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STUD figmo Al - Posted - 01/05/2025: 12:49:34
Is there an advantage?
What width is best to you?
I am thinking narrow..but have not ever tried them..
banjonz - Posted - 01/06/2025: 10:28:19
There is a difference between the height of a fret and the width. Fret height can always be lowered by filing/sanding. The width cannot.
Dean T - Posted - 01/06/2025: 19:41:48
If there is an advantage, I’ve never experienced it. I’ve experienced the opposite. After many years of playing my Telecaster with jumbo tall frets, I refretted my old Goodtime with jumbo frets. Absolutely the sweetest playing banjo I’ve ever owned. Fast and smooth with a light touch, almost played itself. I was an idiot to let it go. My Americana is nearing a refret… and yes, it is going to get jumbo tall frets. In fact any banjo I have refretted in the future will get jumbos.
steve davis - Posted - 01/07/2025: 09:41:48
Prewar Gibsons used narrow frets and Jimmy Cox was known for his smaller sized frets.
He once told me he couldn't get frets as narrow as the prewar,but they were "close".
My StewMac Vintage kit has the larger "guitar" frets,but I can't tell any difference when I play them.
I suppose you get more miles (dressings) out of the bigger frets which may be why JD preferred those.
TreyDBanjoKS - Posted - 01/07/2025: 10:06:36
There are some vintage purists here that will argue that lower frets are better for hammer ons/pull offs, but the real truth of the matter is that low frets are uncomfortable and disadvantageous in every way possible. The old way isn't always the best way. High and wide frets are much easier to play in every way. Notes cleanly sound with a very light touch, hammer ons/pull offs are incredibly easy with tall frets, and even slides are more comfortable (once you get used to them). Another major advantage is the amount of life you get out of them. You would be lucky to get just one, maybe two, fret dress out of a worn set of low/narrow frets, whereas you can regularly get 4+ dresses out of a set of tall/wide frets.
I use frets that are .058" tall x .118" wide (essentially the same frets found on electric shredder guitars) on all my instruments because they offer the greatest playability by far.
-TD
steve davis - Posted - 01/07/2025: 10:45:12
I don't find any discomfort or lack of tone when playing small frets or ones that are close to being in need of replacement.
awildman - Posted - 01/07/2025: 19:45:11
Width is not nearly as important as height. Too low, and you cannot properly crown them. I have several old tenor banjo necks with frets below .018"....I cannot get them crowned properly. For experimenting purposes, I even tried to file one of them to a point(inverted V) instead of crowning the top. Not a good result.
'Sullivan V35 Tone Ring' 5 hrs
'Possibly 1920s Abbott' 6 hrs
