Quote:
Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7
Tom, Jescar who makes EVO fret wire supplies it in wide range of sizes such as:
——-Height——-Width——
——-0.037”——-0.080”—-
——-0.043”——-0.080”—-
——-0.047”——-0.095”—-
——-0.047”——-0.104”—-
——-0.055”——-0.090”—-
Traditional flat top fret wire is 0.037” x 0.080”. Many luthiers use 0.043” x 0.080” as their standard fret wire. It is just a tad taller but maintains a traditional look. Typically, taller frets (>0.045”) are preferred by string benders and they also sound clear with lower left hand pressure (what Juston likes). Narrower frets tend to intonate a bit better (and hold it longer) but they can wear faster. As wider frets wear (which tends to be a slower process) intonation issues tend to arise. Like all things guitar, choice of fret wire has its plusses and minuses...  |
That’s the beauty of using EVO. I have 43080 on one guitar (a mistake by the tech, but I’m fine with it). I have 47095 on 4, and 47104 on 2. Since EVO hardly wears at all (pardon the pun), you don’t run into the intonation issues you would with regular nickel frets. I’ve not tried the 55090. I suppose it’s very similar to the 47095 because once you’re used to a very light touch and your fretting hand never touches the fretboard, it doesn’t really matter how high you go above the fretboard. I like the 95 over the 104 width as when I slide I can feel the frets below more like a bar fret. I started using the 47104 after I bought my first Norman Blake Martin 18/28. Norman specified 0.046” x 0.103” on those guitars (Dunlop 6155). As each guitar needs a fret dressing, I just re-fret with the EVO as my tech charges about $160 for a dressing with set up and $350 for a full EVO re-fret with set up. So I just re-fret as I’m more than halfway there.
This build is stunning. I can’t wait to see the sunburst against that figured mahogany. I have never spoken to John Slobod but I wonder what he’s picked up from his work on Bourgeois guitars, Schoenberg guitars, his time with Julius Borges vs his own gestalt from his many builds. He must be in the 200-300 range by now? The only picture of the bracing is blocked by the clamping tools. Does he build more modern or more like Jules Borges as a strictly Martin vintage OM? My Borges OM-18 is made with what Jules calls “Golden Grain Mahogany” and is one of the best guitars I’ve ever played. Jules is currently working on a Madagascar OM-42 Deluxe for this fall. We haven’t discussed plain vs a sunburst top, but I love a great sunburst.