All things being equal then bigger frets should have a positive impact on your tone.The drawback is that bigger frets can also result in a slight loss of clarity. I'm pretty sure everything in their RG series has jumbo frets. I have them on my American Deluxe, and don't really care for them. Unfortunately I have two new guitars with medium jumbos and yes, I've sort of gotten used to them but they aren't really my cup of tea. And this will help you to decide on the fret sizes best suited for you. Pull-offs and hammer-ons will also ring out more clearly. With some extra glue and the tangs barbs, the fret wire is then set into place. There is a wider break point where the string meets the fret. And so even though there are a number of different and nuanced factors that affect the playability of your guitar, we can outline the characteristics of different fret sizes by looking at their height and width together.As such, lets return to the 5 common fret sizes listed above, and look at how the height and width of these frets affects their playability: As noted above, vintage frets are the smallest frets that you are likely to encounter. Could the German government decide to free Russian citizen Vadim Krasikov from prison? And this has led to these guitars being jokingly described as fretless wonders. Next time youre down your local shop, try asking the person there are these 6105 fret wires? and watch their face! Lead Guitar : How much chords should I learn? If you want to benefit from this improved service, please opt-in. I've built 3 and they are pretty much idiot proof. A jumbo fret is made with a thicker gauge wire, and consequently the top of the fret is further away from the fretboard. 6130s are better known as medium jumbo fret wires. 6105 Modern narrow and tallCompared with vintage instruments, most modern guitars have frets that are both wider and taller. I have noticed in just about all , if not all, ESP/LTD guitars have extra jumbo frets. The solution is to just not press so hard (see playing advantage no. is the French certificate of renewal of CNI enough to prove my identity in Switzerland, REST Endopint using MIT and BSD 3-clause license libraries. My Strat has a Musikraft neck with Jumbo stainless frets. use bigger ones. Most guitarists find these a little clumsy and awkward to play. For this reason, even if youre going for a replica Gibson, its best to try out the guitar first to make sure your fingers are comfortable handling the fretboard. What's a reasonable environmental disaster that could be caused by a probe from Earth entering Europa's ocean? Arguably the most notable manufacturer of fret wire is Dunlop. PRICING AND SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANGE, Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Support, 2022 The ESP Guitar Company, 10913 Vanowen Street, North Hollywood, CA 91605 USA - PH: (800) 423-8388 - INTL: (818) 766-2097 - FAX: (818) 506-1378. Understanding the type of frets that are popular, and the numbers that manufacturers use to categorise these frets is useful as a first step. It only takes a minute to sign up. And in turn this makes techniques like bending and tapping easier.Having said that, if you have quite a heavy playing style, it is easy to apply too much pressure to the strings with these frets. Since you like Fender styles and want to stay in a less expensive range I would look mostly at Ibanez. I am currently having my 2015 Les Paul Classic (which came stock with 27% lower fretwire than Gibson used on their previous year models) refretted with 6100 Stainless Steel fretwire. I need extra jumbo. Is that about right? Schecter Nick Johnston Traditional HSS, Bridge pickup: Schecter USA Nick Johnston Signature Atomic Set (Single Coil/Passive), Middle pickup: Schecter USA Nick Johnston Signature Atomic Set (Single Coil/Passive), Neck pickup: Schecter USA Nick Johnston Signature Atomic Set (Single Coil/Passive), Schecter/Hipshot Staggered Locking Tuners tuners, Bridge pickup: Schecter USA Pasadena Plus (Humbucker/Passive), Neck pickup: Schecter USA Pasadena (Humbucker/Passive), Bridge pickup: Schecter Diamond 78 (Humbucker/Passive), Middle pickup: Schecter Diamond Nick Johnston Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive), Neck pickup: Schecter Diamond Nick Johnston Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive), Bridge pickup: Seymour Duncan YJM Fury Strat STK-S10B (Single Coil/Passive), Middle pickup: Seymour Duncan YJM Fury Strat STK-S10N (Single Coil/Passive), Neck pickup: Seymour Duncan YJM Fury Strat STK-S10N (Single Coil/Passive), 6-Saddle American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo bridge, Bridge pickup: Schecter Diamond Nick Johnston Single Coil (Single Coil/Passive). These days, modern guitars tend to have thicker varieties in place, so 6230s are a bit of a rare find. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site, Learn more about Stack Overflow the company. You could get a Carvin bolt and have jumbo frets installed on it, stainless would be a great choice. What is the minimum electric guitar neck size. In particular, old school Fenders tend to have 6230 fret wires built in to support the rounded radius of the fretboard. And so if you like to dig in, very tall and narrow frets might not be appropriate. 