Whats The Advantage & Disadvantage Of Fret Sizes?

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Whats The Advantage & Disadvantage Of Fret Sizes?, Jumbo, Large, Medium, Small Frets

Irfan21 View Member Profile	Mar 30 2008, 05:20 AM
Mar 30 2008, 05:20 AM	GMC:er Posts: 35 Joined: 17-March 08 From: Indonesia	Hi guys, again i have some question to ask i want to know what is the advantage and disadvantage of fret sizes? i mean i want to know something like jumbo is good for this but bad for those, and medium is good for this but bad for those, you know something like that thanks before guys! You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Sircraigery View Member Profile	Mar 30 2008, 05:32 PM
Mar 30 2008, 05:32 PM	GMC:er Posts: 673 Joined: 12-May 07	I have no evidence to this, but I imagine a larger fret maximizes the surface area contact between the neck and the guitar string...therefore maximizing sustain? Also if the frets are nickel, it would take longer for them to wear down. That those be my best guesses . You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- Guitars: Ibanez Prestige RG2610E [BKP Cold Sweat] Ibanez Prestige RG2550E [Carbon Fiber Plastics] Ibanez Roadstar II RS-135 [Stock] Quest Acoustic [Stock] Effects: Electro-Harmonix Metal Muff Ibanez Weeping Demon Wah Boss DR-3 Dr. Rhythym Amp: Marshall JCM2000 DSL 401 'Only the dead have seen the end of the war.' - Plato

Ivan Milenkovic View Member Profile	Mar 30 2008, 08:24 PM
Mar 30 2008, 08:24 PM	Instructor Posts: 25.396 Joined: 20-November 07 From: Belgrade, Serbia	I also think that wearing down would be a problem with thinner frets. I prefer medium jumbo frets. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE - Check out my GMC Profile and Lessons - (Please subscribe to my) YouTube Official Channel - Let's be connected through ! Facebook! :)

Irfan21 View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 12:37 AM
Mar 31 2008, 12:37 AM	GMC:er Posts: 35 Joined: 17-March 08 From: Indonesia	oh, i see, but does jumbo frets make it harder for you to do some sliding? cmon guys who use all those kind of frets let me hear your opinion about them You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

Trond Vold View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 12:43 AM
Mar 31 2008, 12:43 AM	Instructor Posts: 3.497 Joined: 16-February 08 From: Norge!	Thats a really good question actually.. But even though i have guitars with all sorts of different frets, i'm still not sure what the actual advantages are To me, sliding on jumbo frets is just as easy as sliding on small frets. Hopefully someone can answer this far more indepth You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! This post has been edited by Trond Vold: Mar 31 2008, 12:43 AM -------------------- Guitars: Schecter Stiletto Classic, Jackson SLSMG, Ibanez RG-380 Japan, Gibson Les Paul Studio Amp: Marshall JMP-1 -> Rocktron Velocity 100 -> Marshall JCM-900 Lead 4x12 FX and stomps: T.C Electronics G-Sharp, Korg SDD-1200, Emma Transmorgrifier, BYOC Tribooster, GGG Green Ringer, Dinosaur Overdrive, Voodoo Lab SuperFuzz, Sovtek Bassballs, Line6 Tap Tremolo, EHX Screaming Bird. ___________________________________________________ My Lessons! My Instructor Board! My Myspace!

Tmas View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 12:49 AM
Mar 31 2008, 12:49 AM	GMC:er Posts: 66 Joined: 5-November 06 From: USA South Carolina	helps people with fatty fingers play You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- Yeah... I'm member number 911. What about it?

Ivan Milenkovic View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 12:58 AM
Mar 31 2008, 12:58 AM	Instructor Posts: 25.396 Joined: 20-November 07 From: Belgrade, Serbia	I agree with Trond - don't think the thickness of the frets affect sliding. Maybe the sound is somewhat different a little, and they are more durable. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- - Ivan's Video Chat Lesson Notes HERE - Check out my GMC Profile and Lessons - (Please subscribe to my) YouTube Official Channel - Let's be connected through ! Facebook! :)

Irfan21 View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 01:21 AM
Mar 31 2008, 01:21 AM	GMC:er Posts: 35 Joined: 17-March 08 From: Indonesia	oh, i see, i just have a taught that sliding on a jumbo frets would be a little bit harder so i think it comes to personal choice right? but anyway guys what is your favourite fret size? and why? You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

swingline View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 01:38 AM
Mar 31 2008, 01:38 AM	GMC:er Posts: 789 Joined: 2-August 07 From: Hemet, California	I can't even tell the difference between the two while playing, its probably for durability. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- -------------------- The Gear: Jackson Dinky 2M Snow White Line 6 Spider III 75 watt Line 6 FBV Express Foot Controller

ballistic31 View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 01:55 AM
Mar 31 2008, 01:55 AM	GMC:er Posts: 210 Joined: 1-July 07 From: troy new hampshire	well I think with jumbo fretts...If the neck is not set right then you get some pretty bad string buzz..I just recently went thru this with a new guitar i got ...The good thing was the guy i had do over my custum electronics fixed it during the new setup....I cant seem to find to much of a difference between them though except jumbo fretts look much better. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- [size=3][b]

