# Instruments and Equipment > Builders and Repair >  EVO Gold fret wire

## Rick Cadger

Wow, isn't that stuff nice? I just refretted a brand new Kentucky KM-174 (a cheap Chinese oval hole) mandolin with it. 

I hate replacing frets. I get impatient, especially on radiused and/or bound fretboards, but this was great. The fretboard on the KM-174 is flat, but it is bound. 

My cr@p eyesight often struggles to see how much tang I've nipped off to clear the binding, but the slightly different colour of the EVO seemed to make it easier for me to see. 

Although it files nice and easily, the EVO wire seems quite resistant to scratches, and it looks great when it's on. I think it's a nice, subtle colour.

Going to do another mandolin with the same wire in a few days. Bearing in mind my dislike for fretwork, that says something for this product.

NFI.

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## Mario Proulx

Yessir, it's good stuff!

And once the instrument is strung back up, the gold color isn't as bold as we'd expect, and instead is very subtle. Nice...

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## Clement Barrera-Ng

Rick - what size wire did you end up using ? I have been thinking about using EVO Gold on my next mando refret project.

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## Dan Margolis

Tom used it on my new Ellis, as much for the golden color as for the durability (the whole mandolin has a gold theme, with gold pearl inlays and gold hardware).

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## Max Girouard

I love using it.  I am installing it on my current build that will also have all gold hardware.  I think it adds a real nice touch.

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Tommcgtx

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## Ron McMillan

My old F5 copy is with the luthier now, and one of the many jobs he has to do for me is a complete re-fret using EVO Gold (in the 37080 size, which was recommended to me in a thread I started a couple of months ago). I'm really looking forward to experiencing the results.

rm

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## Ivan Kelsall

My 3 meters of EVO Gold wire, along with a superb (so i was told) piece of MOP just went missing in the post   :Frown: - but yes,it's good stuff.As easy to use as the standard Nickel wire (so i believe) but more durable,
                                                                                                          Ivan :Chicken:

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## Rick Cadger

> Rick - what size wire did you end up using ? I have been thinking about using EVO Gold on my next mando refret project.


It's the 43080. A nice size. Not traditional thin, but a very playable, larger wire. Suits me just fine. 

I suppose it sounds a bit nuts refretting a brand new instrument, but the wire that came on the Kentucky was awful. Not just thin, but very low as well. Initially I was going to do a fret level on the mando, but I honestly wasn't sure there was enough height on the frets to let me do it comfortably, and as I don't like small wire much anyway I thought I'd just change it.

Plenty of height in the 43080. 

The refret and a bridge swap has made the cheap beater into a very playable and full sounding budget oval hole. 

After hearing that the EVO was supposed to be very durable I had expected it to be a bugger to work with, but it's fine.

I might do the second mandolin this weekend, but that one's a radius board. I'm actually considering changing the fretboard on that one to an unbound, flat board, which is my preference for playing, as well as for working on...

Edit to add: The tang seems a tiny bit narrower than on the wire I took off. The new frets went in very easily, and I reworked the tang a bit on a couple to make them a little tighter. I've also put a little CA in there, but I think they're seated securely enough even if you don't like adding any glue.

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## Rolfe

Now that the EVO wire is available in the same size as the StewMac mandolin wire, I am using it on all mandolins except the Jazz model where I use the small guitar EVO.  Great wire!

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jim simpson

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## crazymandolinist

Nice to hear! Where do we get it?

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## Rolfe

If you are able to buy in quanity, a pound, you can get it directly from Jescar.  I don't have their website at hand, but they are easy to find and will take a credit card.

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## bennyb

LMI has it in smaller quantities.

benny

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## Rick Cadger

In the UK it's available from tonetechluthiersupplies.co.uk.

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## Rolfe

The LMI catalog I just got in the mail today does not show the EVO small mandolin wire---.053 X .037.  They should carry it and make it available in smaller quantities; bug them about it.

