Fret Material / Type Differences

[Nashville]

Here's a photo of what happens for me with the nickel based fret wire:



The first 9 frets especially get severely grooved after less than one year of playing. There is never a good time to get a fret job because I play this instrument every day of the week. Finally it reaches a point, like now, where it no longer intonates correctly and the strings get stuck in the deep grooves which then restricts some of my technique. It usually gets the worst just before an important gig or session, putting me in a bind.

I'm taking this today to get the frets replaced with EVO Gold, which in my experience will last 6x as long before needing a slight fret dressing.

I have gotten mixed opinions from various luthiers about the increased difficulty of working with EVO Gold fret wire. Some have told me it's not a big deal and did not charge extra. Some have told me it's harder on their files and have charged me extra. Go figure!

The photos don't really show the true depth of the worn grooves. It is much worse to the naked eye and how it effects playing.

[CES]

That’s some impressive fret wear for just a year! The only instrument I have anywhere close to that is my first guitar, which I bought way back in 2004. Time for a refret on that one. I’m presently debating whether to tackle the job myself for the experience or go the lazy route and have my local Martin certified luthier knock it out for me. The guitar is a great sounding Guild D-40 blem that was my first good instrument. It’s got the tone and sentimental value, but isn’t worth what I’d get out of it to sell or trade it, lol.

My Kelley A5 has EVO on it, and I really like it. Had that one over 3 years and there’s hardly any wear on it. I do own multiple instruments and play them all, so even though I play something almost every day the wear gets spread around a bit, but the Kelley gets the most play, for sure. Of course, I do this for fun, not for a living, so I’m sure you’re putting way more hours on yours…

[Kirk Higgins]

EVO gold all the way. I can never see me putting anything else of my mandolins. No noticeable wear on either on my mandolins. The Kentucky KM 650 has had them for four years now and there is no noticeable wear. The Kimble was refretted last summer. When one of my guitars needs new frets, I plan to use EVO on it as well.

[Rob Roy]

Here's a photo of what happens for me with the nickel based fret wire:



The first 9 frets especially get severely grooved after less than one year of playing. There is never a good time to get a fret job because I play this instrument every day of the week. Finally it reaches a point, like now, where it no longer intonates correctly and the strings get stuck in the deep grooves which then restricts some of my technique. It usually gets the worst just before an important gig or session, putting me in a bind.

I'm taking this today to get the frets replaced with EVO Gold, which in my experience will last 6x as long before needing a slight fret dressing.

I have gotten mixed opinions from various luthiers about the increased difficulty of working with EVO Gold fret wire. Some have told me it's not a big deal and did not charge extra. Some have told me it's harder on their files and have charged me extra. Go figure!

The photos don't really show the true depth of the worn grooves. It is much worse to the naked eye and how it effects playing.

Judging the one year's wear in your pictures, you're one player I'd probably recommend stainless steel frets to even though I've never installed them. I'd be curious to hear how many years' use you get out of EVO. I'd say if you get 4-5 years out of a set, you should be happy. Glad you've got so much work in Nashville you're wearing out frets!

[Ky Slim]

http://www.lutherie.net/fret.chart.html

Scroll down to see mando specific charts.

I'm up for a re-fret re-plain and I've decided to try EVO. From what I've read the shape of frets (width and height) has more to do with feel and possibly more to do with sound than the material they are made of. This may or may not be correct but it makes sense to me.

Does anyone have experience with both 0.080 W x 0.043 H (taller) and 0.080 W x 0.037 H (shorter) EVO frets?

[Kirk Higgins]

I have the 0.043 on my Kentucky KM 650 and the 0.037 on my Kimble F5. To be honest I don’t think I would have noticed the difference if it wasn’t pointed out to me by the luthier who refretted the Kimble. He didn’t have the 0.043 in stock and the wait was longer than I wanted to wait so I went with the 0.037.

If I need to refret another mandolin at some point, I will likely go with the 0.037.

[Don Grieser]

Michael Heiden told me he uses EVO FW037080, so .037 x .080. If I ever get another mandolin refretted, it will get that same wire. I find it plays very well--very happy with that size of frets.

[Mandoplumb]

Pops I agree, it's the wide " dimple" that affects intonation and that can be recrowned several times before it lowers the fret enough to require total leveling. The leveling can be done several times. before replacement. I have a 13 year old Dearstone that has been played a lot ( most of it's life in a BG gospel band playing 2or 3 times a week plus practice) and bit is just now needing frets