Guitar Fret – What You Need to Know
Talking about guitar maintenance we sometimes overlook the guitar frets condition.
Guitar fret is made of an alloy of copper and nickel, a much softer material compared to the stainless steel guitar strings. On acoustic guitars the first and second strings will cut into the frets faster than the other strings, because they are thin and sharp, and made of stainless steel. The rest strings are wound by other alloy materials such as nickel, bronze or brass which are softer than stainless steel so they won’t cut as severe as the first two strings.
If you are an addicted capo user you can expect guitar fret worn under all the six strings because the capo is clamped tightly against the strings very close to the fret. Some capo users even clamp it onto the fret directly.
Leaving your guitar exposed to excessive high temperature, i.e. in a hot parked vehicle may shrink its fretboard, resulting in protruding frets. If the manufacturer did not dress the frets properly then your guitar now is armed with at least 19 small sharp blades, ready to shed your blood off your fingers ….
Low humidity is another culprit of sticking out guitar frets. Sometimes rehumidifying the guitar will rectify the fret problem but some woods will not return to the original dimensions once the moisture is gone.
Guitar frets height plays an important role: It affects the guitar intonation and tone. Very low or worn frets can create buzzes while too high frets will feel bumpy and prevent you from sliding your fingers fast along the fretboard.
Since guitar playability is also depending on the guitar fret condition it is always a good idea to periodically check the frets condition, especially if you have aged guitar. Get advices from an experienced technician if you think your guitar needs refretting. Unlike changing guitar strings or tuning pegs, changing frets is more difficult to do; it is not a beginner’s cup of tea at all.
To Your Guitar Success,
-TJ-
Beginner Guitar Lessons Admin
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