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## Geiss

I had Curtis and Johana (Oriskany Guitars in PA) use it on my flattop...agree that it looks elegant and plays nicely.
Has stood up to 3 years of playing and not a nick in it, then again I'm not playing her every single day.

A question on sizing if I might.......I like the wire size on my wide nut MTO...anyone have a pretty good idea of what the analogous EVO size might be. I don't have tools for measuring such....
Thanks!
David

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## terzinator

> Now that the EVO wire is available in the same size as the StewMac mandolin wire, I am using it on all mandolins except the Jazz model where I use the small guitar EVO.  Great wire!


I know this thread is exactly a year old, but what's the number of the EVO wire that matches the StewMac wire? Is it the 43080?

I just had a refret done on my MT with the StewMac wire less than a month ago, and as nice as it looks and plays, I'm already digging grooves in it! I'm sure I must have some death grip or something that's accelerating the wear, but my next refret will be with the EVO wire.

And yeah, *frshwtrbob*, who I'm sure will see this thread, you're right! I should have insisted on EVO from the start!  :Crying:

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## frshwtrbob

Chris (you old hound dog), 
As a matter of fact, I just talked to Jeff today at Jescar because I had some questions about the Stainless 43080 which I'm contemplating using for a total refret on a "broken in" (therefore reasonably priced) Gibson A-9 that I couldn't pass up! I'm sure I'll be posting and boasting about it when it's done.

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## Rolfe

The mandolin size EVO wire is the FW37053-EVO, same as the Stew Mac wire.  The small guitar size I use on my Jazz model is the FW37080-EVO.

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## Paul Hostetter

If you want info on the various sizes, I have a chart here that might help compare the various available wires. If EVO came in more sizes, it would possibly be all I'd use.

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Lou Giordano

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## terzinator

thanks all... 

for comparison, if you can, what would you say matches the stock fret wire on a Collings MT? 

From the Collings site:

What size fret wire do you use? 
Our standard fretwire dimensions are as follows:
crown width: 2 mm
crown height: 1.10 mm
Total height 2.60 mm
Tang width: 0.80 mm

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## frshwtrbob

Collings advertises using .078 wide - .044 high. in thousanths of an inch which translates to what you wrote in mm.
Jeff at Jescar told me he's now supplying the 43080 to Collings so I guess they'll be changing the advertising soon

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## terzinator

> Collings advertises using .078 wide - .044 high. in thousanths of an inch which translates to what you wrote in mm.
> Jeff at Jescar told me he's now supplying the 43080 to Collings so I guess they'll be changing the advertising soon


Wait, so Collings is going to start using the EVO wire?

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## frshwtrbob

no - the 18% NS ---Jescar also supplies Luthier Mercantile with their stainless wire. I was talking to Danny Roberts today about re-fretting my '03 A9 and he thinks its a good idea & gave me some pointers but said Gibson could never afford all the extra effort/time it takes installing the hard stuff. He also told the story about Charlie Derrington installing stainless on his Loar and gave me his opinions on the matter. It was a very cool conversation & he's a nice guy, by the way.

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## Ivan Kelsall

*Jescar* supplies standard Nickel Silver wire in many different sizes.The 'Evo Gold' wire is a separate 'type' of wire,made of a different alloy,but in a few similar sizes to that of the standard wire.For instance,the standard wire used by Weber (according to Weber) is Jescar _'FW 37080'_. The Evo Gold wire is simply _'FW37080 EVO'_,
                                                                                                 Ivan

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Lou Giordano

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## terzinator

Ahhhhh, gotcha. I do like the larger frets on my Collings, but the softness of the metal is really about the only thing that keeps it from being the perfect instrument -- for me, anyway. It's wonderful in every other aspect, though.

I'd love to hear from other builders who use the EVO wire. (Preferably those who say it's no big deal to work with!) I'm going to head over to my luthier guy this week and show him my early onset Groovenheimers.