1995-2019 Harmony Central, Inc. All rights reserved. The tone wood is nothing impressive, alot of guitarist have said the sound is bland. Your biggest challenge there is going to be finding something with single coil cleans. Understanding different fret sizes & why they matter. And by the time I did realise, I had already bought and used a number of guitars all of which had frets of different sizes.As such, in this article I am going to cover frets in more detail. Apparently two of my guitars have jumbo frets, but I still touch the fretboard on both without much pressure, and I can barely get under the string for bends and pull-offs. They have a width of .110 and a height of .055.This makes them some of the largest frets available (although you can also get super jumbo frets, which are even bigger). To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Smaller frents don't shorten the reach from fret to fret or anything. You are always in contact with your frets and they are vital in enabling you to create music.When it comes to playability, there are really two different factors that we need to consider; fret height and fret width.Lets look first at height: With taller frets, there is less contact between your fingers and the fretboard. Enlighten me with some answers, thank you. I have a Jackson SL2H USA and the frets are not larger than my ESPs. And all of the following references to fret size here will be focused on this part of the fret.When discussing fret sizes, there are two elements of the crown that are important to consider. You sure it's just because of fret size? How to do dental surgery on a T-Rex tooth? Calculating length of curve based on data points? This size fret wire is more commonly known as vintage jumbo and is the least sought after of all. i play guitar for 50 years and search for my guitar for 20 years . This list is updated daily automatically as we add new guitars to our database. rev2022.8.1.42699. The taller the fret, the easier it is to get clear notes as less finger pressure is needed (you dont need to press your finger to the wood to get a clear note). Anyone know any? Vintage jumbo fret wires are pretty much the opposite version of the popular 6105 design, being short and wide rather than tall and thin. Their large size might not suit every guitarist, however, the legendary Rory Gallagher is known to have used them, so they definitely work for some folks. I feel like it is easier to express myself. In actual fact, when guitarists talk about different fret sizes, theyre actually referring to the length and width of the crown only, not the tang. So you can get frets that are tall and narrow, or short and wide and so on. Taller frets have a longer shelf life too as you dont have to press so hard, they dont wear out as quickly. These mostly have either jumbo or extra jumbo frets. (In my experience this is not so noticeable). And in my opinion, this is important for two reasons:Firstly, you might benefit from changing your frets. i play with strat type and strings 08 .with gibson i may use 09 but not with fender .but the most importand thing is the frets.i can t play with jumbo .they r not for me//not for solo and not for harmony .my jackson and my ibanez become nice for me only after i worked few weaks on each to file the frets , to make them small . But it isnt information that you can really use practically. That leads me to believe that you are not going to be playing much lead or doing full step plus bends. What are the best acoustic guitar strings for beginners? The first of these is embedded in the fretboard. (In my experience this is a definite advantage), you can push the string down further before your fingertip starts to touch the fretboard (which then starts to put upward pressure on your finger), so it requires less pressure overall to get the strings down. The likelihood of this also increases if you favour lighter gauge guitar strings.Additionally, sliding up and down on a guitar with tall frets can be more challenging. Actually I would like something that's in the cheaper range, like from 400 and under. As a result, when looking at fret sizes, I think it is much more important to look at the impact that frets have on playability. I didnt discover that frets came in different sizes until many years into my guitar playing career. 6105 fret wires are a sort of modern take of the smaller 6230, being thin but slightly taller. Might be my imagination, but jumbo frets seem to be thicker. Speaking of RG's, you can find 80's- mid 90's MIJ RG's on the used market for around $400 (op's budget) in clean condition. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to our use of cookies. No, not really, its more about playability. I don't see how fret size matters to finger size. I had my Gibson Explorer EX2 refretted with Dunlop 6110s and it brought it back to life! I just discovered that the reason why I suck at pull-offs on everything I play except my Shred Neck practice tool is because it has jumbo frets, and all my real guitars have really tiny frets. It seems that when I chording, particularly at the nut end of the fret bar, if I squeeze too hard, I get off key. Zing Instruments is a participant in the Amazon Services Associates Program. What a dragAnyone know why they put medium jumbos on everything without even an option for jumbos? It is called the tang and helps to hold the fret in place.As you might expect, this section of the fret is of fundamental importance. And with all of the different options and factors to consider, looking at different frets can feel like somewhat of an overwhelming task.Ultimately, fret size is largely a matter of personal preference. And so if you are playing at your best and can properly express yourself, then you will produce a better tone.For now though, lets look at tone in as isolated a way as possible.Proponents of bigger frets argue that they result in bigger tone. Like modern narrow and tall frets, the height of jumbo frets makes string bending and fretting easier. And this is great for sliding up and down the fretboard and moving around your guitar.The significant drawback for blues guitarists, is that as with vintage frets, it is more difficult to bend with these frets. Dunlop is one of the biggest fret wire manufacturers, making five different fret sizes. I went from the diagonal fingers and parallel thumb to the classical fretting style, with the thumb and fingers parallel to the frets, and thumb usually right below the middle finger. most people find it easier to play with jumbos *shrug* also they are not really that bigother companies use bigger frets. You can also click on "Compare" to get a deep spec comparison between two guitars of your choice. They also let you have lower action without messing too much with the bridge and nut settings. For this same reason, it can feel easier to slide over wider frets. For a lot of guitarists, medium jumbo frets provide a best of both