Time frame on rounds and fret wear?

[Robert Udell]

So, just got a Tele vintera II. Plays great. It came with roundwounds. I have avoided rounds due to needing a fret job years ago on my jazz bass. I use pressure wounds on my other basses.
Question: Anyone have input on rounds and fret wear time frame?

 

[Docduval]

Played a single bass with rounds for over 15 years on an almost daily basis, still doesn’t need new frets.

 

[cataract]

Depends. There are a lot of variables- string material, string type, playing method. If you’re hammering stainless steel rounds all up and down the neck of a bass with nickel frets, then sure, they’ll wear quicker than light fingerstyle playing using nickel flatwounds on a bass with stainless steel frets. Cool thing about frets is that they are replaceable. Just like the tires and wheels on your car. Drive on ‘em til they need replacing, easy peasy.

 

[Bodeeni]

I as well have never really worn my frets and I did Rotosound stainless rounds for decades. I guess it is just the way I play.

 

[GIBrat51]

So, just got a Tele vintera II. Plays great. It came with roundwounds. I have avoided rounds due to needing a fret job years ago on my jazz bass. I use pressure wounds on my other basses.
Question: Anyone have input on rounds and fret wear time frame?

Sorry, but... no. Too many variables involved. Some frets wear faster than others. Some round wound strings are more abrasive than others. Some people bend strings; some people do not. Some people press down on the strings much harder than others... About all I can tell you from personal experience? The guy I bought my '78 Fender P-Bass from, had a band; gigged a lot; and played hard. He never used anything but Roto 66's. When I bought the bass? Most of the frets above the 12th one were... well, gone; to the point that there was no saving them. I had to have it re-fretted... It's worn flats since the day I bought it, 37 years ago. All but 3 of my 30 basses wear flats. The 3 that don't, wear tapes. I also play with a light touch, and almost never bend those strings. However...
Nickel rounds and stainless frets? That's probably the best bet for longevity. Especially if you don't beat the bass to death... the old small, soft frets on Rickenbacker 4001s usually didn't last very long when people started putting rounds (usually Roto 66's) on them. My'73 Rick 4001 came to me with (probably) it's original factory Maxima Flats on it. And, it's never worn anything else but flats. Those tiny, soft frets are still perfectly fine...

 

[Tim Skaggs]

Just a repeat of what has been said; your playing style, how much you play, the material of the rounds you use, and the material of the frets in the bass will swing fret life from
months to years to decades.

I wouldn’t avoid a string type if that string provides the tone, feel, and value I’m after. Remember, fret wear is a measurement of how much fun you’ve had…

 

[erratick]

I've been playing the bass in my avatar mostly with rounds since 91. It's been on tour, it's had some time off and everything in between. Still no refret. It has been leveled and crowned a few times.

I also have a bass new from ~2000. I swapped the neck instead of a refret, but it needed a refret. Pretty much similar strings as my old bass. It is my backup, but I probably practiced a fair amount on it. Those frets were clearly softer fret wire though.

It really depends on fret wire material, string material, and how much play.

There is no set time.

 

[lele_sakko]

Maybe..

 

[Bob_Ross]

I’ve had my Steinberger L-2 since 1982…for the first 10 years it was my main (practically only) bass, which also coincided with my densest gig schedule. It got relegated to backup status sometime in the mid-1990s, so it didn’t get played as frequently, but it still gets brought to every studio session and to many of my live gigs. These last four years it’s also been getting a lot more use than it had in the previous decade.

And all that is a preface to the fact that it has never had anything other than stainless steel roundwound strings on it, and it has never needed a fret job.

====================

Come to think of it, the only basses I have ever owned that needed a fret job needed them because something *else* was wrong with the neck and just made more sense to replace the frets rather than reuse them. I have never required a refret on any of my basses despite using roundwounds on all of them.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I've been using rounds for 25 years on my 6er. No visible fret wear yet. I also have them on my fretless I built a few years back and no board wear on it either. I've never had rounds cause any fret wear on any basses I've ever owned. I do play with a softer touch, so maybe that is why.

 

[Fender_Bender]

I had one single bass for a 10 years period of time that was used daily for up to 3 hours. I used rounds, including stainless at times, exclusively with all sorts of crazy techniques and bending and there’s barely any grooves in them. And this is with a super low budget Chinese no name bass. Life’s too short to be worrying about that. As long as you’re not bending each note 4” you’ll be fine.

 

[Nebadon2000]

Had '75 Precision sold in 2000 frets were fine: only used rounds and 1000+ Gigs and untold hours practicing

Being 71 now and having SS frets with my Stingray Special that will outlive me I am good

 

[mdogs]

Do you not drive your car because you might have to replace the tires?

 

[Swamp_Ronin]

Play the bass. Replacing the frets because you’ve worn them out mastering the instrument is a badge of honor.

 

[Jack]

I've got too many basses and not enough time to play them. My oldest bass is 35 and the frets are fine (although they're brass so fair enough) but my second oldest bass is 24 and those steel frets are also fine. It would be different if I was a working pro with a main bass that I played for 8 hours a day every day.

It depends.

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I played 3 rehearsals per week and about 2x gigs per month (except sporadic touring) for 10 years before needing a refret.

Played ss roto 66, hard, lots of bending.

I would seriously not worry about it.

 

[LowActionHero]

Remember, fret wear is a measurement of how much fun you’ve had…

That's right, three thumbs up.
From someone who has never replaced frets...

 

[Yahboy]

So, just got a Tele vintera II. Plays great. It came with roundwounds. I have avoided rounds due to needing a fret job years ago on my jazz bass. I use pressure wounds on my other basses.
Question: Anyone have input on rounds and fret wear time frame?

Try Dunlop SBN, NYXL , Ti round and DR sunbeam may slow down the fret wear process

 

[buldog5151bass]

I put together a parts bass from used Fender pats 40 years ago. It has worn Roto Swings the entire time. Frets are fine,.

 

[micguy]

You can either cower in a corner, playing flats, because you fear you might have to, one day, have fret work done. Or you can enjoy a lifetime playing basses that urge you to "go" because they are ringing with harmonics. I've been playing bass since 1979, all rounds since 1981 (first bass came with flats), and never had to have frets replaced on any of my basses.

If, a decade or two from now, you need to have the frets replaced, have stainless frets put on. Then you can stop worrying altogether.

The real Talkbass answer is (of course) if you own 10 basses, the fret wear gets spread around, and it'll be a century before you need to replace frets.