(I realized I've been working on a few fiddle tunes over the last few weeks, so I'm probably hitting the same danged frets again and again and again!)

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## Soundfarmer Pete

I wonder if my bass guitars are fretted with this stuff (Warwicks) - certainly a more "brassy" look than nickel silver and they`ve had years of playing with virtually no sign of wear....think I might have to get some!

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## Paul Hostetter

Chris, I already posted a lot of info about my experience with EVO, above in post #19. Click the link, it answers some questions people keep asking. I've used both stainless and EVO, and EVO is the easiest wire to install and definitely outlasts stainless. There's another parallel thread on Frank Ford's _Frets.net_ forum here, too.

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## Ivan Kelsall

I had an e-mail from my local luthier yesterday re. EVO /SS.He's used to using SS &has no problems fitting it.He's re-fretted his own Gibson ES335 Guitar with it to try it out himself. I don't know how long the EVO wire has been in use in the USA,but i think it's still a bit of an unknown quantity over here in the UK yet. *Paul*'s remarks above are very positive though,
                                                                                                                                             Ivan :Wink:

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## Paul Hostetter

I did 6 or 8 SS installs and gave up when they were coming back with disturbing amounts of wear way too soon. That was some years back now. It's such a PITA to work with that I realized it wasn't worth it. Dozens of refrets with EVO and that stuff simply performs better, with the same players who wore out the stainless. Many players (myself included, fortunately) don't wear frets out much, so good old 18% nickel is still a very viable way to go.

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## Mandocarver

Considering the rave reviews this EVO stuff is getting, I'm definitely interested in using it for my next build. What has put me off so far is I'm afraid of it wearing out my fretting tools. Are we also saying that it's easier on tools than normal SS?
Thanks,
Dean

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## Paul Hostetter

It feels and handles as though it's aluminum, or something way too soft to be any good as fretting material. It's still mostly copper, but has no nickel. It's disturbingly easy to work with.

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## Mandocarver

Thank you Paul - that's just what I wanted to hear!
Dean

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## terzinator

Thanks, Paul! Great info. I'm going to meet up with my luthier on Friday to show him the fretwear and discuss some options.

I had a Martin CEO-4R (picture a Gibson AJ, but made by Martin) that I'm sure had these frets. I had the guitar for about a year and a half, and there was NO fretwear when I sold it.

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## Ivan Kelsall

It sounds as though the 'work hardening' properties of copper are coming through with this wire ie._the more wear it receives,the harder it gets_,
                       Ivan

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## terzinator

Talked to my guy yesterday, and when the time comes (might be sooner rather than later!), he'll use the tool-eating EVO on my Collings. I told him I'd put some money in his fret-nipper-replacement fund for the privilege.  :Wink:

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## Bill Snyder

> Talked to my guy yesterday, and when the time comes (might be sooner rather than later!), he'll use the tool-eating EVO on my Collings. I told him I'd put some money in his fret-nipper-replacement fund for the privilege.


You and I must be reading different posts. The way I read Paul's comments are that the EVO is not particularly hard on tools.

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## terzinator

Oh, I hear what Paul is saying, and I'm thinking his assessment is accurate. 

I'm only saying that my luthier thinks it's hard to work with! (He does awesome work; I think he just might be a stick-in-the-mud.)  :Smile: 

I had a couple of emails with the Jescar folks... sounds like you can buy it in small quantities, like $20 for one instrument's worth. So the commitment isn't too big to try it.

So, when it's time (I'm guessing early spring, at this rate!), I'll refret it with the EVO.

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## frshwtrbob

My luthier must be a stick in the mud too cause he'd rather work with Jescar's stainless steel than EVO...so go figure.

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## Bernie Daniel

You can buy EVO wire from LMI in 4 foot lots -- enough for one guitar approximately?  You can also buy larger lots of wire.  I'm using it on my mandocello conversions -- great stuff and it matches the gold hardware.

