Fret size preference, and why?

[ahbradot]

I try not to fret over fret size

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I guess if you press to hard on the strings, the jumbo frets would go out of tune easier?? I don't know.. I got what they call "medium frets" and don't have any complaints.

 

[Pings Bass]

Of course I'm not the first smart aleck to say my fret preference is no frets, nor the first to say I've never considered fret size at all, ever, not even once in 40+ years of playing bass guitar.

So I guess my fret preference (for basses that have frets) is the frets that came with a given instrument.

I'm probably not good enough and definitely not picky enough to have a real preference beyond that.

 

[Solarmist]

I much prefer medium to large or jumbo.

 

[birminghambass]

Medium jumbo for me. I play with a heavy, aggressive right hand technique. I've owned (and sold) 4 Laklands. Couldn't deal with the tiny frets.

 

[BAG]

I'd never thought about it until I bought my Warmoth neck second hand. It has their smallest available frets and I found that I prefer them a lot.
If I got a custom bass made I'd spec mandolin frets.
Small frets.... or no frets. Much better than big frets.

 

[BAG]

Wowowow! Gotta to say I am floored by the answers in this thread.

When I read the title I thought, "I'm going to be the only weirdo that likes the narrow vintage frets" and obviously that's not the case. Considering the industry on the whole seems to lean towards the larger frets, logic would make it seem they are most popular.

Maybe TB members are just more discerning in their tastes?

Surprised me at any rate.

I'm also a little surprised at the amount of TB-ers who prefer small frets considering that, from what I have seen, the trend over the last couple of decades has been towards larger frets. Is it simply because guitar players prefer larger frets for easier bending and the manufacturers just used the same stock (and thinking) for their basses?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I prefer this size. View attachment 4213595

LOL!!

 

[3bc]

Wowowow! Gotta to say I am floored by the answers in this thread.

When I read the title I thought, "I'm going to be the only weirdo that likes the narrow vintage frets" and obviously that's not the case. Considering the industry on the whole seems to lean towards the larger frets, logic would make it seem they are most popular.

Maybe TB members are just more discerning in their tastes?

Surprised me at any rate.

Same, i'm looking at getting a backup bass, something less dear. My main/only player has some necessary repairs but i don't want to bring it in and be without for a week or two. I was thinking about just a MIM jazz or sire or something. But now i'm looking at skylines just so i can get the frets!

 

[Durham52]

Yeah, larger frets became a real thing on electric guitars back in the 70's (as far as I can remember, I'm getting old now...) and they've sort of become the defacto standard. Before that it was pretty much Fender used small frets, Gibson used a bit wider, but not very tall, on some models. Hence the "fretless wonder" tag.

I grew up with smaller frets, especially as I played classical guitar as well. Fret size doesn't bother me much either way, though I move up and down the neck quite a bit and am prone to sliding, so a fairly low type, suits me better. Fret width is less of an issue than height.

 

[Hammerfield]

Yep, smaller frets, I also got to that verdict when I bought my Lakland.

 

[alembicguy]

The biggest jumbo frets I can legally purchase in the United States of America

 

[BurningSkies]

I disagree - bigger frets are MORE prone to unwanted clanking. I have several necks of the same exact materials and design, aside from the fret size - I know this from experience.

Stainless frets are a bit less forgiving than nickels, though. Harder metal, more unwanted clank potential.

Cool. I appreciate your perspective. I don't get clank no matter what I play, that wasn't what I was referring to.

 

[Medicine Man]

I generally prefer smaller, buy its not a huge difference 4 me. I hated the tall frets on my AmPro for like 2 weeks, but now im totally used to it.

 

[AboutSweetSue]

6105.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

A well dressed and crowned large fret has exactly the same knife-edge thin line of string contact as a well dressed and crowned small fret. If you are getting a lot of clank from either one, you need some fret work. Stainless frets seem to make a little more noise regardless of width IME.

 

[StatesideRambler]

I use what comes on the bass. Leland Sklar has used mandolin frets (tiny) on nearly all his basses for decades. He's more discerning, not to mention talented, than I am.

 

[sawzalot]

I bought a Lakland and had the same experience—the neck was amazing and a big part of that was definitely the fret size. Lee Sklar I think used mandolin wire for his frets.

 

[gpx1200]

One of the things Lee Sklar has mentioned a number of times is when he learned about mandolin wire frets, he asked his luthier to use that for the bass he was having done up. He loved it so much all of his basses use mandolin wire frets. He said sure they need to be changed every a bit more often, but he is someone who does non-stop recording sessions or touring and it is no inconvenience. For the rest of us chumps who don't play nearly as much it should be even less of a problem.

I tried to find that video, but instead found this old talkbass thread where Lee addressed it:

Mandolin Frets

The large frets are easy to feel, but tiny ones are more comfortable.
I had a Medium Scale Aria bass that was very easy to play and realized it was the tiny frets. Then, I found that Lee Sklar has his custom basses made with tiny mandolin frets. Yes, that requires a great neck and setup, but is oh-so smooth to play.

Actually Lee asked dingwall to use them on a bass for him and Sheldon Dingwall liked them so much that all dingwall Basses use mandolin frets now

 

[BurningSkies]

Actually Lee asked dingwall to use them on a bass for him and Sheldon Dingwall liked them so much that all dingwall Basses use mandolin frets now

Nope, but close. The Sklar signature model does use mando fretwire by default. The rest of the basses use banjo wire (slightly larger than the mando). Though you can request Mando if you have a bass built.