Zero Fret ... What Does It Do?

[Grinderman]

'Zero fret' is only a zero fret until you install it.

Egalitarian fret count?

 

[Sternodox]

"'Zero fret' is only a zero fret until you install it."

I'm turning that into a bumpersticker!

 

[coy garcia]

I find Zero fret's made of the same wood as the fingerboard AWESOME on all my fretless basses. My open strings sound just as warm as my other notes.

 

[jnuts1]

Why do many reviewers act like it's a super big deal?

I am a big fan. You can get great low low action

 

[jnuts1]

add the buzz feiten system and you are gold

 

[Kubicki Fan]

Egalitarian fret count?

I tried to commission a retro fit at The Twelfth Fret in Toronto. They threw me out

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

Many 60's era budget basses used them. I think that's where they got a bad rap. Then there was the 70's brass nut craze which was like a zero fret with none of the advantages! MTD's (at least some) have them, as does my Mensinger. One thing it precludes is the weird overtone-y sounds you can get from a nut that doesn't provide a proper witness point.

BBB

 

[Bar Band Bassman]

add the buzz feiten system and you are gold

Yes! But you need a tuner with Feiten compensation!

BBB

 

[jnuts1]

Yes! But you need a tuner with Feiten compensation!

BBB

i just tune a cent or two short. it is way more in tune than anything else

 

[Fender_Bender]

At one time it was associated with cheap Japanese imports. I like adding extra beefy brass nuts , preferably screwed down, to give open strings every chance to sound as good or better than fretted notes.

 

[micguy]

If you are the kind of player who can't abide by the sound of open strings, then zero frets were made for you.

A zero fret is much more like a nut than it is like a regular fretted note - fretted notes sound different primarily because there's a finger damping the string right behind the fret. A zero fret doesn't have that.

 

[Iridescentone]

Rick Turner used to say that he thought the zero fret was a great thing on basses (paraphrasing). But, he said he stopped using it years ago because it was much maligned due to the use by companies building cheap basses and he was tired of fighting the battle.

He may have said that, but I'm skeptical of that being his main reason for abandoning the zero frets, or any part of his reason. ** Obviously a 0-fret adds to labor costs, limits the number of prospective buyers who may not understand, or even like the concept (or actively dislike it). Many (most?) of is main competitors don't use the zero fret, and it doesn't seem to have interfered with their sales by not using it.

In the event of accidentally over-slotting a metal zero fret during a build (yes, some zero frets have grooves cut from the factory (ala Sandberg, on occasion) would it not be easier to correct that error on a non-metal nut, rather than re-doing a zero-fret (seriously asking, I don't know)?

** Exhibit a): Every Turner bass I've seen or owned has had a scarf joint (aka "luthiers joint"?) to attach the headstock. I believe this is primarily a wood saving constuction technique which is typically a joint found on budget-level basses (cheap imports, entry-level Ibanez, etc.) No? If Turner was concerned about a zero fret/cheap bass connection, why would he not be concerned with those fugly neck scarf joints that, IMO scream "cheapo bass"? Or did he disco the scarf joints also?

 

[Grinderman]

Zeroglide also makes them for basses.

+ Buying direct from Zero Glide is about $13 cheaper than Stewmac's price for the same Zero Glide part.

//Stewmac's pricing in general seems a bit of a racket to me.

 

[39-Bassist]

As others have said and since I use it for my guitar builds. When setup properly, Better staying in tune (using a tusq nut filed properly to near fretboard level) and a more accurate intonation.
And it does help with those issues.

 

[Grinderman]

He may have said that, but I'm skeptical of that being his main reason for abandoning the zero frets, or any part of his reason. ** Obviously a 0-fret adds to labor costs, limits the number of prospective buyers who may not understand, or even like the concept (or actively dislike it). Many (most?) of is main competitors don't use the zero fret, and it doesn't seem to have interfered with their sales by not using it.

In the event of accidentally over-slotting a metal zero fret during a build (yes, some zero frets have grooves cut from the factory (ala Sandberg, on occasion) would it not be easier to correct that error on a non-metal nut, rather than re-doing a zero-fret (seriously asking, I don't know)?

** Exhibit a): Every Turner bass I've seen or owned has had a scarf joint (aka "luthiers joint"?) to attach the headstock. I believe this is primarily a wood saving constuction technique which is typically a joint found on budget-level basses (cheap imports, entry-level Ibanez, etc.) No? If Turner was concerned about a zero fret/cheap bass connection, why would he not be concerned with those fugly neck scarf joints that, IMO scream "cheapo bass"? Or did he disco the scarf joints also?

This is news to me. I wasn't aware that zero frets are also supposed to be slotted, not crowned to the desired height relative to the 1st fret.

I've never used or set one up. For that matter, I can't recall ever playing any bass with zero fret.

I believe @micguy also makes a good point about finger damping from the fretting hand or the absence of it.

 

[And I]

i like that it makes the distance between the saddle and the tuning peg just a bit longer without changing the scale length. this helps keep the fat part of the string off of the tuning post, which i understand is "better" for some reason... so yeah, even though i don't really know why it's better, i like it anyway...

 

[Iridescentone]

This is news to me. I wasn't aware that zero frets are also supposed to be slotted, not crowned to the desired height relative to the 1st fret.

I've never used or set one up. For that matter, I can't recall ever playing any bass with zero fret.

I believe @micguy also makes a good point about finger damping from the fretting hand or the absence of it.

Good question. I don't know if they're supposed to be slotted. May depend on the builder's intent. I know for sure that Sandberg cuts grooves in their zero frets. Just checked my Sandbergs, all four have one or more factory-cut grooves in the zero frets. There have been previous TB posts re Sandbergs having slotted zero frets. Everyone knows Sandberg makes a superior product, so evidently for Sandberg, zero frets are supposed to be factory-slotted, ad hoc.

If I had a choice I'd pass on the zero frets. I may be too blunt to percieve the benefit, and I like to do my own fret leveling. I'd feel the need for more research on fret leveling with a zero fret involved. And I'm lazy.

 

[Barticus]

All of my basses have zero frets, low action and resonance are the main reasons. My Warwick has an Adjust-a-nut, same rationale. Zero frets are not slotted.

I love reading these type of responses, it always reminds me of the grapevine scene from Johnny Dangerously

 

[Water buffalo]

Just curious.

All of the above answers are correct. It is just one more way to make a nut. I've built several instruments with them, but IMHO, it's not superior to other methods.

 

[Iridescentone]

All of the above answers are correct. It is just one more way to make a nut. I've built several instruments with them, but IMHO, it's not superior to other methods.

Hey, tell me that's not a '73-ish water-cooled 2-stroke, 3 cyl, Suzuki 750 in your avatar.

Nevermind, I know it is.