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## terzinator

update (to this old thread!):

I got myself some of the EVO wire last year, and finally (because I was on vacation without the mandolin) got around to having the refret done.

Just picked it up the other day, and I like how this stuff looks and feels. (Well, does it really "feel" different? I dunno. Probably just that I like playing on a mandolin without deeply grooved frets!)

My luthier said it's really nice to work with, and he's going to use lots more of it in the future.

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## Kerry Krishna

I am so not understanding the slightly unimportant (I don't want to make people feel bad) talk about the colour of the fretwire putting them off. It really isn't like it is florescent purple, or green.  Even in Max's closeup pictures, you can't even see that it is gold. Unless you are holding the instrument, how could anyone even possibly tell?

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## terzinator

I agree with you, KK.

The gold color is VERY subtle. Everything else on my mandolin is silver or black, and the frets don't look odd at all. Actually, come to think of it, the strings are gold in color, so I don't think these frets stand out in the least. 

I didn't even think about it being an issue when I decided to go with the EVO wire. It was simply about not wanting to get a refret every year!

I suppose if you were hyper anal about the aesthetic details (more anal than about actually playing the instrument!), it might bug you. But I'm not that way. It's an instrument, after all. A very artful instrument, yes, but it's a thing to make music with... not to hang on the wall.

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## Soundfarmer Pete

Heard it lasted longer so have just done a couple of instruments......a joy to work with - once my Nickel Silver stock is finished, it`s EVO all the way!

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## Bernie Daniel

> I agree with you, KK.
> 
> The gold color is VERY subtle. Everything else on my mandolin is silver or black, and the frets don't look odd at all. Actually, come to think of it, the strings are gold in color, so I don't think these frets stand out in the least. 
> 
> I didn't even think about it being an issue when I decided to go with the EVO wire. It was simply about not wanting to get a refret every year!
> 
> I suppose if you were hyper anal about the aesthetic details (more anal than about actually playing the instrument!), it might bug you. But I'm not that way. It's an instrument, after all. A very artful instrument, yes, but it's a thing to make music with... not to hang on the wall.


Well since for eons or more mandolins with gold hardware had silver (nickel) colored frets and no one died because of it (that I know of)....then I suppose that gold colored frets on mandolins with silver hardware might be OK.   :Smile:

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Rick Jones

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## terzinator

> Well since for eons or more mandolins with gold hardware had silver (nickel) colored frets and no one died because of it (that I know of)....then I suppose that gold colored frets on mandolins with silver hardware might be OK.


I know, right!  :Smile:

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## Steve Sorensen

Love the 43080 EVO for mandolins!  Just a little bit more work re-crowning because it is harder than Nickle-Silver, but it sure holds up to play wear . . . and looks great after lots of hard use.

 

Steve

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## Andy Miller

> Just a little bit more work re-crowning 
> 
> Steve


Hi Steve,

I'm curious, are you using diamond crowning files?  I ask because I am, and my experience has been the opposite.  I love the way the diamond file cuts this stuff.  It seems to me as if the hardness makes it cut with more control, the diamond grit doesn't drag such big cuttings along the sides/crown of the fret, the fret crowns more consistently and cleanly, there are fewer, shallower marks to clean off the length of the frets during subsequent fret dressing.  I also swab the diamond file with 3-in-1 oil on a q-tip every few frets to wipe off the cuttings and help it cut a little more efficiently.

Man, I should get a life.  Oh wait, this is it. . ..

Andy

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## f5loar

So if I am reading this correctly you guys are now saying that this EVO last way longer than the Stainless Steel frets?  I find that hard (no pun) to believe.  If EVO is easier to work with then SS it seems logic the SS would be harder and therefore last longer.
Are there different makers of the SS frets?

