Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I used to have an original '63 Strat, and the only problem I had with the 7 1/4" radius was bent notes high on the neck fretting out. The only way to avoid this was to raise the action. That's why I prefer the modern 9 1/2" radius that many new Fenders have, you can have lower action and high string bends don't fret out. However, I don't like the "modern C" neck profile that most Fender Strats have these days, I like the rounder, thicker neck profile that my old '63 Strat had. I wish they'd make more of the affordable Strats with that rounder profile, but you have to go to the more expensive guitars to get a different profile.

Al

Agreed...For chording the 7.25 radius is comfy and hard to beat...But wide blues bends between the 12th and 15th frets can note out..A good tech can get around it..Not all of my 7.25 Fender necks note out..I Like the 9.5 and I have 2 strats that are 12" radius..Love them all..I quickly adapt.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

7.25 just feels right. Have used medium through the largest SS frets available and neck radius seems to play the biggest role with me on comfort. Was open to large frets until realized takes a better player than myself to stay constant with pressing notes chords so that tone/tune stay even. The largest frets have such depth that it's easy to hear the note/chord rise in tune when pushed down. Most guitars manufacturers choose 9.5 or higher these days and that's a strong indication those buying guitars no longer prefer the 7.25 radius necks. Fortunately for me there are still some vintage models out there.....although pretty much just Fender these days........and not too many coming out of Fender either - even most of their vintage custom shop relic models are at least 9.5.

There are still quite a few 7.25" radius Fenders being made..Depends on the model..If it says "Vintage" in most cases it's the 7.25 radius.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I have never experienced the "fretting out." How far are you guys bending up there? And how low do you keep your strings?

 

[uOpt]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

Agreed...For chording the 7.25 radius is comfy and hard to beat...But wide blues bends between the 12th and 15th frets can note out..A good tech can get around it..Not all of my 7.25 Fender necks note out..I Like the 9.5 and I have 2 strats that are 12" radius..Love them all..I quickly adapt.

One lesson I will take from bass and try on guitar is round core strings. They have less tension, but swing wider. You need to put them a bit higher so that they don't snarl on the low frets. But with the lower tension you don't mind. Overall that will lift them quite a bit off the 12-21th frets and might do something about this.

 

[Powdered Toast Man]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I like vintage style frets. I've got a Mexi Tele from the 90's that has the skinny frets, plus a 52 Tele. Then I've got a Hwy 1 Strat that has jumbo frets. They're fine too but the thing I don't care for is that you have to be careful fretting with the jumbos because it's easy to push too hard and go out of pitch. The frets I dislike the most are the tall Gibson frets. It's so easy to push out of pitch when chording higher on the board.

 

[post toastie]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

me neither. never had a problem with fretting out, nor pressing to hard to the point of pitch corruption.

 

[Andrew Lamprecht]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I find guitars with big frets aren't as comfy to me.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I am also concerned that massive frets might change sound. You see if they are 2x height and 2x width then you put 4x the mass of metal between the string and the fretboard.

I guess I am about to find out since I bought smaller frets for my scalloped neck. I stupidly told the guy who did the scallop to put on jumbos. Didn't work out.

 

[kevlar3000]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

I have em in all sizes, no real preference. My 80s and 90s rules have relaxed greatly.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Old (Vintage) Skinny Fender Frets

My second most played guitar has a MIJ 62RI neck with 7.25" radius and teeny frets. I honestly have never once wished it were any different, even though I also enjoy guitars with 12" radius and medium jumbos. A good guitar is a good guitar.