worlds option. The downside is, your fingers might feel a bit weird not actually touching the fretboard. When I played my F400, it felt like speed bumps and it was uncomfortable to my fingers. Conversely, if you have a more mellow playing style but you want some of the benefits of a larger fret, then a medium jumbo size fret might make a better choice. I would like to get another LTD some day, but with regular sized frets. It doesn't have great sustain, alot of entry level guitars use Popular, sometimes basswood, but you can find basswood in Intermerdiate guitars with good results. As a lead player, you don't want to feel the wood of the fretboard on your finger tips every time you apply vibrato to a note (creates drag). However in this case, some guitarists take issue with both the height and the width of these frets.In the 1960s, a lot of Gibson guitars had low and wide frets. And this then pulls the note sharp. With the American special i experienced the first time jumbo frets and for me there are 2 differences namely easy bending and more tone. Otherwise it will likely just feel a bit strange at first. Heavy Gauge Guitar Strings: What to Expect When You Go Up a Gauge, 5 Guitar Lessons You Can Learn From Eric Clapton. Why is that? I want to learn to play an electric guitar, how do I start? Fernandes Revolver Elite. So if you like to include slides in your playing, then you might struggle a little with very tall frets.Very tall frets can also be problematic if you are a heavy handed player. And in turn this will produce a stronger and more resonant sound. In other words, rather than being tall and narrow, vintage jumbo frets are short and wide. These are as follows:6230 Vintage fretsThe smallest fret wire that you are likely to encounter is 6230 fret wire. And this makes bending as well as playing at speed more difficult. Now I'm trying to do them with that technique, and pull back instead of up, with as little movement and tension as possible. A possible disadvantage of jumbo frets is that you can unintentionally push the string further out of tune than with standard frets as it can travel further down to the fretboard. And yet they do so without being quite so large. Test out a whole range of different fret sizes, whilst trying to keep as many other variables constant (the type of guitar you are using, the gauge of the strings etc). What are Fret Wires and How are They Made? Also, I don't know what you're playing now but unless it's a $1000 guitar or more and you absolutely love everything else about the guitar, I wouldn't suggest a refret. I have been playing guitars with medium jumbo frets for 20 years and loved it. I had an old Les Paul that I had refretted with 6150 jumbos that was absolutely like butter, loved it! We talk about amps, guitars, pedals, pickups and strings and yet we often dont look at some of the key elements on our guitars that actually allow us to play. The one I owned did. Whereas, jumbo or medium-jumbo frets feel smoother, provide extra sustain, and can let you bend without exerting as much force. It will play more effortlessly and should even have a better tone. As such, it is not that common for guitars to come with jumbo frets as standard. This can happen with standard frets as well - but to a much lesser and barely noticeable degree. They are rarely seen on acoustic guitar. If you pick up a Fender Telecaster then play a Gibson SG, youll notice a big difference in fret size and playability. All Rights Reserved. I, too, have an American Deluxe HSS with jumbos, and I'm not particularly enamored with them. This is particularly the case if you have smaller hands or if you prefer a more streamlined playing feel. This site uses cookies to provide and improve your shopping experience. Question: This is a simple question. As such, if you have a vintage guitar, then it is likely to be fitted with this type of fret wire. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. First, the taller frets will make it easy to press down on the string far enough to make the notes you are trying to play - significantly sharp. What is "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern" in _The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel_ season 3 episode 5? If you are handy, you could save quite a bit of cash buy getting the Carvin bolt kit. However, just as guitar strings are described as being either light or heavy, frets are also categorised by words that refer to their size.There are various manufacturers of fret wire. Subscribe |Donate |About |Contact |Site Policies. Any suggestions for relaxing and relieving tension in the fret hand? Again, may just be my imagination about the difference, but the sound sure seems to be affected. This was used on early vintage guitars, including pre-1960s Fender guitars. The Fender Malmsteen signature strat has jumbo's and a full scallop. 6130 Medium JumboThe last category of fret size worth noting is the medium jumbo.As the name suggests, medium jumbo frets have dimensions that sit somewhere between modern narrow and tall frets, and jumbo frets. When you play a guitar with shorter frets, you have to exert more pressure to play each note. This is also because playability is linked to tone. This is partly because playability is affected by a number of factors, all of which interact with one another.For example, if you play using wider frets, you will have less space between each fret to actually play the notes. In this way I hope to provide you with all of the information you need to know about different fret sizes. So after reading the information here, you might discover that frets of a different size could better suit your playing style.Additionally, I think it is important to understand some of the main features of guitars. We've found exactly 5 guitars like this in production this year. As I note in more detail here, string bending is an essential part of playing effective blues lead guitar. If youre a beginner, 6105 fret wires are a great place to start and it will be easy to find a guitar with them built-in. They might technically be "medium jumbo" but they felt substantial.