Zero frets

Andyjr1515

For the Dreadnought acoustic build, I'm probably going to put a zero fret in...does anyone else fit those if they have the opportunity?

bluebuddha

I can't offer advice, but am intrigued; what is the aim?

In my understanding it makes the open strings sound the same as fretted notes, which will take away some of the charm of an acoustic?

paulnb57

I'm not sure of advantages or disadvantages of the zero fret, it seems some do and some dont....I guess it automatically sets nut action and the nut is reduced to being a string guide, whick potentially saves having to fine tune the nut slots and you are fretting the neck anyway so one more is no hassle....

WezV

Not really, there is a tonal difference but its not the main reason for doing it. it takes all the setup work out of the nut, it just becomes a string guide.

This gives you a nice low action with very little effort. But it wears more than the other frets as tuning grinds it down.

I tend to use a SS fret for the zero, others go for higher fretwire.

Andyjr1515

Never thought of stainless, @WezV. That sounds like a great idea. I think I'll go that way Thanks

WezV

You can just go with normal fretwire and level with the rest, that's the way most are made. It gives the best possible action and most consistent tone.... But you will be replacing it every few years.

Both the Ss and higher fret solution introduce a slight compromise. The Ss brings in tonal variation between open and fretted strings, the higher fret compromises action. But you get a more reliable instrument

ChrisMusic

Vigier use an easily replaceable hardened zero fret on their guitars.  Wears better than a standard fret, and is an OEM replacement part off the shelf.  Works great IMO, and Vigier make great guitars.  They have some interesting innovations like carbon fibre inserts in the neck and no truss rod, action is always great, and they are climatically stable too.

Corvus

I've replaced a couple with stainless but they still notched a bit though. OTOH one zero fret on an acoustic did make it from 1958 through to last year with standard skinny wire. I used slightly taller wire to emulate a typical nut slot height. Gretsch also do that but  my Burns and Yams had same-wire ones originally.

Andyjr1515

Thanks for the views and experiences, folks

Roland

I like zero frets. There was one on my first real guitar, a Hofner President. The zero fret helped open strings to sound very similar to fretted notes. Yes, there are manufacturing and maintenance challenges, but a slightly raised stainless fret is going to address most of those. If the nut is positioned a short distance behind the fret then it makes first position bends a possibility.

Sarge

I did a refret on my father in laws Shergold Marathon bass, first zero fret I'd had a go at, and just guessed that leaving it unlevelled would work, it did, beautifully. I got lucky.