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## Michael Lewis

Tom, I don't know of other makers of stainless steel frets but there certainly many types of stainless material, and some can be rather soft.  The tiny stainless frets from Jescar seem rather soft to me, but maybe that's because they are so small that they can bend easily.  I find them difficult to work with because they are so small, not easy to manipulate.

I find working with both stainless and EVO to require about the same degree of effort, which is considerably more than for working with nickel frets.  While working with stainless I broke a nice pair of nippers that had done good service for 10 years or more with nickel frets.  Both stainless and EVO require more elbow grease to reach a polished state, and take longer to file.  I wonder what everyone else is doing when they say it is a joy to work with.  It's a joy to play on, but it's harder to work with.

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## Ron McMillan

I can't say anything about how difficult EVO Gold is to work with, but so far as play wear goes, these frets are remarkably tough. My F5 copy has seen many many hundreds of playing hours over a period of more than three years, and the new EVO Gold fretwire is almost entirely free of wear. My other mandolin, with what I assume to be stainless fretwire, has noticeable fret wear after only 15 months.

rm

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## Tavy

> So if I am reading this correctly you guys are now saying that this EVO last way longer than the Stainless Steel frets?  I find that hard (no pun) to believe.  If EVO is easier to work with then SS it seems logic the SS would be harder and therefore last longer.
> Are there different makers of the SS frets?


The thing is: is it actually hardness that prolongs fret life anyway?  Unless you're playing lots of bent notes you don't subject the frets to much mechanical wear anyway... it's more like they get "squashed" under string pressure.  So what you want is something that's resistant to deformation and/or is springy enough to bounce back.  My understanding of the EVO gold wire is that since it's made from this "shape-memory-alloy" stuff, it's very resistant to being permanently bent/swashed out of shape even though it may not be so resistant to mechanical abrasion as SS.

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## terzinator

> The thing is: is it actually hardness that prolongs fret life anyway?  Unless you're playing lots of bent notes you don't subject the frets to much mechanical wear anyway... it's more like they get "squashed" under string pressure.  So what you want is something that's resistant to deformation and/or is springy enough to bounce back.  My understanding of the EVO gold wire is that since it's made from this "shape-memory-alloy" stuff, it's very resistant to being permanently bent/swashed out of shape even though it may not be so resistant to mechanical abrasion as SS.


I never thought of it this way. Shape-memory-alloy. Hmmm... Seems like there'd be a market for this in the auto industry!

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## f5loar

If you want really long lasting frets find an old 20's Gibson tenor neck and remove those frets to put into your mandolin.  The old saying they don't make them like they use to applies to those old nickel alloy frets from the 20's.   Well it's certainly confusing.  Some say the EVO is the only way to go after finding out SS wears out fast, while others say you can't beat the wear on SS.  One thing is for certain, the crap they make the regular nickel these days out of is not worth putting in anything anymore.  Reminds me of the radial tires when they first came out claiming 40,000 miles vs. 10,000 miles on the old bias belted.  The people loosing the most is the tire manufacturer and the tire dealer because they are selling less and putting on less.  Maybe the luthiers are not complaining they have less fret jobs since the EVO/SS is so hard to put in.

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## dmac

After going through regular (nickel?) frets on my Gibson A in 5 years, I decided to get it refretted with EVO gold frets (the work was done by Jim DeCava, and he did a magnificent job!). They look great, are easy to play on, and sound impeccable. 

Come back in five years and I'll tell you how they wore.

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## Scott R

Hey, dmac, it's been five years. How did they wear?

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dang, 

Hendrik Ahrend, 

Lou Giordano, 

Paul Hostetter

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## yankees1

I only use EVO frets on all my mandolins. First mandolin has six years on EVO frets and I play every day. Very little wear can be seen.

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bradeasley, 

Hendrik Ahrend, 

jim simpson

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## dmac

Good question.  Thanks for the reminder. 

