Stainless steel frets - worthwhile?

alex1fly

alex1fly

Well-known member
What are some thoughts on stainless steel frets? Are they worth the hassle and money? Those of you that have them, did you get them via re-fret or did you the buy the neck/guitar as-is? Are there some common makes/models that use them that I could find in a local shop or a Guitar Center?

I'm casually looking at options for my Tele. No ambitions to attempt a refret myself.

It seems as though they're heralded as "the best thing you can do for your guitar" but I'm always a little skeptical of such claims.
 
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I'm a fan.

They sound the same, and last much longer than regular frets. They always stay smooth for bending. There really are no negatives. The only possible reasons I can think of to avoid them is price - or if you plan on playing a guitar for a year or two and then trading it. Personally, I'll never buy another guitar without SS frets . . . and I've been refretting all my guitars that I love with stainless steel.
 
GuitarStv said:
I'm a fan.

They sound the same, and last much longer than regular frets. They always stay smooth for bending. There really are no negatives. The only possible reasons I can think of to avoid them is price - or if you plan on playing a guitar for a year or two and then trading it. Personally, I'll never buy another guitar without SS frets . . . and I've been refretting all my guitars that I love with stainless steel.
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Do you do this work yourself? Or work with someone to do it?

I'd think too, that you'd maybe want to consider the weather/humidity when doing a refret to avoid filing super-hard fret sprout later. Is this a fair assumption?
 
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alex1fly said:
Do you do this work yourself? Or work with someone to do it?

I'd think too, that you'd maybe want to consider the weather/humidity when doing a refret to avoid filing super-hard fret sprout later. Is this a fair assumption?
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Myself. I've done four refrets now. The first one was playable, but there were some ugly mistakes. By number three things were going a lot better. Did two over the winter and two over the summer, fret sprout didn't seem better or worse with any of them, and I'm doing them all in the basement of my air conditined house which ranges from 40 - 70% humidity according to my little d'addario hygrometer. Pulling/pounding in the frets is relatively quick and easy. The real PITA and biggest time suck is in the levelling, polishing, and rounding of fret ends.

If you can, just buy a neck with SS frets already installed and levelled. Way less work.
 
Why would you be skeptical? They don't wear at all vs trenches in ur nickel frets after 2 weeks. No brainer.
 
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There are several brands that now offer them as standard on their model-lines that are starting around $1000.
Schecter and Solar are a couple like that. Their budget models are standard but once you jump to about a grand they are all stainless.

Ibanez made a good move IMO by creating some in-between models in the $1000 zone that have very high-quality standard frets that will last a long time.
If you step up to the Prestige line near $2000 they are stainless frets now. I really like that, because if I want shell-out big bucks for quality it would have to be stainless.

Kiesel Guitars are now stainless at no upcharge, but of course their prices have went up in recent years,,,,,,,just the cost of doing a manufacturing business in Cali USA.
Seymour Duncan has done well to limit their increases over the last few years.

Any material can host a bad fret-job, so even with stainless it comes down to the craftsman doing the work well.
 
Clint 55 said:
Why would you be skeptical? They don't wear at all vs trenches in ur nickel frets after 2 weeks. No brainer.
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Some standard frets are actually very tough. My older MIJ prestiges are standards but are very hard (maybe they cryo treated them).
I also have guitars with Dunlops standard wire that are very hard. No instant divots and/or trenches with those unless you use an iron-claw grip or something.

On the other hand, most of the budget models I've had over the years had frets made of warm butter.
My Ibanez RGT has some of the worst frets ever on a model over $500. You could blow on them and they would gouge.
It really deserves stainless and a better real edge tremolo, because the rest of the guitar is as solid as an anvil.
 
I am a huge fan. I see no downsides from a playing perspective- they feel great. They might be harder on tools and harder to install, but I don't do that work myself. I have 2 Warmoths with them, and about to get them installed on my 1982 Strat.
 
Every regretted guitar I own has them and if I can buy the guitar new with them I always do. No downside at all, great upside. They are a bit harder on tools and I am told slightly tougher to work with. Maybe that point is being milked for cash flow for tools and time? Who knows, I send my stuff out to get refretted. I hope all the guitars I like eventually come with stainless frets. People say there is a sound difference...I think if there is it is minimal at most. If you have a les paul and put stainless frets on it they won't make it not sound like a les paul. I am a BIG FAN of stainless frets! Can't recommend them enough.
 
Will never buy a new guitar without them if I have a choice. Own 4 with them they bend so smooth I actually like the attack now that I am used to them and the biggest thing is they don't wear out. I'm sick of dressing frets and rotating guitars to keep wear down.
 
Stainless steel jumbo frets are the best frets I've ever played. Bending notes is smooth and each note has better sustain and feel.
 
The ones I like are on my Warmoth- one of their sizes. It is a jumbo but almost comes to a point at the top- feels great to play on.
 
Stainless steel frets feels a little more slippery on the first day (if you get a refret) then you get use to it. No other downside. It sounds good and last much longer. I got them on my SG so I will never refret it... My daughter maybe...
Another option (cheaper and quite OK) is 18% silver frets. This is harder them the regular one and still easy to work with for the luthier. I got them only Strat to keep it close to the original.
 
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