Terry View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 03:54 AM
Mar 31 2008, 03:54 AM	GMC:er Posts: 14 Joined: 22-May 07 From: seattle, washington usa	the larger the frets the less pressure you have to put on the string (think scalloped fretboards but not as intense) which is why almost all shredders will use the biggest frets, but if you have a heavy grip then you may sound out of tune. so allot of really aggressive players will use medium frets. so it comes down to the individual taste and preference. hope this helps. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- guitars- dean razorback shards with emg pickups, ibanez xiphos with emg pickups, ibanez rg42 neckthrough with emg's, schecter she-devil with seymour duncan's, usa jackson soloist neckthrough with emg's, all are active pickups amps- mesa boogie triple recto 150w tube head with mesa 4x12 cab (celestion speakers), vox ad30vt combo effects- bbe sonic maximizer strings- ghs 10-52 picks-dunlop 1mm

swingline View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 04:43 AM
Mar 31 2008, 04:43 AM	GMC:er Posts: 789 Joined: 2-August 07 From: Hemet, California	QUOTE (ballistic31 @ Mar 30 2008, 05:55 PM) well I think with jumbo fretts...If the neck is not set right then you get some pretty bad string buzz..I just recently went thru this with a new guitar i got ...The good thing was the guy i had do over my custum electronics fixed it during the new setup....I cant seem to find to much of a difference between them though except jumbo fretts look much better. That is true. QUOTE (Terry @ Mar 30 2008, 07:54 PM) the larger the frets the less pressure you have to put on the string (think scalloped fretboards but not as intense) which is why almost all shredders will use the biggest frets, but if you have a heavy grip then you may sound out of tune. so allot of really aggressive players will use medium frets. so it comes down to the individual taste and preference. hope this helps. Actually I just played another guitar with small frets a few hours ago and i think your right. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- -------------------- The Gear: Jackson Dinky 2M Snow White Line 6 Spider III 75 watt Line 6 FBV Express Foot Controller

bsamn View Member Profile	Mar 31 2008, 08:08 AM
Mar 31 2008, 08:08 AM	GMC:er Posts: 220 Joined: 14-October 07 From: Dubai	Hey, I have one guitar kinda old, so the frets are like really really small, iat first i liked it (since it was my first guitar) but honestly i realised i needed bigger frets, as it entails better grip. I think the jumbo frets will help u with better grip, imo that is. I recently decided to get a neck scallop it and refret it with jumbo frets, yea sliding was kinda annoying at first around the thin strings, but trust me the more u play, the more used to you will get. And there will come a time it does not affect you playing at all. Yea also smaller frets you will have to press a little harder. I personally suggest u go out to a music store and try guitars with diff fret sizes, because in the end what really matters is what feels perfect for you. Or if you do not have the luxury of having a good store around you (like i did) you will have to take a leap of faith and buy something online. Hope i helped Keep Rockin' You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! --------------------

