As a bit of an artistic diversion, I “make” a few guitars every now and then, a habit I’ve had since I made my first guitar in Jr. High wood shop at age 15. Lately, I’ve been making Tele style guitars, since Nashville guitar slingers need top-shelf hard-core road guitars at a working-man’s price. There seem to be plenty of Strats in this category, but Tele’s … not so much. The process of making vintage Tele style guitars has really brought fret size to the forefront; as the traditional 3-saddle bridge really makes intonation difficult, which makes fret selection extra-important. At a later date, I’ll delve into what separates world-class Tele ELECTRONICS from the simply mediocre; but for now, let’s talk frets.
First: a note: while some of what we are discussing here relates to both acoustic as well as electric guitars, we are specifically talking about ELECTRIC guitars at this time! So a good place to start where frets are concerned would be a basic frame-of-reference; problem is, there is no such thing! Over the 70 years or so of the modern electric guitar’s life, quite a variety of frets have made finger-board appearances. So, dispel the belief that there is a “normal” that can apply to ALL electric guitars. There are a few very GENERAL observations that can be made, however.
Here is the single most important nugget, taken from an earlier blog my buddy Dave Hunter did on this topic: “While larger frets do seem to result in a rounder tone, perhaps with increased sustain too, they also yield a somewhat less precise note than narrower frets”. Please read Dave’s fine blog for his always dead-on thoughts on this topic!
Steps To A Better Guitar Setup
So there ya have the view from 50, 000-feet! Big frets = bigger tone, smaller frets equal more precise intonation. Ah, if it were just that easy; if there were only TWO fret sizes … big ones for those who want maximum tone, especially on single-string big bend solos, and small ones for those who want precise intonation. But take a look at this fret size chart, and understand that these are ONLY the most common guitar fret sizes! Yea, these waters are getting murky!
Yes, we have heard about Stevie Ray’s using enormous “bass” fret wire on some of his guitars, something his long-time guitar tech says is hogwash … but he DID play big frets, but unless you also plan to play with the huge strings he played with and only in HIS style, don’t even consider it! On the other end of the spectrum is the infamous Norlin-era Gibson “fretless wonders” of the 1970’s. With frets so small you “won’t even know they are there”. Again, unless you only play chords and play VERY light gauge strings, don’t even THINK about going there! So, that leaves us …
For MOST guitar players, this will translate into either Dunlop 6110 “Jumbo” or Stewart-MacDonald’s #150 (SRV). These are the frets to go for if you DO want the tone and playability of someone like SRV, and if you are willing to sacrifice a little precise intonation on chords for a big ballsy tone on single-note bends. Also remember, big frets require big strings! As far as I’m concerned Jumbo frets arte only for medium gauge or bigger strings … unless you play very lightly, you will undoubtedly bend chords out of tune with light-gauge strings and big frets … ugg!
What Size Fret Wire In Terms Of Height Came On Vintage Tele's?
Like Pre-CBS Fender’s and modern Dunlop 6230 or Stew-Mac #141 & 147. These are the frets for folks who are picky about tuning and are precise players. I especially like these frets on a Tele with a vintage 3-saddle bridge, as intonation is so compromised on these guitars anyway! Inverse to the big frets, I’d say these are for those who use light(ish) gauge strings … say 10’s or smaller.
This is what most “modern” guitars are equipped with, like the Fender “standard” size and Dunlop 6130. And, I believe these frets are a great “best of both worlds” compromise on most any Strat or Les-Paul style guitar. They bend nicely, offer full-bodied tone, intonate fairly accurately, and are friendly to all but the most extreme string sizes. There is a reason why the major manufacturers have almost all adopted this fret size as their standard … it just works!
As for stupidly wide or tall frets, I would certainly avoid them unless you really don’t care about intonation or play stupidly lightly. But always remember: these are just my recommendations. Folks have really taken the fret thing to extremes with scalloped fret-boards … and then there is the “glitter” guitar that is ALL fret ... with no fret-board at all ... but I’m gonna say these just flat ain’t for everybody!While guitar shopping, you will often run across mention of the size of a guitar’s frets – “jumbo frets” or “medium jumbo frets” and so forth.
Acoustic Guitar Setup
First, let’s get our terminology down. When we say frets, we’re talking about the thin wire strips spaced at very precise intervals along the entire length of the fingerboard; not the spaces in between the thin wire strips where your fingers actually go when you’re pressing down on (or fretting) the strings.
Frets are cut from fret wire, which is manufactured in lengthy rolls and is usually made of nickel silver, an alloy that doesn’t actually contain any silver. Anatomically, frets consist of a rounded “crown” (or “bead”) atop a thinner “tang” with barbs on either side as seen in cross-section. Individual frets are snipped to match the width of a guitar’s neck and hammered (lovingly tapped, more accurately) into slots pre-cut into the fingerboard. The crown runs the width of the slot; the tang runs a bit shorter than the width of the slot. The barbs on either side of the tang help hold the fret in place in the slot, although glue is often used, too.
We just explained fret anatomy because when we talk about fret sizes, we’re talking only about the width and height of the crown.
Measure Your Fret Heights
The main fret wire maker, California-based Dunlop Manufacturing Inc., produces five main fret sizes. Listed by part number, name (where applicable), crown width and crown height, they are, from smallest to largest:
Which size you like is purely a matter of preference, although it can affect your playing style. If you like your fingers to actually touch the fingerboard when fretting the strings, frets that aren’t very tall like the 6130, 6150 or 6230 are for you. On the other hand, jumbo 6100 fret wire can provide easier playability with better sustain, tone and bending because you don’t have to press as hard to fret the strings, but your fingers probably won’t even touch the fingerboard, which could take some getting used to if you’re accustomed to smaller frets.
As with so many things about the guitar, however, the truth isn’t necessarily that straightforward. Fret size and shape can affect a great many aspects of your guitar’s sound and feel, so it’s worth looking at the bigger picture before jumping to any quick conclusions.
How To Set Up Your Electric Guitar Part 2: Setting Action
The “fatter wire = fatter tone” equation is nothing new. Ever since jumbo frets have been available, many great players—Rory Gallagher, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd— have been known to re-fret their Fender Stratocasters in particular with jumbo wire (vintage-spec Strats arguably provide a more dramatic before and- after picture than some other guitars, since they were born with narrow frets). More metal in any fixed component usually means a greater vibrational coupling between string and wood, so there is presumably something to this theory. But what else changes with fret size?
While larger frets do seem to result in a rounder tone, perhaps with increased sustain too, they also yield a somewhat less precise note than narrower frets—at least, as examined “under the microscope.” Unless it is very precisely shaped, and frequently dressed, the broad crown of that jumbo fret can “blur” your note ever so slightly, which might even be part of the sonic appeal for some players—the way, for example, a tweed Deluxe is a little blurrier or hairier at most volume settings than a blackface Deluxe. Be aware, however, that the phenomenon can work against some sonic goals too.
Since they present a finer break point at the neck end of the strings’ speaking length, narrower vintage-gauge frets are generally more precise in their noting accuracy. From this, you tend to get a sharper tone, possibly with increased intonation accuracy, plus enhanced overtone clarity in some cases, which could be heard as a little more “shimmer.” If you’re thinking these are all characteristics of the classic Fender sound, you’d be right—or they are, at least, until you change those vintage frets to jumbo.
Understanding Fret Sizes
But narrower frets were also used on Gibson Les Pauls prior to 1959, so their characteristics apply to these guitars as well. Does a ’57 goldtop with PAFs sound thin or whimpy thanks to its narrow fret wire? Not likely, largely because so many other factors also affect its tone—body woods, set-neck construction, scale
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