Unexpected problem with Stainless Steel frets

[metropolis_4]

I don’t know why this never occurred to me. I’ve been kind of obsessed with Stringjoy Broadways lately and they’re round core pure nickel wrap. The problem is the Stainless Steel frets are chewing through them.

My guitars with nickel alloy frets are fine, but the ones with SS are eating through the strings faster than I like. I guess it makes sense that I might have to go with SS strings or at least nickel plated for the guitars with SS

 

[hemmelight]

I've used coated strings like Elixirs (more recently D'addario XS out of curiosity) and never really had any problems with my SS guitars.
No noticeable fret wear and the strings last as expected.

I know that not everybody likes coated strings, but maybe try a set on that guitar as a test?

 

[metropolis_4]

I've used coated strings like Elixirs (more recently D'addario XS out of curiosity) and never really had any problems with my SS guitars.
No noticeable fret wear and the strings last as expected.

I know that not everybody likes coated strings, but maybe try a set on that guitar as a test?

I tried Elixirs once about 15 years ago. I snapped 3 strings in a week and got so frustrated I never used them again.

I’ve heard they’ve gotten much better though so it’s probably fair to give them a second chance.

They’re sort of the polar opposite in tone from the Broadways though

 

[hemmelight]

Yeah, the tone difference is certainly a sticking point. FWIW, I've not broken a string in 15 years! lol.
Although I don't gig and only play a few hours a week casually.

The last string to break was from a set of Ernie Balls that went dead in three days.
After that I went to D'addario and then mainly Elixirs ever since.

 

[the-trooper]

Are you pressing them with the might of a thousand warriors?

 

[DrewJD82]

That’s interesting, it’s not the first time I’ve heard this.

I’m up to 2 guitars and a bass with SS frets and haven’t had the issue on my end. After about a week of playing my strings dull out enough to make me want to change them again (my satisfaction with doing string changes plays a part) so it’d be hard for me to judge if the frets are effecting the strings.

I do know when I got a custom gauge set of Stringjoy’s for the bass they seemed to die out faster than NYXL’s, which is my go-to, but I was also playing the sh*t out of that bass then.

In what way are they “chewing through them”? Like the winds are getting all jacked up, or they’re just dulling faster?

 

[metropolis_4]

That’s interesting, it’s not the first time I’ve heard this.

I’m up to 2 guitars and a bass with SS frets and haven’t had the issue on my end. After about a week of playing my strings dull out enough to make me want to change them again (my satisfaction with doing string changes plays a part) so it’d be hard for me to judge if the frets are effecting the strings.

I do know when I got a custom gauge set of Stringjoy’s for the bass they seemed to die out faster than NYXL’s, which is my go-to, but I was also playing the sh*t out of that bass then.

In what way are they “chewing through them”? Like the winds are getting all jacked up, or they’re just dulling faster?

The wraps on these strings are pure nickel so softer than the SS of the frets. The wrap on the bottom is getting flattened and worn through.

Trying to decide if I want to change string type/brand or just replace strings more often on these guitars

 

[James Freeman]

Yeah try a wound alloy that's slightly stronger than pure nickel.

edit:
Question, why not standard nickel-plated strings in the first place?

 

[DrewJD82]

The wraps on these strings are pure nickel so softer than the SS of the frets. The wrap on the bottom is getting flattened and worn through.

Trying to decide if I want to change string type/brand or just replace strings more often on these guitars

Ahhh, that’s what I figured. Crazy it does that much damage on them!

 

[metropolis_4]

Yeah try a wound alloy that's slightly stronger than pure nickel.

edit:
Question, why not standard nickel-plated strings in the first place?

I’d been using Ernie Ball Paradigms and NYXLs before these. I decided to give these Broadways a try and found I really liked the sound of them better.

To my ears they seem to have a bit richer sound to them that was really working for me for the past few runs of shows. They seem to really last a long time too. They seem to last longer before the tone starts changing than nickel plated strings

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Yeah try a wound alloy that's slightly stronger than pure nickel.

edit:
Question, why not standard nickel-plated strings in the first place?

Because pure nickel are amazing. They never have the overly-zingy brand-new-string sound, and that perfectly broken in sound lasts longer than the sweet spot of plated.

The round core is a big deal, too. I use DR Pure Blues and I can go up a gauge, two on some guitars, and get all the benefits of bigger strings, but still be able to bend them about the same.

 

[andergtr]

I don’t know why this never occurred to me. I’ve been kind of obsessed with Stringjoy Broadways lately and they’re round core pure nickel wrap. The problem is the Stainless Steel frets are chewing through them.

My guitars with nickel alloy frets are fine, but the ones with SS are eating through the strings faster than I like. I guess it makes sense that I might have to go with SS strings or at least nickel plated for the guitars with SS

SS is harder than nickel.

 

[metropolis_4]

Because pure nickel are amazing. They never have the overly-zingy brand-new-string sound, and that perfectly broken in sound lasts longer than the sweet spot of plated.

The round core is a big deal, too. I use DR Pure Blues and I can go up a gauge, two on some guitars, and get all the benefits of bigger strings, but still be able to bend them about the same.

That’s similar to my experience. The tone of them seems to stay consistent longer before changing.

 

[metropolis_4]

SS is harder than nickel.

Yeah, that’s why I was saying I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that this might happen

 

[andergtr]

Yeah, that’s why I was saying I don’t know why it didn’t occur to me that this might happen

yeah, i would expect it to.

 

[Blix]

I have no issues with the Broadways on my SS fretted guitars.

 

[Alex Kenivel]

I've never had SS frets until January when I got the AZ. They dull and eventually snap my NYXLs a lot faster than the nickel fret guitars but the nickel frets get pretty chewed up from the SS strings. It's a fair tradeoff to me.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

Jescar Evo SS frets …

I have them on my strat, and they are far better than the PRS frets. I’ve plek’ed the PRS once now. Still wears.

 

[Mooselake]

I have SS frets on two Suhr guitars. Had some trouble with Elixers breaking prematurely so switched to either Ernie Ball Paradigm or D'Addario NYXL and have had basically no troubles since. The Suhr frets are buttery smooth. In general, if something has to wear, I'd rather it be the strings than the frets, tbh. I can flatten nickel frets in an embarrassingly short time. My last nickel-fretted electric is out for refretting with stainless right now as it happens.

 

[metropolis_4]

I have SS frets on two Suhr guitars. Had some trouble with Elixers breaking prematurely so switched to either Ernie Ball Paradigm or D'Addario NYXL and have had basically no troubles since. The Suhr frets are buttery smooth. In general, if something has to wear, I'd rather it be the strings than the frets, tbh. I can flatten nickel frets in an embarrassingly short time. My last nickel-fretted electric is out for refretting with stainless right now as it happens.

I'm starting to think I might need to use different strings on different guitars based on the frets:

Pure nickel strings don't wear through my nickel frets as bad, but get chewed up by SS frets

NYXL and Paradigm chew through my nickel frets, but don't get chewed up by SS frets