fused View Member Profile	Apr 1 2008, 05:54 PM
Apr 1 2008, 05:54 PM	GMC:er Posts: 106 Joined: 22-March 08 From: Pittsburgh, PA USA	I've had quite a few refrets done to my guitars. The wire that I've liked the best and continue to use today is available at Stew Mac. Wide/Highest .110" Wide .53" high After some leveling and crowing, it ends up around .052 to .051 where touched. My necks are extremely straight or will be during a refret (planing is required) so the frets start off with a very level base wood. A few things to consider. I have an extremely light touch with my fretting hand... I don't dig in until I hit the fretboard wood, only enough pressure to get a good clean note. If you grab a hold of the neck and hang on like you're mountain climbing, all of your notes will sound sharp with these frets. Because you're actually pushing the string beyond the fret, very similar to bending a string. In fact, you are actually bending...but down instead of to the side. As for bending a string, I LOVE these frets for that. Very easy to bend. I believe these also make the guitar a lot more expressive in general. And over time, less grooves being cut into the frets than I've noticed on the smaller thinner frets that I've owned. More surface area so less wear seems to result. As for fret buzz....not any more of an issue than any other fret. If the guitar is setup correctly and the frets are properly leveled...say as you should experience with a "Pro" setup, you shouldn't have a problem. Just because the frets are higher does not make them less level. The fret job would be the issue here. If the job was done by someone not so qualified, sure, you're going to have problems....no matter what fret size you choose. If you like a scalloped neck, these frets are as close as you'll get without actually having a scalloped neck. Perfect for an instrument that you wish NOT to modify to this degree. Say a Vintage Gibson? As I type this, My Jazz box, a 68 Gibson L5 is being refretted. In 68 they used very flat and low frets...on the L5 and the Pauls as I understand it. I HATE those frets. I was actually able to touch the fretboard no matter how I played. The above Jumbo's are going in this guitar. I also have these frets on my Gibson ES-150 and my Paul. I gave my kid an Ibanez GB-10 that was also refretted last year with Jumbo frets. Absolutely awesome! As for sustain, I hear that the increased mass of the frets does add to the sustain.... I did find that the guitars that I had refretted did sustain a bit better..but I can't state that it is the fret size as when a refret is done, a complete pro level setup is also done. Too many variables to isolate this to being just the frets. Now I can say that my acoustic "Martin" guitar doesn't have a lot of sustain, and it has very small frets... Again, not stating the frets are the reason...but just an observation. I find that my speed and accuracy are both greatly increased with jumbo frets. Again, light touch technic. I also use a wide range of strings as I have many guitars. Some with as light as .007 for string 1...going to .040 for the fat E. Yet, my Jazz Box goes from .010 to .048. I run even heavier strings on my acoustics... Jumbo frets seem to work fine on all these guitars without regard to string sizes. But yet, the acoustics with smaller frets work just fine as well. For me, I'm a huge fan of jumbo frets. I'll go as far as to state that I did buy a brand new guitar, in 1980, that didn't have them, and the very week that I bought it, I knew up front and had it refretted with these. I loved the guitar, the way it sounded and for the most part the way it played...except the frets weren't good enough. In fact the fret wire was purchased and waiting before I put money down on the guitar. One thing I haven't tried are stainless frets. I've played a few guitars with them but never owned one. Unless I've owned one and can actually put some time into getting used to them, I can't possibly know for sure, how they behave. Maybe someday.... You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- fused fused studios

Danilo Capezzuto View Member Profile	Apr 1 2008, 06:23 PM
Apr 1 2008, 06:23 PM	Instructor Posts: 1.829 Joined: 16-February 08 From: Italy	To me... + 1. Jumbo frets give you more sustain. 2. Bigger frets sound more brilliant. 3. Need less effort to play because your fingers don't touch the fretboard. - 1. If you press too much can go out of tune, more with a chord. 2. If you are not perfect on the string you can hit them when you slide up and down. 3. A big frets reduce your last frets' s space, and become hard to play for big fingers. That's my opinion since I have an Ibanez PGM with dunlop 6000 ( the bigger they make...maybe) You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- Check out my video lessons!

Gus View Member Profile	Apr 1 2008, 09:27 PM
Apr 1 2008, 09:27 PM	GMC:er Posts: 999 Joined: 21-January 08 From: Brazil/Denmark	Since I moved to a guitar with Jumbo I play much faster. In special, I found that tapping (specially with the pick) is waaaay easier. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- my "Thank you GMC!" video If you like it please vote in the competition ;-) Gus Stairway to Guitar Heaven - my practice agenda Check out my lesson here Phrygian Dominant Solo lesson Gear : Ibanez RGT320q (I just love the neck-thru sustain), Washburn EA-20SDL (acoustic 6 string), Standard strat (Mexico), POD X3 Live Some of my Guitar heroes: Jimmy Page, Slash, Kirk Hammett, Augusto Licks, Joe Satriani, Gus G, David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler...

Irfan21 View Member Profile	Apr 3 2008, 01:01 AM
Apr 3 2008, 01:01 AM	GMC:er Posts: 35 Joined: 17-March 08 From: Indonesia	wow thanks for all the info guys, now i have more knowledge than before would it be hard if im used to press the string heavily before, and move to jumbo frets? You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

fused View Member Profile	Apr 3 2008, 04:11 AM
Apr 3 2008, 04:11 AM	GMC:er Posts: 106 Joined: 22-March 08 From: Pittsburgh, PA USA	QUOTE (Irfan21 @ Apr 2 2008, 08:01 PM) wow thanks for all the info guys, now i have more knowledge than before would it be hard if im used to press the string heavily before, and move to jumbo frets? You would get used to them.... Go to a guitar shop and sit down with a guitar that has jumbos and give it about an hour..... You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- fused fused studios

RIP Dime View Member Profile	Apr 3 2008, 07:51 AM
Apr 3 2008, 07:51 AM	GMC:er Posts: 1.063 Joined: 2-October 06 From: Hawaii	They just feel different, I haven't really broken down and asked myself specifically what is different. But bigger frets feel more slick, they make bending easier, and generally feel more slick. With smaller frets I can dig in more because they won't go out of tune, so the bending gets more expressive, and the chording feels better because you can put some muscle into the chords and they won't go out of tune. I think blues players like the smaller frets, and shredders prefer the bigger frets. Personally, anything medium or bigger is fine for me. (I've never played anything under medium) But if I go with my American logic, the bigger the better. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! --------------------

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