They're  wearing fantastically! I can highly recommend them. I'm not a heavy player but there are no dents in them, just a little polished area under the first five or so frets; maybe a slight concavity on the second fret of the 'A' string.

Best thing I ever did to my mandolin. Next time I change strings, I'll take some pictures.

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Bernie Daniel, 

Gary Leonard, 

jim simpson

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## j. condino

> ....One thing is for certain, the crap they make the regular nickel these days out of is not worth putting in anything anymore....


!!!

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## AlanN

No denying the lastability of EVO, just fantastic for us old-timers who have gone through *many* fret jobs over the years, before this stuff came around. Otoh, I know of players who have reservations about it, mostly those with vintage instruments. One guy had his F-5 re-done with EVO, then had them ripped out and replaced with period-correct wire; claimed the sound suffered.

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## CES

I love the EVO wire on my Kelley. They’re taller than standard frets, which I like, but not wide like jumbo guitar frets. I feel like I play more cleanly with them. When I need a refret I’ll go back to them unless I’m feeling adventurous and want to try SS...I think on this mando the gold looks better though...

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## Bernie Daniel

I have EVO wire on my best mandolin, mandola and mandocello and would not even think of using anything else.  I used guitar gauged EVO for the first time in 2013 on a mandocello and now, 7 years later, there is nothing more then the faintest mark on the first position frets of the A course.  If you run your fingernail across that area you can't feel a dent. That's how well it wears.  Unless you are a pro who makes a living with your instrument I see the wire outliving the owners in most cases?

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j. condino

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## j. condino

It is not just the wear resistance that I like about evo wire. It has a much smoother "voice" than the stainless steel. Stainless makes every note sound like Albert Collins playing a telecaster on the bridge pickup using a quarter for pick. Stainless has a tendency to be a bit too icy sounding, but if you bend notes on a guitar, it is glassy smooth. One odd quality of the stainless is that if you have a heavy handed percussive slap funk like style, the slapping strings against it will wear the frets very fast. It case hardens and lasts great for bending, but I know of one player who trashed a set of medium stainless frets in three months of excessive slap guitar playing. The taller and narrow mandolin size is fantastic for mandolins. I used it on a new build 3/4 size Les Paul and the results were exceptional.

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## bbcee

That's really interesting you're saying that about the voice, @grandcanyonminstrel - I had my F4 refretted with EVO & a Brekke bridge added by a Cafe member here (feel free to identify yourself, if you'd like!) and what went to him as a low-volume, kind of "meh" sounding instrument came back much brighter and much louder. Since two important things were done in the work it's hard to know how much to attribute to either, but with a change to flatwounds and a duller pick, it's a pleasure to play this guy. The fretwire is great.

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## Drew Streip

I had a similar experience refretting an old Pac-Rim cheapie. The under-finger feel was harder and more “definite”, the tone was brighter, and I’m now overly attached to an instrument with almost zero monetary value  :Smile:

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## Tavy

> That's really interesting you're saying that about the voice, @grandcanyonminstrel - I had my F4 refretted with EVO & a Brekke bridge added by a Cafe member here (feel free to identify yourself, if you'd like!) and what went to him as a low-volume, kind of "meh" sounding instrument came back much brighter and much louder.


I think that was me  :Smile: 

I've never had an instrument change in sound so much.... doesn't normally happen like that, either with a new bridge, or with a change to EVO gold, I suspect there was a bunch of small things wrong with the instrument that all added up in the same direction.

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bbcee

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## frshwtrbob

Friends,
I'm a proud owner of a '20 F2 in dire need of a re-fret and I'm leaning towards the Jescar 37053EVO over the Jescar 39040SS. 
Can anyone with hands on experience with this particular size wire comment on the plus or the minus ? 
Bob
p.s. Although the 4080 size is VERY popular, many players have opinions that 4080 EVO is a tad too wide for the comfort & the look past the 14th fret ....hence my attraction to the 53 width vs the 80.

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