Fret wire question....type, brand, etc.??

[jseth]

After having EVO Gold wire on my 2011 Goodall Grand Concert and playing it for the past 8 1/2 years, I am a HUGE fan of that wire!!!

The tone and playability are ownderful, but the most amazing thing is, they don't WEAR OUT!!! At least not in nearly 9 years of playing... I have to look really hard and then imagine that there's any marks on the frets, even at the second and third frets (B and E strings)...

In marked contrast to my Mark Angus F-40 (1979) which had all new frets installed less than 6 years ago... they've already been "dressed" once and they're ready for it again; this, with "normal" nickel steel fret wire.

One of our members, who is a wonderful luthier/builder, uses EVO fretwire in all his guitars (I think it's Bruce Sexuaer?)... he tells his clients that, should the frets need to be dressed, he'll do it for free... as of a couple years ago, he had not had ANYONE need their frets dressed and leveled, not even after using that fret wire for a decade!

Even if EVO frets are a little more expensive, they are more than worth the cost, given that having your frets dressed usually involves charges of between $50-$150 each time...

[iim7V7IM7]

• On my steel stringed acoustic flattops I prefer Jescar EVO 0.043"h x 0.080"w fret wire.
• On my archtop guitars I prefer somewhat taller/wider Jescar EVO at 0.047"h x 0.095"w fret wire.

[justonwo]

Originally Posted by iim7V7IM7

• On my steel stringed acoustic flattops I prefer Jescar EVO 0.043"h x 0.080"w fret wire.
• On my archtop guitars I prefer somewhat taller/wider Jescar EVO at 0.047"h x 0.095"w fret wire.

Impeccable taste, as always. I love 55090. Introduced to me by Laurent.

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by jseth

... he tells his clients that, should the frets need to be dressed, he'll do it for free... as of a couple years ago, he had not had ANYONE need their frets dressed and leveled, not even after using that fret wire for a decade!

A long-time friend and customer of mine is a professional musician, playing an arch top guitar. He plays a lot and he is a big, strong guy. He gets about two years before hard nickel-silver frets need to be dressed. The last time he needed fret replacements, I installed EVO gold. He now gets about four years between fret dressings. He is an exception, but even EVO won't last forever, depending how you play.

Even if EVO frets are a little more expensive, they are more than worth the cost, given that having your frets dressed usually involves charges of between $50-$150 each time...

That's true for most people.

[joeld]

I kind of beat up on my frets, so I'll be getting EVO on the guitar I'm having built. But I don't know about size. Does anyone know what size Santa Cruz or Martin uses? That would be a good reference for me, thanks!

ps. I like to play lively (but sadly, sloppy) , with lots of hammers, bends, thwacks. What size wire would be good for me?

[keith.rogers]

I use the Jescar 43080 size for acoustics. I think it's close to, if not the same, as Martin standard. It's available in EVO material, though I haven't used that. Honestly never needed a full refret on an acoustic so it hasn't made sense. (That is one feature of the Martin Modern Deluxe models that really appealed to me, though!)

[jseth]

I don't know the actual size, but I prefer medium to wide frets... older Martins can have some REALLY thin frets and I'm not a fan of those...

[Brent Hahn]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

Either EVO gold or stainless steel frets. I have both types on my guitars. Personally I'd find a well qualified tech for the refret who does good work both leveling and crowning.

I have a nickel allergy and I went with stainless before EVO came along. The feel is very similar, only difference being that sometimes with stainless I'll release and get a little "sproink." Not noticeable live, but in recordings sometimes I have to replay that spot or edit it out.

As for the "Gold" part, the EVO's don't look as gold as they sound.

[jwhelan56]

Thanks to everyone that took time to comment and give advice.

So, after a few inquiries it seems that just a re-fret, maybe a new nut, etc. is $350-ish. With Plek'ing at a local shop about $500 or a little more.

These seem about right? Worth the extra buck and a half to get the PLEK?

I have no experience either way, so just wondering.

Thanks again to everyone! Love this forum!!

[mc1]

Originally Posted by jwhelan56

Worth the extra buck and a half to get the PLEK?

My advice, as non expert, but some whose had a few (electric) guitars plek'd, would be...

If you're the sort of player who likes ultra low action, or super clean notes, and the thought that you guitar is set up as perfectly as possible, it's probably worth it. If the place doing the refret is competent, then even without the plek they can give you a guitar that plays great and frets great and works to all your expectations. If your guitars generally play ok and you want to save the money, I might skip the plek. If the money isn't the biggest deal and you feel you could benefit from the setup being just a tad better, go for the plek.

Definitely think about the fret wire and get their advice on a new nut or any saddle modifications. And tell them how you play, heavy strumming requires a different setup than light finger picking. Players always say, "Set the action as low as possible without buzzing", but that changes a bit with style and intensity of the player. Be sure you know your preferred string gauge and type. A really good setup depends on all these things.

[jonfields45]

Is there any reason to prefer Jescar, Sintoms, Dunlop, Stew Mac or some other brand? Does the prefered brand depend on the metal selection?

And another tangent, is Cryo nickel silver competitive with EVO?

[M Sarad]

I have two Brondel guitars, and A2 and a Honeycaster Strat. Both have EVO gold frets.

Laurent don’t PLEK.

His setups are perfect.

[Long Road Home]

I am also a big fan of EVO. My Halcyon is a little over 3 years old and it is showing just a touch of wear on the first 2 frets and I have been known to be a bit of an [ahem] enthusiastic strummer at times.

[RoyBoy]

Another committed EVO Gold user here. If you're going to spend $350 for a refret, might as well put in a wire you'll never have to replace. It's been a Godsend to a lot of mandolin players who are really hard on standard fretwire. I have installed it in 3 mandolin builds and 3 guitars. It may cost the luthier $5-10 more than standard nickel/silver wire but I find it no more difficult to install and it doesn't chew up my tools (unlike stainless steel).

If you've been playing standard size wire (0.080" x 0.043") and it's comfortable for you, I'd stick with it. I prefer a little meatier wire and am liking 0.090" x 0.055" these days (called "Classic" in the electric world) but that's just me.

As others have said, Plekking is an unecessary expense if you've got a good luthier. To me it's more important to spend the money on having the fret ends dressed nicely so there's no finger catchers. Some techs just bevel the fret ends and call it done.

[blindboyjimi]

I don’t think the PLEK is an unnecessary expense. It’s completely worth it and especially with EVO or Stainless, once it’s done it’ll stay that way for years. My tech is excellent and does not use a PLEK, but if he had one I’d pay the expense. My fret choice is Jescar EVO 47095. I’ve tried the same size wire in Stainless too and really liked it, though I think the tone got a touch brighter and on hammer-ons you could just hear a little “tink” as the string touched the really hard fret. This was not noticeable a few feet away and I got used to it quickly. That guitar has stayed perfect on 4 years now.

I don’t mind higher or wider, but I dislike anything thinner or shorter. The point is that once you get your fingers off the fretboard you’ll develop a lighter touch and be able to control pitch better as you can hear the notes going sharp if you use too much pressure. You can also purposely alter pitch for intonation differences or slight bends. The Stainless frets, especially with Elixir nanos, give an effortless slinky feel.

The exception being my vintage guitars where it’s considered heresy to re-fret with modern wire. One could easily go back, but I’ve yet to “alter” my vintage guitars.