[ ]
From: Ross
Remote Name: 76.101.5.142
Date: 26 Sep 2007
Time: 06:37:41 -0400
Luthier’s Weblog 9/26/07 The subject of frets arises. The variable parameters above the fretboard surface are height, width, and profile. The luthier catalogs what he knows about these from his repair and playing experience. A virtue of tall frets is that they facilitate easy string bending, as the ball of the finger can get good sideways purchase on the string to effect the pitch increase. Another is that their greater height can be leveled more aggressively than lower frets to compensate for any irregularities in the fingerboard surface. And, given a true surface, there is a longer available service life than from a lower fret of the same width. A disadvantage of tall frets is that, when used with very light strings or in the hands of a player with a heavy touch, the string can be driven sharp of desired pitch by excessive finger pressure. Also, perceived action height is increased, as the eye views distance of string to fingerboard as true action height, as opposed to the correct view which is string-to-fret surface. This is only a concern with inexperienced players. A virtue of low frets is that the fingerboard acts as a limiter to keep the string from being sharped. Also, some fingerings may be slightly easier with this limiting effect in place. Many players whose style features primarily chordal play prefer these frets. Profiles may be triangular (requiring special frets and dressing techniques), round, or oval. A major manufacturer offered square profile frets for a number of years. These were fortunately very narrow, as unseemly tonal consequences increase with this profile as the width increases. This profile is not advisable. The job of the fret is to provide a precisely placed stop for the string to vary it’s pitch. Toward that end, minimizing the contact area of string to fret is a desired goal. This prevents fret buzz, which is common with worn or grooved frets. It also provides for precise intonation. This can be visualized by considering that a fret with the not uncommon width of a tenth of an inch can be worn or grooved so much that the contact point of string to fret can be off true by as much as a twentieth of an inch (.05). Intonation repercussions are serious and unpleasant. Much more on frets needs to be considered. Ross Teigen 9:03 am