Exotic Wood Zone offers quality tonewoods as well as essential parts, such as fret wire, to luthiers and guitar enthusiasts so they can build world-class instruments. In addition to our carefully chosen woods, our sub-brand Jobois provides premium guitar parts and hardware, ensuring that each part of your instrument is accurate, long-lasting, and prepared for performance. The fretwire is a crucial part of every guitar. However, what is fretwire and why does it matter so much for a guitar's handling and sound? Let's examine it.
What is a Fret on the Guitar?
Before getting started with fretwire, it's essential to know what a fret is. Located along the fingerboard of a guitar are small strips of metal called frets. Different notes can be produced by pressing a string down behind a fret, which alters the string's vibrating length. Guitarists can precisely perform scales, chords, and melodies thanks to this straightforward yet smart technique.
What is Fretwire?
The actual material used to make the guitar neck's frets is called fretwire. Usually, it comes in long, curved strips that are shortened to fit into the slots on the fretboard. Although modern players frequently prefer heavier-duty options like stainless steel fretwire, fretwire is typically constructed of a nickel-silver alloy.
The main parts of fretwire include:
-
Crown: The rounded top that comes into contact with the string.
-
Tangs: The part that attaches into the fretboard slot below the crown.
-
Barbs: Small ridges on the tang that hold the fret securely in place.
Why Does Guitar Fretwire Matter?
The feel and durability of your guitar are significantly affected by the type and quality of guitar fretwire. This is the reason:
-
Playability – Lower frets provide for smoother chord transitions, whereas taller frets allow bending.
-
Tone – The brightness or warmth of a guitar's tone can be slightly affected by the materials used for the fretwire.
-
Durability – Years of playing can cause nickel-silver fretwire to break down, while stainless steel fretwire is far more resilient to wear and lasts longer.
When selecting fretwire, a luthier or guitarist should always take the music's style, playing style, and personal feel into consideration.
Types of Fretwire
Not every fretwire is made the same. The following are a few of the more popular variations:
-
Nickel-Silver Fretwire: The more traditional option, which strikes a balance between classic tone and endurance.
-
Stainless Steel Fretwire: extremely durable to wear, long-lasting, and smooth for quick play.
-
Hosco Jumbo Stainless Steel Precut Fretwire: a well-liked choice for modern guitarists who favour easily installable frets with the highest durability and the simplest bends.
-
Jumbo Fretwire: larger and taller, which facilitates string bending. popular with metal and rock instruments.
-
Vintage Fretwire: Low and narrow, ideal for players who like a more classical feel.
Choosing the Right Guitar Fretwire
Keep the following factors in mind while choosing fretwire for a build or refret project:
-
Playing Style: For bending, lead guitarists typically like large or stainless steel frets, whilst rhythm musicians might go for medium or vintage frets.
-
Instrument Type: Different fretwire profiles may be needed for basses, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and specialized instruments.
-
Longevity: Stainless steel fretwire is a great option if you want frets that require minimal maintenance and last for decades.
Exotic Wood Zone & Jobois: Your Guitar-Building Partners
We at Exotic Wood Zone are passionate about giving luthiers the best tonewoods available worldwide. However, we stop there. You may also purchase essential guitar parts and hardware, such as fretwires in our sub-brand Jobois. We have everything you need in one place, whether you're building a brand-new guitar or doing a professional refret.
Final Thoughts
Fretwire may not seem like a great deal, but it has a big impact on your guitar's longevity, feel, and sound. Each fretwire type, from stainless steel to traditional nickel-silver, has special advantages that can improve your playing.
Choosing Exotic Wood Zone and Jobois allows you access to precise parts like guitar fretwire that guarantee your build is nothing short of extraordinary, in addition to premium tonewoods.