Which do you prefer? Tall or low fret wire?

[Parlorman]

I prefer a taller fret, up to and including the bar frets on my vintage Martins. Much easier to get a good vibrato. Slides are no problem unless you’re fretting very hard.

Originally Posted by ahorsewithnonam

Interesting topic which I know nothing about. So, what type of frets are on my Martins vs. my Taylor? I’m curious.

Martin used 80x37 wire for most of their history with T-frets. They switched to 80x43 sometime after 2012. Not sure exactly when the change took place.

For me personally, I play so many guitars with the traditional 80x37 frets that they feel fine and perfectly natural. I've had guitars with taller frets and like those fine too. I don't pay much attention to fret height until it gets down to about 0.30", which is where I consider them uncomfortable. This is one of the reasons I prefer partial refrets instead of the oft-recommended "fret dressing" which lowers all the frets.

I have both stainless and EVO frets on some guitars and vastly prefer EVO for looks and feel. The frets on my Klepper are 80x43 EVO and they seem just perfect. I wish all my guitars had those.

There is one time where EVO frets are not an option, and that is for compression fretting old Martins (or other guitars) with non-adjustable truss rod necks. That requires frets with variable tang thicknesses to force the desired back bow. As far as I know only Jescar makes such fret wire and only in 80x37, so that is what my old Martins wear.

[fazool]

I like so low, you can barely feel it!

[jimcaleca]

I never really give it any thought. If the guitar plays well. I'm good. My D-18A was refretted with tall frets before I acquired it and didn't really notice it, until my local shop pointed it out.

[SpruceTop]

I use whatever dimension fret wire comes on a guitar I buy.

[FrankHudson]

I've found it funny that electric guitar spec sheets, even the most abbreviated, often include something about the fret size, but that acoustic guitar sheets, even the most detailed, will often say nothing.

When I was starting out I liked low frets. I mean really low frets. Gibson "fretless wonder" type frets.

Now I have finger joint issues. I sold an Alvarez OM that I liked the sound of simply because it had tiny and way too low frets (not worn down, it was trying for a vintage spec I think). I had to increasing ration the time I spent playing it as my fingers would hurt. Yes, some of this is bad technique, but my technique is not getting better as I can't play as much. I thought about a complete re-fret (and in retrospect, I sometimes wonder if should have gone that route).

I've never played an acoustic guitar with true jumbo frets that are used on some electrics. It'd be interesting to try one. The kind of fret wire on my remaining acoustics is a bit smaller and presumably lower than the "medium jumbo" frets that are common on most of my electrics.

[mercy]

I like medium frets or lower, not higher. I dont bend and I do press to the board so tall frets are not good.

[Silly Moustache]

Taller frets for me :

This is what Collings use:

crown width: 2 mm
crown height: 1.10 mm
Tang width: 0.80 mm
Total height 2.60 mm

That works for me, although , yes i do wear them.
Got one with Evos on, feels great ...but makes the tone a bit more trebly

[smurph1]

I'm mainly a strummer, so low to medium. Plus my ears are very picky about intonation.

[Ed-in-Ohio]

Originally Posted by ahorsewithnonam

Interesting topic which I know nothing about. So, what type of frets are on my Martins vs. my Taylor? I’m curious.

Originally Posted by Todd Yates

Martin used 80x37 wire for most of their history with T-frets. They switched to 80x43 sometime after 2012. Not sure exactly when the change took place....snip....

Horse, FYI, Taylor also uses .080" X .043" fretwire.

This size would be categorized as medium/medium wire, meaning both medium height and width. Medium height goes up to about .045" while medium width goes up to about .095".



Various, other 'medium' fretwire sizes can be seen here.

[Ed-in-Ohio]

I go back and forth between loving the playability of tall frets, and loving the accurate intonation and capo-friendliness of mediums.

Today, I'll vote for medium/medium fretwire with a great set-up.

[Rosewood99]

Funny this post came up. I never thought about it before but I just received a new build and noticed when I do a slide on the high e from the first fret to the second my finger hits a "bump" that interrupts the slide. Does this mean I have high frets? First guitar that's happened to me.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by FrankHudson

...When I was starting out I liked low frets. I mean really low frets. Gibson "fretless wonder" type frets...

Still my favorite - and the older I get the more I like them...

[noledog]

I've used StewMac's Medium 80x48 twice now, and in fact just re-fretted one of my MIJ Taks with it last week and my Lowden as well a few years back before I gifted it to my son. Both workhorse guitars that play and sound good...I prefer the feel, tone and playability/bending of taller (0.042-0.047) frets made of nickel-silver similar to the slightly lower med., n-s, frets on my D18. In addition, as a full-time working musician I wear down frets and thus do my own dress n polish on them as well as shaving my saddles, adjusting relief, etc...

eric

[j.blay]

Low frets. If I keep a guitar for long, I reshape the frets and polish them. No exceptions, so far, even with the ones costing many thousands. I'm very picky when it comes to the "feel" of the frets as I slide up or down the neck. I also really enjoy working on my guitars.