Zero Fret advantages...

[charliefreak]

This is probably a total noob question. But what is the benefit of having a +0 fret on a bass that already has a nut? I thought it was a cheap alternative to producing a nut...

Thanks!
CF

 

[lucam]

I believe that it's done to achieve from open strings the same tone that you obtain from fretted notes. My 0.02$

 

[skychief]

another benefit is its less critical for the string height over the slots in the nut thereby reducing the function of the nut to a simple string-spacing device. Also, you wont need to be cutting the nut when changing string gauges.

 

[charliefreak]

Does the +0 fret touch the strings? Cause I feel like that'd be the only way to affect the open notes. My thought was that it might save the intonation that's skewed due to in any slight inclination between the first fret and the nut by cutting the fret off a little early (if that makes sense). If it did touch the strings, i feel like it'd cause a problem w/ the strings digging into it and greatly affect your sound after months of playing.

 

[2400]

It touches the string, and it hardly wears (only on one side really, and extremely gradually) since it's a point where there's very little vibrational energy going on.

I kind of like 'em, fretting feels very smooth when coming from open strings to the 7+ frets.

 

[yooloo]

uniform string-bottom-to neck height. low

 

[charliefreak]

It touches the string, and it hardly wears (only on one side really, and extremely gradually) since it's a point where there's very little vibrational energy going on.

I kind of like 'em, fretting feels very smooth when coming from open strings to the 7+ frets.

That makes a lot of sense! Sounds basically like it evens the tension of the strings at the top of the neck. I'd love to find one around Indy to jam on sometime!

 

[MPU]

That makes a lot of sense! Sounds basically like it evens the tension of the strings at the top of the neck. I'd love to find one around Indy to jam on sometime!

I can't see how zero fret could do anything to string tension. I like zero frets on my headless basses as I hate filing nut slots.

 

[R Baer]

From what I understand, the zero fret is supposed to make the open strings sound more like a fretted note. It's also supposed to improve the intonation at the first fret a bit.