Zero Fret?

crunchman

thegummy said:

Any idea what the downside to zero-frets is?

I thought I remember asking this on here once and there was a reason but maybe it's just one of these things that never took off because it wasn't on the original 50s models.

They wear.

The string is on it all the time, so it wears more quickly than the other frets.  You then get fret buzz on the normal frets because the string is too low.

I've not played a lot of guitars with zero frets.  The only one I can really remember was a Fylde acoustic, which was very underwhelming tone wise, but I suspect that's more to do with the way he braces them.

thegummy

crunchman said:

thegummy said:

Any idea what the downside to zero-frets is?

I thought I remember asking this on here once and there was a reason but maybe it's just one of these things that never took off because it wasn't on the original 50s models.

They wear.

The string is on it all the time, so it wears more quickly than the other frets.  You then get fret buzz on the normal frets because the string is too low.

I've not played a lot of guitars with zero frets.  The only one I can really remember was a Fylde acoustic, which was very underwhelming tone wise, but I suspect that's more to do with the way he braces them.

How does it wear compared to how quickly nuts do on normal guitars?

thegummy

Adey said:

I had a look at the fitting instructions and you do need to fettle it. But that would be entirely understandable for something like this.

I can imagine that the technically unskilled might try fitting one with no level of expertise or skill and then say it was rubbish.

Being "reasonably" proficient at practical skills I'm hoping to be able to do a fairly decent job of it though.

I'm reasonably proficient but would any special tools be needed do you think?

WezV

thegummy said:

WezV said:

One key benefit is consistent string height at the "nut"

However, it can be short lived as the zero fret wears down and things start getting buzzy.

I often use stainless for the zero, or go for a slightly higher fret if not 

Would I be right in guessing that a plastic or bone nut would wear down faster than a zero fret but be a lot easier to replace?

When I first saw the idea of a zero fret I thought it made so much sense and wondered why they're not ubiquitous or at least more common. I think one of the downsides was along those lines.

Doesn't seem to be the way it works.

Strings slide through nut slots, but grate over the top of a zero fret when tuning.   It's a much smaller contact point on a zero fret.  If it was that small on a bone nut it would wear down almost instantly

Adey

There is a video on the website that shows you how to install it and any tools you might need. The only one some people may not have is some wire snippers (not the side cutting "pliers" type).

It doesn't look hard. You just need to take your time and do a neat job.

I have just sent a query to the suppliers (BTN Music) as I wanted to query how they measure string spacing - outside to outside, or centre to centre? Then I think I'm going to give one a go. And if I like it I'll go for the Stainless Steel fret option.

monofin

That zero glide looks a great idea.

Always loved the zero feet on Shergolds but they wore pretty easily making clean bends a challenge 

crunchman

thegummy said:

crunchman said:

thegummy said:

Any idea what the downside to zero-frets is?

I thought I remember asking this on here once and there was a reason but maybe it's just one of these things that never took off because it wasn't on the original 50s models.

They wear.

The string is on it all the time, so it wears more quickly than the other frets.  You then get fret buzz on the normal frets because the string is too low.

I've not played a lot of guitars with zero frets.  The only one I can really remember was a Fylde acoustic, which was very underwhelming tone wise, but I suspect that's more to do with the way he braces them.

How does it wear compared to how quickly nuts do on normal guitars?

I've not got personal experience of the zero fret, but I don't find nut wear to be an issue on a normal guitar.  I've got a Strat that I've had from new that now needs a refret.  It's still got the original nut, and I've had no problems with it.  It might need replacing with the refret, as the new frets will be higher as the current frets have been stoned off twice.

DavidRees

I still believe that the reason that a number of acoustic guitar players use a capo so often is not always about changing the key for a vocalist but because they desire the feel of a zero fret and the percussive quality it adds to root position playing, particularly hammer ons within chords James Taylor style ...

GuyBoden

All I know is that the Zero fret is excellent on my headless guitar, but I have never deliberately played an open string since the 1st March 1979.

Philly_Q

The Zero Glide assembly looks a bit rickety to me.  It's just a loose fret sitting in a slot between the end of the fretboard and a plastic nut.  Of course everything can be glued in place, and string pressure will hold it there anyway, but I think I'd prefer the zero fret to be properly anchored in the wood of the fretboard like all the other frets.

WezV

Philly_Q said:

The Zero Glide assembly looks a bit rickety to me.  It's just a loose fret sitting in a slot between the end of the fretboard and a plastic nut.  Of course everything can be glued in place, and string pressure will hold it there anyway, but I think I'd prefer the zero fret to be properly anchored in the wood of the fretboard like all the other frets.

It's actually good to have a fret with the barbs removed for the zero as it makes replacement much easier.  

Adey

Update...

I bought a Zero Glide for my Westbury Custom. I got this guitar in a bit of a state, with no nut, so just quickly stuffed what I had handy on to it, cut it about right and just played it. But it was just cheap plastic.

It now has the Zero Glide product on it. Fitting was pretty easy, but sanding the nut down to the right height was a little tricky. It is difficult to keep the base of it square to the fretboard face, due partly to the double rebates on the nut.

To get over this problem, I taped a suitably thick metal shims onto the to rebates to "level them up with the face of the nut, and then pushed it against the vertical face of a piece of prepared timber on the sandpaper, to keep everything square, whilst sanding it down. (if that makes sense....???)

Selecting the zero fret I wanted, cutting to length, filing and fitting was straight forward.

Probably a couple of hours of fettling altogether, but a great inprovement. And so much easier to get it into tune, and also change to different tunings - really smooth. The old nut was a bit of a quick bodge, so not the best, but this is really easy now to just "tweak" the tuning up or down a bit. When dropping the pitch, you can just drop to what you want. You don't need to go low and then bring it back up to pitch.

Oh, and it is also rock (n roll) solid. Nothing is loose or a bit wobbly. I glued it all in place, but it was actually all tight without it.

Well worth £25 in my opinion.....

:-)