Small vs. medium frets?

[Gary F.]

Anybody using small SS frets on their Anderson(s)? How are they for blues bending? Do the small frets make the neck action feel more 'traditional?' Sometimes I think the medium frets on my DTC with std +.030 maple neck are a bit too tall. Any thoughts?

[tom]

the smals are .o43 tall, and the meds are .055. pretty big difference. yes the smalls feel more tradidtional. bending is not as easy. all crowdsters have the smalls. we probably only do one electric a year with small frets. that doesn't mean you mshouldn't try them if you like that feel though. it took me years to get used to the taller frets.

[BFC]

I have a Classic on order with the small frets. I'll comment on them once I've had a little time with the guitar.

[Gary F.]

Tom, for the all the torture i've put Roy through, it's nice to have your reply. I believe your company, products and business model would make a fine thesis for an MBA grad student...

Just one small fret request per year? Hmmm, that must be you, BFC! Tom, have you considered something in between small and medium, something more along the lines of a Fender/PRS 'medium jumbo' that has defacto become the modern equivilent of a traditional fret? The Anderson mediums do take some getting use to. Sometimes I find myself gravitating toward my Ernie Ball necks just for feel.

I guess my inclination, having just played my '64 Jazzmaster, would be to go with the medium frets.

Keep up the great work, though; the search for the optimum tone & feel is a big part of the personal guitar playing journey.

[BFC]

I considered a few things before deciding to try them. First, all of my experience with small frets has been on vintage radius fingerboards, about 7.5" or so. Anderson's radius is MUCH flatter. Second, stainless steel frets are so incredibly smooth feeling for bends and vibrato. I've played and owned quite a few Andersons with the heavy stainless steel frets. And third, the Anderson guys do frets better than any other builder I've had experience with.

So, I figured it would be a fairly safe bet since I prefer the closer to the board feel for most of what I play. I can bend just fine on a vintage radius and small frets. It's just not quite as easy as it is with the larger frets and flatter radius. Besides, if I don't like the smalls I can always get it refretted.



:D

[tom]

i haven't found an in between that makes any sense for us. our small is taller than most, within a couple thousandths of the prs/music man fret. i wouldn't consider using non stainless at this point, and we don't get enough interest in a lower heavy to justify the tooling for stainless.