Why does ESP custom shop uses nickel silver frets as standard

Lohengrin

Inspired
I was a bit shocked when I realized ESP original series come with nickel silver frets!

I'm far from an expert on the matter, but I thought that at least SS superiority over nickel/silver was already settled and widely accepted!!!

Is there any advantage to nickel silver?
 
I thought that at least SS superiority over nickel/silver was already settled and widely accepted!!!
Stainless steel is not exactly superior, it has its good aspects and its bad. Stainless steel, being much harder, tears up fret files, and luthiers tend to charge more as a result because they have to replace their files more quickly, and it takes more work when working on the frets.

Is there any advantage to nickel silver?
Yes. The traditional nickel silver, being a bit softer, has a bit darker sound in comparison. For instance, a maple fingerboard Strat with nickel silver frets sounds like we'd expect, a little bright, but switch to stainless steel, and it'll be even brighter. Is that good? Probably not if you're looking for a guitar that has a traditional sound, like an artist or custom shop guitar.


PS - I have stainless steel frets on one of my Strats, which also has a roasted maple neck and fingerboard. That guitar is much brighter than my other Strat which has a regular maple neck and rosewood fingerboard and nickel silver frets.
 
You can go back and forth with the pros and cons. I think at the end of the day these companies decide what's "standard" based on what their customers tend to request most frequently. I've had a respected builder try to defer me to Anderson or Suhr when I have asked about stainless steel frets. Simply saying that they've used them and the vast majority of their clientele did not like them in the end so he no longer offers them on his guitars. Fair enough.

In my 30+ years of playing I have never once played any of my guitars so much that I have needed a complete re-fret. I try to keep this in mind when I am ready to shoot down a potential purchase cause it doesn't have something like SS frets. They're nice, no doubt, but not a deal breaker for me.
 
I love the feel of SS frets. Bends are easier, they last forever, well almost. I can't hear any noticeable difference.
I have them on 4 guitars. I had a LP refretted about 5 years ago and regret not getting getting SS, as they are already showing wear.
I don't mind paying my luthier extra $ it saves me time and $$ in the end.

Only you can decide for yourself.
Check out this video.

 
They also have a line of "standard" instruments produced in the custom shop (they call this "original series") which some dealers have in stock. https://www.espguitars.com/products?categories=esp-original-series-guitars

These come standard with nickel frets.
Standards arent made in the custom shop, I think that is the Original line.

Either way, if you want stainless refret or order a custom with stainless?

What made you so sure stainless is widely accepted?
 
What made you so sure stainless is widely accepted?
It can see where the confusion might happen...

A lot of these companies have "affordable" lines that come with stainless steel frets standard across the entire line. LTD (ESPs affordable line) is one of them. Might seem strange to some that it's standard on the $1000 range but an up-charge on a $6500+ custom order.

When you start getting into "cork sniffer" price points and custom orders, what customers frequently purchase isn't always the same as what's moving the affordable range. There's a lot of guys who really do not like stainless steel frets. How they feel, how they sound, etc.
 
SS frets all the way for me! If I still own my Gretsch when it's time for a refret they will go SS. My Carvin CT624 has them and I'm just now looking a fret dress after 10 years of playing on it.
 
SS frets are still a ‘newer’ thing reaching guitar brands. I think Fender just released a guitar with them? Ibanez is slowly putting them on more models. I think it’s something the smaller brands are doing from the start, more so than the existing brands. IE- Solar guitars is all SS frets, it seems like nearly every Harvey Benton I see has SS frets and a bunch of the smaller/boutique builders I’ve seen often offer them.

But the bigger brands….especially Fender and Gibson, it’s going to be slow for them and I wouldn’t be surprised if they stick with nickel until they close the doors on their main production line, maybe not Fender, but definitely Gibson. I’m not even saying this in an insulting way, but a good amount of their dedicated fan base finds some romanticism in keeping things old school, where finding tooling marks on your $4500 LP Custom is “a sign it was handled by real people and not a machine, that’s what you’re paying for”…..these guys won’t ever want anything to do with SS frets. Not to mention all the “I can hear the added high end” or “it thinned out my tone” comments.
 
Changing 6105 nickel to 6105 steel is less of a tone change than 6230 nickel to 6105 nickel. This is also a smaller difference than changing your pick.
The problem is when people compare a modern guitar with steel frets to a vintage style one and hear a difference. But this is a whole lot of small things adding up not just the frets. If you look at the Warmoth video above you can see a good example of a fair test.
 
In my 30+ years of playing I have never once played any of my guitars so much that I have needed a complete re-fret. I try to keep this in mind when I am ready to shoot down a potential purchase cause it doesn't have something like SS frets. They're nice, no doubt, but not a deal breaker for me.
I had a 07 PRS Experience addition and played until the frets were in dire need of either a dress and level or replace. It only took 5 years for it to get in that condition.

For the cost to move to SS frets, personally I think it's worth it just for the extended time of not having to worry about having that work done.
 
I had a 07 PRS Experience addition and played until the frets were in dire need of either a dress and level or replace. It only took 5 years for it to get in that condition.

For the cost to move to SS frets, personally I think it's worth it just for the extended time of not having to worry about having that work done.
Obviously this is going to vary from player to player. How hard one plays/frets, string gauge used, etc etc.

I agree that SS are nice (I have guitars with em) and worth it if not having to deal with wear & tear is high on ones priority list. I don't notice any tone difference. A very minimal feel difference but that's about it. But many players still just don't prefer them. I don't believe it's as simple as the industry hasn't widely adopted them just because they're hard on tools.
 
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