Official Luthiers Forum!

I am new to guitars but my experience with ukuleles has been that a zero fret fretboard must be better set-up but the final setup becomes easier.

Tried them with our basses. They turned out to be more work and hassle than a regular nut.

On guitars, they wear a groove, then "ping" when you bend a string.

A stainless fretwire would improve the grooving problem. I have heard that stainless wire can be a pain to work with.

I've done 2 acoustics with zero frets.(clients request) Both had SS frets, which I require with a zero fret. I don't think a zero fret hurts anything, but I also think it isn't necessary.

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I've built 12 with zero fret and love it. I've been playing a zero fret Yairi for 38 years and it shows no appreciable wear.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

My opinion is it gives open strings the same sound as fretted notes. They are not as loud and sustainy as non zero fret neck. This is one reason i don't like it. I like that the open strings sound different then the fretted. Gives you a hole lot more sounds to play with. These are popular with some classical player for the reason that the open notes sound more like fretted notes...mike

Bob,

Yes, there does seem to be some issues with using a zero fret on a steel string guitar. Of course, there is a much greater pull with steel strings over nylon strings and I can see where that could mar regular frets. That being said I think for my next couple of ukuleles I will use zero frets. There is not that much pull on the strings and shouldn't be any damage without the steel strings. More importantly, even with my poor ear it seems I hear a difference in tone in particular playing a C6 chord. None the less, for me it seems to make sense on a ukulele.

Philip

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aka konacat

If you think my playing is bad you should hear me sing!
Practice breeds confidence and confidence breeds competence. Unfortunately, I'm stuck in practice.