Haywire Custom Guitars Frets Section - Do They Really Matter?
Most guitar players really don't give a lot of thought to the frets, though it can influence both tone and playability. Instead, most players will view the frets as an integral part of a guitar's fingerboard. If a guitar has a smooth, playable neck that allows you to bend notes, do hammer-on and pull-offs and deliver clean articulations at all positions up and down the neck, it means that the frets have been perfectly matched and properly "dressed" to provide the best overall low action. The bottom line is that frets do matter, but it's the manufacturer who is best qualified to determine what size and thickness of fret wire matches the fingerboard of their instruments. If a guitar plays well, it has the right frets. If it's hard to bend a note, that instrument probably doesn't have the right frets for challenging solo work.
Standard Nickel/Silver Fret Wire
We offer only quality fret wire drawn from the finest 18% hard nickel/silver to give long life with steel strings. The composition of this fret wire, while called "nickel/silver", contains no silver at all. The ingredients are brass and nickel. Apparently, 18% nickel is sufficient to make brass look silver! For general reference we use Dunlop's fret numbers, however, actual fret dimensions vary somewhat from batch to batch.
| Fret Model | Width x Height | Description |
| 6100 | .112" x 0.55" | Huge! This is big stuff for the almost scalloped feel. |
| 6105 | .096" x 0.47" | Narrow and tall. A very popular choice. |
| 6130 | .106" x .036" | Often referred to as "medium jumbo". This is the size found on many Gibson® necks. |
| 6230 | .080" x 0.43" | This is the smallest fret wire. Used on older Fender® necks. |
| 6150 | .103 x .046" | A true "jumbo". It is about the same width as the 6130 but a bit taller. |
Stainless Steel Fret Wire
Stainless Steel Fret Wire is available! If you want an extra slick feel along with super smooth bending and playability, this is the "stuff"! Stainless steel is harder and it's life expectancy is much longer than our standard fret wire. Try it. You'll love it!
| Fret Model | Width x Height | Description |
| SS6105 | .102" x .049" | A true "jumbo". It is about the same width as the 6130 but a bit taller. POPULAR! |
| SS6230 | .080" x 0.43" | Small vintage Fender® size. Needs frequent dressing and leveling. |
| SS6115 | .107" x .052" | A true "jumbo" wire. |
Almost Gold Color Fret Wire
New Gold colored fret wire is a tough copper alloy without Nickel and the color is similar to 12k Gold in appearance. This is not the same brass color as Warwick wire. This is not just a "plating". It is solid throughout. It's very rich looking wire.
| Fret Model | Width x Height | Description |
| 61GD | .090" x .055" | Narrow and quite tall. |
Gold alloy wire works and wears about the same as the standard nickel / silver fret wire.