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Stainless steel frets
- Thread starter darkkent1
- Start date
They have an amazing tone, dont wear down really at all. The frets on all new Chapman Sticks are stainless steel and they really ring out very nicely.
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
You lost me right there.
Tone comes from the body woods, strings, electronics, cable length, pickups, bridge, tuners, fretboard wood, neck wood, number of bolts used (if a bolt-on neck), effects, amp, cabinets, humidity, wind chill, air pressure, temperature, fingers, amp power cable, fairy dust, angle at which you hold your bass, fingers, picks, thumbs, bows, and nut material. Frets are moot.
This is common knowledge.
Anyway, here's my take on stainless steel frets:
They're more expensive (around $5 extra per bass...), but last much longer. You won't notice a difference and you likely wont hear a difference either, except maybe a mild increase in sustain. They're also better because they aren't typically found on Fender basses.
+1 for stainless steel frets. Got them on my Warmoth J, and they give me a pretty decent approximation of Entwistle's tone from The Kids Are Alright's live stuff; nice and growly when used with Rotosound RS66s.
Benjamin Strange
Commercial User
- Dec 25, 2002
- 9,737
- 310
- 49
- Disclosures
- Owner / Tech: Strange Guitarworks
Wrong, and wrong again. The fret is the witness point for the string on the neck, therefore is translating string vibrations into the the bass. Harder materials such as stainless steel don't soak up so much of the treble frequencies, and so instruments with stainless frets have a tendency to be brighter.
I've done a few re-frets with stainless wire, and it makes a big difference to my ears and hands. They sound brighter, somewhat clankier on certain instruments, and feel slippery smooth to the touch. Bending is generally smoother, and they last a lot longer than your typical nickel-silver fretwire.
Sweet, someone had to turn this into another "Lets argue about tone!" thread. 
I'm disappointed in you guys.
To state that frets are insignificant in the tonal equation is just... bewildering.
Pluck just ONE note on a bass with vintage-size frets and one with medium-jumbos and tell me you can't hear a difference.
That's like saying nickel strings don't sound any different from stainless steel strings.
To state that frets are insignificant in the tonal equation is just... bewildering.
Pluck just ONE note on a bass with vintage-size frets and one with medium-jumbos and tell me you can't hear a difference.
That's like saying nickel strings don't sound any different from stainless steel strings.
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
Sweet, someone had to turn this into another "Lets argue about tone!" thread.
This is TalkBass. Did you honestly expect anything different?
I always hope ill run across a forum that can refrain from stupid arguments. lol
This forum is mild compared to other forums though, partially because of the large variation in ages.
At least it isnt like PBNation (anyone who is really into paintball will know what i mean). lol
Rickett Customs
Commercial User
It's what I've used so far on all of my builds (SS frets), takes a little longer on the fretwork, but worth it in the long run.
This isn't much of an argument, really.
It's just one correct side trying to prevent the other incorrect one from spreading disinformation onto unsuspecting lurkers.
Yeah!
It's just one correct side trying to prevent the other incorrect one from spreading disinformation onto unsuspecting lurkers.
Yeah!
I had carrots on my last bass and even flatwounds wore those down pretty fast. I wouldn't necessarily recommend them, but YMMV.
How would SS be any different in tone to Warwicks bell brass frets?
I wish I had SS on my Roscoe.
I wish I had SS on my Roscoe.
I'm fairly certain the material the strings have direct contact with when vibrating has no influence upon how it sounds.
Obviously.
