid Fang]

The one place I make allowances for string-induced wear is on my Music Man Sabre fretless. The fingerboard is a really nice ebony that I want to preserve as long as possible, so I've been using half-rounds and, more recently, "pressurewounds" on it - and trying to remember to use upright bass vibrato instead of guitar-style.

 

[Solarmist]

I've used Prosteels for years, and they don't eat my frets - no more than Nickel rounds would. Contrary to some of the posts here, I've found that Prosteels are easier on your fingers/frets than other SS brands.
Recently I've switched to Dunlop SS Superbrights which are even lower tension, and have that fantastic piano tone.

Maybe you're using too much pressure while fretting or maybe it has a little to do with the "narrow tall" frets?

 

[Aidil]

I've used Prosteels for years, and they don't eat my frets - no more than Nickel rounds would. Contrary to some of the posts here, I've found that Prosteels are easier on your fingers/frets than other SS brands.
Recently I've switched to Dunlop SS Superbrights which are even lower tension, and have that fantastic piano tone.

Maybe you're using too much pressure while fretting or maybe it has a little to do with the "narrow tall" frets?

Agree with the piano tone. I chose ProSteels EPS220-5 40-125 prior moving to Flex Steels 45-135T (custom set) due to their more flexibility. Now I'm on Super Bright SS 40-120.

 

[Solarmist]

Agree with the piano tone. I chose ProSteels EPS220-5 40-125 prior moving to Flex Steels 45-135T (custom set) due to their more flexibility. Now I'm on Super Bright SS 40-120.

I've used Prosteels for a number of years now because they sound nice & bright, and are easy on your fingers, but I'm really liking the SS-SBs (45-130T) on my Ibby Premium tuned BEAD. They are very low tension, and the B is almost spaghetti, but I'm getting used to it. The only problem is trying to get the B string intonation right because the saddle needs about another 1/8" to get it right, and it's all the way back now. It looks like I might be able gain 3/32" though by swapping out the intonation screw for a little shorter one as I noticed that the screw was bottoming out on the string's ball end rather than the saddle bottoming out against the back of the saddle.

 

[Bassist30]

Polish the frets and then take a picture.

 

[mikeswals]

Yes, DR say "They don't eat your frets." It's not that I don't believe them but for a while I think I'll play pure nickels. I am shocked at the amount of wear in just over five months.

I've been playing Highbeams since 1996, and I have never worn any of my frets...let alone barely even marked them.

 

[Phaidrus]

I've been playing Highbeams since 1996, and I have never worn any of my frets...let alone barely even marked them.

Yes, I myself find the amount of fret wear seen in only a few months of playing a brand new bass (with narrow tall frets) quite strange - and alarming. My other bass is a 12 year old Pbass (with medium jumbo frets) and the frets look alright. Be that as it may, the bass in question is currently strung with 7250s and I like the tone and feel. Next on the list are Rotosound Swing Bass nickel plated strings and Markbass Balanced nickel plated strings.

 

[InstantEctobass]

Yes, I myself find the amount of fret wear seen in only a few months of playing a brand new bass (with narrow tall frets) quite strange - and alarming. My other bass is a 12 year old Pbass (with medium jumbo frets) and the frets look alright. Be that as it may, the bass in question is currently strung with 7250s and I like the tone and feel. Next on the list are Rotosound Swing Bass nickel plated strings and Markbass Balanced nickel plated strings.

Welcome in the modern world of good looking cheap things. The alloy we are giving for frets nowadays is crap. Even some nickel strings can chew the frets. It's not about tone, this theory is stupid, they just want us to replace our instruments faster. And by they, I mean, a lot of manufacturers, even the "premium" ones.

 

[Phaidrus]

Welcome in the modern world of good looking cheap things. The alloy we are giving for frets nowadays is crap. Even some nickel strings can chew the frets. It's not about tone, this theory is stupid, they just want us to replace our instruments faster. And by they, I mean, a lot of manufacturers, even the "premium" ones.

Possibly, I have no idea. I suppose it's not so difficult to find out what alloy are the frets on 2008 USA Fender basses and on current USA Fender basses.

 

[InstantEctobass]

Possibly, I have no idea. I suppose it's not so difficult to find out what alloy are the frets on 2008 USA Fender basses and on current USA Fender basses.

Well they don't detail too much on frets they install. They mostly say they're nickel and the size. I have to admit myself that I like small vintage frets. But I know re-crowning them won't be possible.

 

[Dan_reeves]

I think it's just stainless steel is just on average a harder metal than nickel is. Typically that is. So you have a harder metal rubbing on a softer one and more visible wear occurs over time in theory. I like the suggestion above about cleaning the fret. It may just be a bit of tarnish and not actual wear, which can happen.

If you really like stainless steel strings, then Pro Steels might just not be a good fit - I would try these as alternatives:

• DR High Beams
• DR Fat Beams
• Dunlop SS Super Brights

Personally I love Fat Beams the best as an all a-rounder on this list - they sound great, wear great, and feel great. Just my opinion though, the Dunlops are fantastic too. I liked the High Beams the least, but they are super popular so probably just me.

 

[Phaidrus]

I think it's just stainless steel is just on average a harder metal than nickel is. Typically that is. So you have a harder metal rubbing on a softer one and more visible wear occurs over time in theory. I like the suggestion above about cleaning the fret. It may just be a bit of tarnish and not actual wear, which can happen.

If you really like stainless steel strings, then Pro Steels might just not be a good fit - I would try these as alternatives:

• DR High Beams
• DR Fat Beams
• Dunlop SS Super Brights

Personally I love Fat Beams the best as an all a-rounder on this list - they sound great, wear great, and feel great. Just my opinion though, the Dunlops are fantastic too. I liked the High Beams the least, but they are super popular so probably just me.

Thanks for the suggestions. If I ever dare put SS strings on this Pbass...