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Post by paulhersh9 on Aug 9, 2008 12:44:25 GMT -6
Chris or Rich, or anyone else: A question -- I have one guitar with 6105-size frets and another with something wider and lower. If both are newly set up and fret-dressed, would the intonation on the wider-lower fretted guitar be inferior to that of the taller, narrower 6105 guitar (all other things being equal)?
Thanks,
Paul
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Post by chris on Aug 10, 2008 1:53:07 GMT -6
No, all things being (truly) equal, both guitars will play in tune. The string sits on the crown of a properly dressed fret regardless of how wide it is.
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Post by Rich on Aug 10, 2008 7:06:55 GMT -6
It all depends on how the frets are crowned, and many other factors. A more abrupt curve will give more pin-point accuracy. A wider fret will be prone to "moving" the point of contact more than a narrower fret as it wears, thus throwing the intonation farther from optimum. On the other hand, a lower fret will not squeeze as sharp as a taller fret- so your fretting pressure will play a part in your intonation as well. IMO, the lower, narrower frets of yesteryear intonate much more accurately than 6105, 6150, 6000 sizes. The downside being they are tougher to bend, and cannot be dressed as often or as many times as their larger counterparts. Another factor is string gauge, as heavier strings are more stable (more mass, and less likely to stretch as you fret) however these are (again) tougher to fret or bend. Another consideration is setting intonation be ear vs. with a machine. A machine will be more consistent (to the numbers), but setting it by ear takes your fretting pressure, the direction of your fretting hand, and your personal touch into account. I much prefer to have my intonation set by ear. This method compensates (to a degree) for all the real-life conditions such as fretting technique and picking force- regardless of fret height or width.
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Post by paulhersh9 on Aug 11, 2008 15:19:07 GMT -6
It all depends on how the frets are crowned, and many other factors. A more abrupt curve will give more pin-point accuracy. A wider fret will be prone to "moving" the point of contact more than a narrower fret as it wears, thus throwing the intonation farther from optimum. Ahhh, this is exactly what I suspected was taking place, based on my playing experience. Thanks very much for explaining this phenomenon, Rich. Paul |
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