Did Gibson use cryogenically treated frets recently?

[ICTGoober]

Ahhh, I didn't know this. I wonder why they just don't use a harder metal to begin with?

You have suggestions, Dave? Got your engineering degree handy?

Don't say titanium - it's strong and light, but not easy to form. Good wear resistance? Believe it or not - cast iron is tough as hell. You want exotics like Inconel or Waspalloy? High dollar. Someone suggested depleted uranium which would be heavy as hell, but resists heavy artillery.

I'm making fun of you, Dave. There's a reason nickel silver has been used almost 100 years. It works.

[Mincer]

Cryogenic treatment slowly reduces the temperature of the material to -300 degrees and holds it for 20 hours before bringing the temp back up slowly. This process compresses the crystalline structure of the metal, making it denser and harder. It reduces wear and deformation of the metal - which is what happens to normal nickel silver frets during playing.

Ahhh, I didn't know this. I wonder why they just don't use a harder metal to begin with?

[ICTGoober]

Not being familiar with what this process is supposed to do....what is this process supposed to do?

Cryogenic treatment slowly reduces the temperature of the material to -300 degrees and holds it for 20 hours before bringing the temp back up slowly. This process compresses the crystalline structure of the metal, making it denser and harder. It reduces wear and deformation of the metal - which is what happens to normal nickel silver frets during playing.

[Mincer]

Not being familiar with what this process is supposed to do....what is this process supposed to do?

[ICTGoober]

My research suggests that they used it sporadically until about 2018. This is probably when they ran out of their initial supply. As I've posted, the frets looked brand now, so the treatment obviously works well to prevent wear. I would like to see a Gibson fretted with this stuff 20 years down the road - will they still look new and untouched? Only time will tell. Hope I don't run into another guitar so equipped - frets that don't wear are bad news for repair guys....

[jmh151]

Starting in 2014 they were using cryo frets- my 2015 has low profile cryo frets. Not sure if they still used them in 2016, since they felt much higher that year.

The low frets intonate far better than any other Gibson Iā€™ve played

[ehdwuld]

No matter what they did
someone would complain

They want the vintage spongy brass fret sound on their Gibby

When i got my Epiphone Florentine
I had just played Jerry's Les Paul Signature 335
and it had the super low frets
I asked the guy at the shop if he could file them down to the super low mystery fret level

Thankfully he talked me out of it

[idsnowdog]

Gibson needs depleted Uranium frets.

[Aceman]

Really? Cryogenic Frets? How about if they just effing made sure they were polished and the nut was cut decently? Why don't we get that right before we get all fancy and sci-fi. Maybe learn how to work a basic file.

More likely they removed everyones brains and cryogenically froze them.

[devastone]

No worries.

[ICTGoober]

It's entirely possible this guitar was refretted before my client purchased it. We'll never know. However, my research found that Gibson tried cryo frets starting in 2014, which is when this guitar was made.

And again - my sincere apologies.

[DavidRavenMoon]

Wait, your client wants you to do what? Tell them to give the guitar to someone who would appreciate it for what it is! (j/k)

I can see the point in this. I like very wide frets, but not super tall frets. They feel like speed bumps. I also dress my frets flatter on the top, or what Dan Erlewine calls the “school bus” shape.


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[devastone]

Sorry, my decoder ring isn't hip to all the latest in shortened forms of communication.
My bad - and apologies to devastone.

Yeah, I was just joking, I like jumbos but understand others like a more vintage profile. But, yeah, we're all, well mostly, friends around here, I wouldn't seriously tell you what to tell a client, that's your lifeblood. Maybe back off on the caffeine a bit (again, j/k, sort of).

But seriously, I've never heard of Gibson using jumbo frets, unless it was a Sykes or Wylde sig model or something maybe, so that was kind of a shock.

[ICTGoober]

You see at the end where it says “j/k”? That means just kidding.

Sorry, my decoder ring isn't hip to all the latest in shortened forms of communication.
My bad - and apologies to devastone.

[larryguitar]

What is YOUR problem? It's his guitar - he makes the decisions, OK? Would you want him to tell you WTH to do with YOUR stuff? You'd tell him the same thing I'm telling you. Eff off.

Seriously, your argument is flawed. Have you ever modded your guitar with Duncans? Why didn't you appreciate the stock units for what they were?

Nice. Classy.

Larry