• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

The Official MARUSZCZYK CLUB!

#2,101
  • Like
Reactions: ebozzz and david bennett
#2,102
Still waiting on my build to be completed and am thinking about getting a brass nut installed. I hear a lot of good things about brass. Has anybody here in the forum replaced the plastic nut on their Maruszczyk with brass? Any significant changes?
 
#2,103
Taps07 said:
Still waiting on my build to be completed and am thinking about getting a brass nut installed. I hear a lot of good things about brass. Has anybody here in the forum replaced the plastic nut on their Maruszczyk with brass? Any significant changes?
Click to expand...

As stated above, Maruszczyk uses a zero fret. I therefore strongly doubt that the nut material will have an effect on the tone.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ebozzz and Taps07
#2,109
ebozzz said:
I don't know that it's a European thing. Michael Tobias (Tobias & MTD) has been doing it for years. Elrick does it and also Steinberger. That being said, I don't have a problem with zero frets and I've owned MTD imports since early 2000....
Click to expand...

It originated in the 1920s in Europe/Germany. From what I read it was even called a "German fret" for some time.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ebozzz, Fat Freddy and Zooberwerx
#2,110
Nohrellas said:
I'm curious, how do you guys like the zero fret design? It's kind of a european/german thing and I suppose most americans aren't used to it. Both my Sandberg and my Maruszczyk have one and since those are my main basses I don't even think about it that much. I also have a jazzbox guitar with a zero fret and, again, don't really feel or hear a massive difference to other instruments without one. It seems like the guitar community is much more sensitive to this subject, but since so many people here (who aren't from europe) are happy with their maruszczyk basses I guess it doesn't bother anyone?
Click to expand...

The zero fret is good if it's well executed, IMO. I don't see why all basses aren't made that way.
 
#2,113
gln1955 said:
The zero fret is good if it's well executed, IMO. I don't see why all basses aren't made that way.
Click to expand...

From what I heard guitarists don't like it because it can cause issues with bending strings. I suppose in terms of tuning stability it's another point of contact/potential friction (nut + zero fret instead of just the nut) but both my Sandberg and Maruszczyk are rock solid and have never had any issues with string binding at the nut.

And one thing that I figured out while working on that old Framus Jazzbox, it's a real pain in the ass to adjust the zero fret height after levelling frets. I suppose a proper luthier would just put it a different size zero fret, but I had to somehow file it down and crown it with the nut behind it constantly being in the way.
 
#2,114
This is the '17 NAMM Frog 5 I recently snagged. Would have posted sooner but it had a case of the fret-sprouts which @walterw addressed.

Frog.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: andronik, blen dem, alanhasradar and 7 others
#2,115
Nohrellas said:
From what I heard guitarists don't like it because it can cause issues with bending strings. I suppose in terms of tuning stability it's another point of contact/potential friction (nut + zero fret instead of just the nut) but both my Sandberg and Maruszczyk are rock solid and have never had any issues with string binding at the nut.
Click to expand...

I have a zero fret on 2 guitars. No problems with tuning stability or bending strings.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back