Deep inside! The world of guitar / bass frets

Nowadays, information can be easily found on the Internet, and it seems that the number of people who try to repair or remodel the guitar with their own hands in a DIY sense has increased.
Fret is often consulted recently with various parts such as pickups and hardware.
What I want to say is that I want to change the frets myself, but it doesn't change as often as other parts, so I don't know what to choose.
Certainly, it is a level that makes me confused because I feel that more and more frets are sold each year.
The fret is directly connected to the playing comfort, so it's best to choose from a number of honest choices. . There are times when I think that, but if you say that, there is no source or child. I would like to introduce the features of the frets that handle sound houses.

The main premise is that exchanging frets is not just removing the frets from the instrument's fingerboard and replacing them.
After removing the fret, check the condition of the fingerboard and fret groove, adjust the fingerboard and correct the groove, re-cut the groove to match the new fret, replace the nut accompanying the fret replacement, maple fingerboard Various tasks such as repainting will become indispensable.

It may seem easy to write in writing, but when you actually work, it requires skills, experience, and judgment, and it is not very easy.
If you're not confident, it's important to ask a repair shop to make sure you don't forcibly change your guitar condition.

I have said something great, but I would like to introduce frets immediately.

■Freedom Custom Guitar

It is a domestic manufacturer that has made Made In Tokyo.
Freedom sells two types of frets, nickel silver and stainless steel. Among them, there are two types of stainless steel, "SPEEDY" with high durability and sharp sound like stainless steel, and "WARM" with "soft", "warm" and wet sound.

Freedom's stainless steel frets are softer than other stainless steel frets, and are easy to drive and process.
There is a numerical value called Vickers hardness (HV), which indicates hardness. The lower the value, the softer it becomes.
You can see that the nickel silver fret is around HV160 to HV185 and the general stainless steel fret is around HV300, while SPEEDY is HV210 and WARM is HV160, which is soft.
The tone is also close to that of a common nickel silver fret, but it has a long life until worn out like other stainless steel frets. I can.

■JESCAR

German fret.
As an impression, JESCAR's stainless fret is hard anyway. . . It is really hard. . .

The value of Vickers hardness is HV300, and the hardness of nickel silver is around HV160 to HV185, so it can be seen that it is hard.
Not only is it hard and fretting difficult, but the sound tends to be crisp with a treble effect, so if you like that sound quality you should definitely choose it.
In addition to stainless steel, there is also a lineup of frets developed with a different approach from Evolution, a stainless steel made of an alloy of copper, tin, iron and titanium.

Although the hardness is not as hard as HV250 and stainless steel, it is more durable than nickel silver, and it is a recommended fret that can change the looks like gold and gold. The fact that it is also used in the signature model of guitarist Tomoko Fujita suggests that it is an excellent fret.

■JIM DUNLOP

Jumbo Fret = JIM DUNLOP is a company that is so famous that some people think it.
If # 6100 is a guitarist who likes jumbo frets, many of you may have tried it once.

Although JIM DUNLOP has a strong image of jumbo frets, it has a wide range of sizes, and small frets that are close to vintage can also be selected with multiple subtle differences in shape, depending on your preference.
JIM DUNLOP does not offer the option of stainless steel, and all models are made of nickel-silver alloy.
The lineup is also available in 18% N / S and 12% N / S with different hardnesses of nickel and silver. 12% N / S is soft, easy to bend, and easy to strike into the fingerboard, so this is the model you should try if you are new to frets for the first time.

What did you think.
Even though the frets look the same, each company has its own characteristics and differences.
I hope that you can select the best fret for you from the contents introduced this time.