Why does ESP custom shop uses nickel silver frets as standard

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.


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.
Greg is right, the nickel is softer and feels and sounds different. I love a guitar with nickel frets with some wear, especially when I'm the one who put the wear on it. The stainless steel always seem to come a bit taller (just the specs on the guitars new and stock setup). It takes some getting used to for me, especially quick and longer slides. It's harder to sound smooth on those for me. It depends on the song, like everything does, the SS seem to bend themselves almost for me. I love it all.
 
It shouldn’t. The specification is defined. What might be different is less metal is removed when they do the frets because the frets are harder.
You are correct, I was referring to when I shop different models, so maybe it's just my experience. ESP would sell you a model with nickel or SS spec'd the same and I haven't directly compared the same model with each fretwire metal. They both have their advantages, It feels different to me. I have jumbo nickel on my main guitar, the Suhr JS. That guitar has ruined enjoying other guitars for me. 🙂
Her neck feels smooth like butter...
 
You are correct, I was referring to when I shop different models, so maybe it's just my experience. ESP would sell you a model with nickel or SS spec'd the same and I haven't directly compared the same model with each fretwire metal. They both have their advantages, It feels different to me. I have jumbo nickel on my main guitar, the Suhr JS. That guitar has ruined enjoying other guitars for me. 🙂
Her neck feels smooth like butter...
Also I think there is a difference in what is usually spec'd out on a stock guitar. For SS 6105 taller, narrower fret. PRS and a lot more common is the Jescar 57110. The cool thing about ESP is they will put the same size SS on a guitar to order. At least they did for me a couple years ago, that is made to order, I didn't change the fretwire, but did not want active pickups or the FR bridge. It only took a couple months, but that was before COVID and SC issues. I do recall there was an option for SS or Nickel frets!
 
Also I think there is a difference in what is usually spec'd out on a stock guitar. For SS 6105 taller, narrower fret. PRS and a lot more common is the Jescar 57110. The cool thing about ESP is they will put the same size SS on a guitar to order. At least they did for me a couple years ago, that is made to order, I didn't change the fretwire, but did not want active pickups or the FR bridge. It only took a couple months, but that was before COVID and SC issues. I do recall there was an option for SS or Nickel frets!
57110 is only on the DGT not the standard PRS wire and SS 55090 (6105 size) is not the common stainless size.
The typical PRS has 6150 size and by far the most common SS wire is 6100 size. Hi end guitars tend to go with Jescar SS57110 for steel two thou higher that 6100 but after fret dress effectively the same. 6105 has become the standard refret for vintage fender but in nickel. You also see quite a bit of other steel frets that are not as hard as the Jescar often in the 55118 range of size.
By a large margin the hardest frets are the tangless stainless steel frets on older USA Parker.
Softer SS frets can pit and get gritty feeling quite quickly if a player has a heavy right hand. Yes guys what you do with the right hand is what wears your frets.
 
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.


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.
SS frets damaging tool is just down to crappy Stewmac tools being too soft. I use modified engineering files and cutters, they last for years.
The baked maple would have made FAR more difference than the same size frets in steel over nickel. Also the rest of the other guitar could also be brighter. Get a vintage style guitar and swap the frets for the same size steel and you will have a very hard job to hear the difference. Look at the Warmoth video.
I am not sure what disadvantages there are for the end user with steel frets? I can't think of any. SS frets can save hard working guitars from endless damaging refrets. Tommy Emmanuel has 57110 SS on his acoustics because nickel was lasting less than a year.
 
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.
My triple P90 needs some fret leveling or perhaps a refret semi-soon. Will get SS when that happens. My Strat got a Warmoth neck because the original ones needed to be replaced. When I find a trustworthy luthier locally, I will get that done as well, restore that neck to its position, and get a body for the Warmoth neck....
 
Been playing for 43 years and used nickel frets up to the last 4 years when I put SS on one of my guitars. Since then, I’ve put SS on all of them and will never go back. I play 50-75 gigs a year and still have no signs of wear on any of them. I notice no difference in sound but the feel is so much nicer. I’m with whoever said there are no downsides to SS frets other than they’re a little harder to work with when fretting and leveling but it’s not that big of a deal.
 
57110 is only on the DGT not the standard PRS wire and SS 55090 (6105 size) is not the common stainless size.
The typical PRS has 6150 size and by far the most common SS wire is 6100 size. Hi end guitars tend to go with Jescar SS57110 for steel two thou higher that 6100 but after fret dress effectively the same. 6105 has become the standard refret for vintage fender but in nickel. You also see quite a bit of other steel frets that are not as hard as the Jescar often in the 55118 range of size.
By a large margin the hardest frets are the tangless stainless steel frets on older USA Parker.
Softer SS frets can pit and get gritty feeling quite quickly if a player has a heavy right hand. Yes guys what you do with the right hand is what wears your frets.
Thanks for the good info!
 
Not all the LTDs are stainless steel right now, unfortunately. That's a must for me going forward; I'm so hard on standard frets. You really have to scour the ESP site to find the select models that are actually stainless.
Picked up this model recently.
As a relative beginner, the XJ Stainless frets are easier for me to play. And I’m heavy handed.

I got a $600 quote from two local tech/luthier shops for a stainless refret on my Les Paul.
 

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Picked up this model recently.
As a relative beginner, the XJ Stainless frets are easier for me to play. And I’m heavy handed.

I got a $600 quote from two local tech/luthier shops for a stainless refret on my Les Paul.

Congratulations on a very cool guitar! I played one a couple of weeks ago to get a feel for the upper fret access. The nice thing is, you probably can go for an extremely long time without a refret.
 
ESP site states all LTD Deluxe 1000 series models year 21 on ship with stainless frets :) I thought it was all guess not

https://www.espguitars.com/articles...all-ltd-deluxe-1000-series-guitars-and-basses

luv the 401 and 1000 series best guitars I ever played (with the ebony fretboards) - rosewood not great

I was really excited when they first announced that. I'm just glad that at this point you can buy several different models of LTD as well as Schecter with stainless steel frets, and that stainless is no longer reserved for the most expensive guitars out there en masse.
 
SS does feel nicer to bend strings on - not huge difference but bit smoother

yah I luv these things - bought a 2022 Black EC-1000 deluxe going to make a gold top out of it - its going to be awesome :) post better pics when its done

 
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