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View Full Version : Let's talk frets...



BFC
04-07-2017, 10:27 AM
Been using Low Rise frets for awhile now. Have them on three guitars. I really like them so I'm not knocking them by any stretch. For whatever reason though my newest guitar left me thinking I wouldn't mind a little more height to get under the string for bending. Maybe the bare chocolate maple feels a little more friction-y on my finger tips? Anyway for my next order I was considering going back to Heavy for a revisit. I loved them many moons ago but that's been well over a decade back. Over the years I've gone from Heavy to Mediums to Low Rise.

Anybody jumped from Low Rise to Heavy? How'd they strike you feel wise? My memory is foggy at best at this point.

Daenius
04-07-2017, 02:23 PM
Always played Heavy and only own 1 guitar with low rise.

Personally I much prefer the Heavy: far easier string bending, yet not so high that pressing down hard on the strings will make them go sharp. They also strike a good balance of how much of the fretboard wood I'm feeling as I play.

Low rise causes me to setup the action lower than I normally like. For some reason given the same action height (measured bottom of string to top of fret crown) it doesn't really feel the same. Makes for very fluid and easy legato and tapping playing, but bending doesn't feel as nice, especially higher up on the frets, bending feels more and more difficult.

I would say Heavy is the most neutral and balanced: not terrible for any particular thing, and also doesn't enhance any particular thing.

Pietro
04-07-2017, 02:44 PM
Both my current Andersons are 60s Vibe with Medium frets. Perfect combo for me. But my crowdster has small frets and I suspect I might like them just as much on Electric.

Anything really big I just don't like one bit. Never have.

wolf
04-08-2017, 06:58 AM
Heavyfrets on both of mine. I like them so much that I recently bought the same fretwire and had my old PRS refretted with it. I collected the guitar on Thursday and I'm going to gig it this weekend. Totally transformed an ordinary guitar into a great one. Love the heavy fretwire

BFC
04-08-2017, 07:51 AM
Thanks for the input guys. I think my next guitar (when that will be I'm not sure yet) will have the Heavy frets so I can check them out again. And then depending on what I think of them, maybe I can have them put on this other guitar too. I've never really been bashful about moving guitars I'm not quite in love with and trying something else but this particular guitar is too good to let go and a re-fret would actually probably be cheaper in the long run than selling and replacing.

brokenvail
04-08-2017, 08:14 AM
Heavyfrets on both of mine. I like them so much that I recently bought the same fretwire and had my old PRS refretted with it. I collected the guitar on Thursday and I'm going to gig it this weekend. Totally transformed an ordinary guitar into a great one. Love the heavy fretwire

I have had lots of heavy frets but if I had my way I would do medium. I have enjoyed low rise too. I find that I press pretty hard and everyone once in a while if I don't think about left hand pressure I can go a little sharp

BFC
04-08-2017, 08:28 AM
I found the Mediums to be the ones I really had to be aware of pressing too hard or going sharp. If you look at the chart on Tom's site, the Medium is actually pretty tall...

https://www.andersonguitarworks.com/frets/

brokenvail
04-08-2017, 12:07 PM
I found the Mediums to be the ones I really had to be aware of pressing too hard or going sharp. If you look at the chart on Tom's site, the Medium is actually pretty tall...

https://www.andersonguitarworks.com/frets/

I like that they are narrower and the crown shape is a bit different. I would dig low rise

morty
04-18-2017, 06:17 AM
on my first DT i had heavy frets! nice feel on solo playing, but i did not like the way it felt playing open chords. I switched to low rise for my new DT, and that is the best frets for my taste and style! On my HSTC i have medium thay are sharper not so wide radius. Its ok, but wish it had low rise. i bougt it used, so i could not choose! I ts very few Andersons here in Norway! I would love to get a Raven for my next guitar, but have not seen any in Norway yet! If i order a new one it would definately have low rise! :-)

here is shapes and messures for TA frets:
https://www.andersonguitarworks.com/frets/