Stainless Steel VS Nickel Frets

Can any of you tell the difference between stainless steel frets vs nickel frets while playing? My buddy says he hates stainless steel frets and he swears he can hear the difference between stainless steel frets and nickel frets.

Can you?

nope. I had an '03 R8 Brazilian that the original owner changed to SS. Didn't sound or feel any different to me.

I have a 2008 Squier CV50 Tele that I've worn the frets practically to Gibson Fretless Wonders. I've had two different luthiers tell me they won't refret it because it would cost more than the guitar is worth. If I don't sell the guitar, I want new frets. I have several extra necks and I could try to learn how to refret on those but I'd rather pay for it. Besides, if I'm going to refret it, I'd have it done with SS frets. Not going to kill myself trying to do SS for my first fret job.

I had my ‘97 Cunetto Strat refretted with stainless steel and it sounds and plays killer but my buddy always starts in with his stainless steel rant every time he plays it. I just don’t believe him. I shouldn’t have told him the frets were stainless.

he's just jealous that the frets will outlive him

I have played stainless frets for years and only my German Sheppard can hear a difference ,

Nope. I’ve become a stainless snob. Love them!

I can't hear a difference but I can feel it, the stainless glide beautifully.

OldBenKenobi said:

I can't hear a difference but I can feel it, the stainless glide beautifully.

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Me neither, me too, it sure does.

I've heard they eat strings faster. Any truth to that? Something about dents in the strings....

Brazilnut said:

I've heard they eat strings faster. Any truth to that? Something about dents in the strings....

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I haven’t noticed any such thing. They feel slicker.

Brazilnut said:

I've heard they eat strings faster. Any truth to that? Something about dents in the strings....

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Nothing to this in my experience.

DeafDumbBlind Kid said:

nope. I had an '03 R8 Brazilian that the original owner changed to SS. Didn't sound or feel any different to me.

I have a 2008 Squier CV50 Tele that I've worn the frets practically to Gibson Fretless Wonders. I've had two different luthiers tell me they won't refret it because it would cost more than the guitar is worth. If I don't sell the guitar, I want new frets. I have several extra necks and I could try to learn how to refret on those but I'd rather pay for it. Besides, if I'm going to refret it, I'd have it done with SS frets. Not going to kill myself trying to do SS for my first fret job.

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What kind of crap is that? It’s your money you’re spending not theirs. Someone’s Squier may mean as much to them as my $3000 Les Paul Standard does to me. I have a new Squier CV 60s Custom Tele that I love. If the frets wear down on it I will want it refretted. I just don’t get that.

More on subject. What are the benefits of SS frets? Do they last longer? I have never had any experience with them so excuse my ignorance.

Torren61 said:

Can any of you tell the difference between stainless steel frets vs nickel frets while playing?

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No.

Of course, I have only one guitar with stainless frets.
A Warmoth FrankenStrat “Junior.”

Memphis Soul said:

What kind of crap is that? It’s your money you’re spending not theirs. Someone’s Squier may mean as much to them as my $3000 Les Paul Standard does to me. I have a new Squier CV 60s Custom Tele that I love. If the frets wear down on it I will want it refretted. I just don’t get that.

More on subject. What are the benefits of SS frets? Do they last longer? I have never had any experience with them so excuse my ignorance.

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SS frets are harder than guitar strings. They will last pretty much forever .

DeafDumbBlind Kid said:

he's just jealous that the frets will outlive him

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THIS.

hbucker said:

Nope. I’ve become a stainless snob. Love them!

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Indeed.
They will last significantly longer.

Now does it change how much wear you get on the strings? I seriously doubt it.
It’s not like stainless is abrasive.

And if it does, who cares?
How much playing time would a set of strings need to get in order to cause such a problem?

I can replace a whole lotta damned strings for the time, effort, and money to change frets.

In my experience, when paying for a refret, I have found a few luthiers who advised strongly against stainless.

What other luthiers told me is that the anti-stainless guys simply don’t want to do stainless because it’s more difficult to work with and tougher on their tools.

I have decided next time I get a refret, and I get pushback on stainless, I will simply go somewhere else.

DeafDumbBlind Kid said:

I've had two different luthiers tell me they won't refret it because it would cost more than the guitar is worth.

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Odd but interestingly strange.

DeafDumbBlind Kid said:

I have a 2008 Squier CV50 Tele that I've worn the frets practically to Gibson Fretless Wonders. I've had two different luthiers tell me they won't refret it because it would cost more than the guitar is worth.

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Easy answer:
Go somewhere else.

I mean, any luthier has the right to choose what he wants to work on and what he will avoid.
I’m cool with that.

A passive thing is they will put you off by saying they’re too busy to get you in.
Or they will price the work high enough to discourage you.

If I have something particular in mind, and I’m prepared to spend stupid money to make it happen?
Shut up and take my money!

My guitar guy in Arizona is perfect in this regard. If he has questions, he will ask.
“So… why are you doing this?”

I will explain.
He might shake his head in understanding, or he might chuckle a little.

Then he will tell me why I should or should not do it - and sometimes offer fantastic alternatives I have not considered.

But he’s never told me NO.

I take that back - he did tell me once he did not want to do a job for me.

My custom shop Gibson EDS-1275 double neck, I wanted to make a couple of wiring changes in the guitar.

He didn’t think it was a good idea.
Well, I would still like to do it.
He told me he didn’t want to do it.
Seriously?

“Seriously” he said.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea on a custom shop guitar. If you ever want to sell this thing, the last thing anyone wants to hear is that it has been modified. It’s not that it will bring the price down, but it will take an already small group of prospective buyers and decimate that. They simply will not want the guitar. At any price.”

Big difference between an $8,000 custom shop piece, and a run-of-the-mill Squier.

Here's my take on stainless steel frets. After making a over 100 guitars of the exact same spec....except I offer a choice of either Jescar 47X95 stainless steel or Jescar 47X95 18% nickel/silver....
The most obvious difference is stainless has a very slick and silky feel when bending.
At first I was skeptical that there is any tonal difference....but I can now say that yes, there is....but it's not that easy to describe. Some say it's "zingier" but that's not quite right....yes it has a sparkly attack, but there's also more of a note or string separation sound when playing chords or intervals.
Also regarding the feel...besides bending or vibrato, just simply fretting the string feels like you're hitting a harder material (which of course you are).
Stainless frets do in fact eat strings much faster....particularly the high plain strings. I little kink develops in the string at each fret location.
All that being said I like stainless. I have them on my own guitars. But refretting a vintage guitar? I would advise on sticking to traditional frets if you want to retain the sound and feel.

Is it harder on tools? yes , but mostly it's harder on my hands. It takes longer to trim and bevel ends.
Oh yeah.....and freshly cut stainless frets are sharp little razors. First time I did a stainless fret job ...I handled the neck when the fret ends were were still sharp before levelling flush.
I sliced my hand to ribbons lol....