Zen and the Art of the Fret

Started by cke, December 08, 2010, 12:49:26 PM

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I have been thinking too much, always dangerous  :arrow

I have what I think are meant by 'jumbo frets' on my L, high and wide. Most other guitars I try have very low frets. It makes for a very different feel, though easy to adjust to.

So I wonder: Why jumbo frets? Why so many different size frets? Why is there air? (Kudos Bill Cosby)
Chris
Larrivee's '07  L-09 (40th Commemorative); '09 00-03 S.E; '08 P-09
Eastman '07 AC 650-12 Jumbo (NAMM)
Martin   '11 D Mahogany (FSC Golden Era type)
Voyage-Air '10 VAOM-06
-the nylon string-
Goya (Levin) '58 G-30
-dulcimer-
'11 McSpadden

Chris first and foremost I have that Cosby Album.As for the varity of frets I'm not sure how to answer you.I have a 40's Gibson Archtop that has mandolin frets{size} on which were also on my 50's tele I had years ago.I can tell you players that I've done fret work for are all over the place.I have one guy that use's extra tall jumbo's on his tele but I have to flat radious them,along the line's of a classical guitar and I'm only allowed to one dressing on them before he wants a refret,he has been converted to stainless steel due mostly to the fact the the guitar though 10 years old has had 7 refrets and the frets slots and previous jobs have damaged the fret slots.I have a lot that prefer low wide which is whats on most bass's.Its all a matter of choice.Me I don't care,what ever is there is fine with me.
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To me, frets in the .043x.103 ballpark (the jumbos on my Forum I and an electric strung with acoustic-like guages) are much easier on the fingers than the little microfrets used by Martin et al. Larrivees normal fret is sort of in-between.

However, for large frets to be easier, you have to take advantage of them and relax your grip. If you insist on driving the strings hard against the fretboard, they will feel stiffer instead of softer. I suspect that is part of why there are different preferences.

Jumbos are more friendly to bending, hammer-ons, and classical-style vibrato. OTOH, they require capos to be positioned right at the fret to avoid intonation problems.

Quote from: sgarnett on December 09, 2010, 06:12:43 AM
However, for large frets to be easier, you have to take advantage of them and relax your grip. If you insist on driving the strings hard against the fretboard, they will feel stiffer instead of softer. I suspect that is part of why there are different preferences.


I find it hard to relax my grip. If I'm playing single notes or open chords it's not a problem but If barre chords are involved my grip seems to get tighter and tighter. I have meaty fingers and to get clean sound it just seems like I have to press hard with my index finger which results in tight grip with all fingers. I would imagine people with bony fingers would maybe not experience this. So your statement above makes sense.
Roger


"Live simply so that others may simply live"

Quote from: Mr_LV19E on December 09, 2010, 10:01:51 AM
I find it hard to relax my grip. If I'm playing single notes or open chords it's not a problem but If barre chords are involved my grip seems to get tighter and tighter. I have meaty fingers and to get clean sound it just seems like I have to press hard with my index finger which results in tight grip with all fingers. I would imagine people with bony fingers would maybe not experience this. So your statement above makes sense.
Yeah that's me too. I spent most of my life playing classicals. My first guitar has dents in the 1st -3rd positions  :roll I have found it easier with my new set-up and roundcore meds.  I didn't notice the effort on the low fret
Martin D-18GE I played this week.
Chris
Larrivee's '07  L-09 (40th Commemorative); '09 00-03 S.E; '08 P-09
Eastman '07 AC 650-12 Jumbo (NAMM)
Martin   '11 D Mahogany (FSC Golden Era type)
Voyage-Air '10 VAOM-06
-the nylon string-
Goya (Levin) '58 G-30
-dulcimer-
'11 McSpadden

To blow up basketballs.
L-04 koa
L-03-12
Parlor (mahogany)
Forum III MT
Yamaha FG-180
Gretsch Sundown Serenade
Fender Stratocaster

Jumbo frets are better for inflating basketballs?   :arrow Without air, there could be no  "air guitar".

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