I don't think it would be technique, unless your hands are made of metal or something. Sounds like maybe it's cheap frets? Was the mandolin new 6 months ago when you got it? If not, did you happen to check it for fret wear when you got it?
I have a mandolin that I got about 2.5 years ago, and I noticed the other day that it has some pretty noticeable fret wear too, but I played it quite a lot with a band. If you play a whole lot, maybe wearing frets down in 6 months is "normal". Sounds kind of strange though.
What kind of mandolin is it?
Do you change your strings monthly?
Do you wipe off your strings after you play or make an effort to keep the strings clean?
I'm not an expert in this area, but I wore the frets off my first mandolin and tried to have them replaced only to be told that it would cost more than the replacement value of my mandolin.
My understanding is that my disregard for regular string changes and cleanliness did the frets of my first mandolin in. Also, I had a low end Ibanez which probably didn't help.
I s the fret-wear causing any problems ? That's the big question. Are any of the notes now buzzing, for instance ?
You might also be loosing a bit of accuracy of intonation.
It may be possible to remove the wear by "stoning" the fretboard, running a flat whetstone up and down the fingerboard to take down the fret height. This is a temporary measure, later you will need a refret.
Of course, we haeven't asked leading questions like "How good/expensive is the mando ?" You can buy brass mandolin-wire on eBay, but I wouldn't recommend it as hard-wearing. Also, how hard do you fret ? Are you over-agressive with your left hand ?
Some wear must be expected. I find, as I diversify into more instruments, that I get less wear on each one.Get another instrument - 'zouk maybe, or banjo.
As I keep saying.............
Give us a bit of history when you first log on; general location, a hint of age and experience. Embroider this as much as you like for our help and amusement, it all adds to what we might be able to contribute in our replies.
Some people might not believe the career path I've described, but that's for themto disprove - I do have a photograph of myself as a pirate, should you doubt my words.....
and to Guernsey Pete - no buzzing at all; I may be pretty aggressive with my left hand, yes. But then I play hard rhythm, especially if I'm backing myself while singing. Rock'n'roll bluegrass I suppose ...
OK Pete. Place? London; age? ha! dug the ancient Gibson A-0 out of a 20 year retirement at the turn of this century, then decided to treat myself to an F-shape. I wish I'd written "Walls Of Time" ....
That's not much playing time at all. Sounds like cheap fretwire to me. Get it re-fretted with good wire by a reputable luthier.
Wiping down the fingerboard after playing helps prolong the life of your strings, but shouldn't affect the frets much. Even if you don't sweat much, hand oils can corrode the wrapping on strings.
Just looked at the Furch website. They offer a 24-month warranty. It may or may not apply to the frets, but it might be worth a shot to see if they'd replace the frets at no cost. Also, if they're serious about making decent instruments, they need to be aware of fret wear happening in 120 hours or less of playing time. That's just not acceptable. Could be they got a bad batch of wire....
Thanks 'Chesh' ... might be a bad batch - I've probably done nearer 300 hours playing since I first got it, but it's still not that much compared to some. I have a good local luthier (makes guitars) - do you have any recommendations for fret wire so I could advise him?
I was just doing the math--you've had it only 6 months (24 weeks), and you say you play at most 5to 6 hours a week. That's at most 150 hours.
Most standard fretwire is an alloy of nickel and copper or brass. It's called "nickel/silver" in the trade, but there's no silver in it. You want at least 18% nickel in the alloy for proper hardness and durability.
Some places now offer stainless steel fretwire. It lasts much longer than nickel/silver, and most players like the smoother feel of the frets, too. It can be harder to install and typically is more expensive (but may be worth it in your case).
Great - thanks, I will look into both types of wire.
I was not knocking your maths, by the way! It just that up until recently I had more time on my hands; and I played the hell out of the mandolin when I first got it!
As another matter of interest, I've just compared it to my 70's Jap Kasuga I've personally had for about 7 years; it's never had a refret, and I've played it every week in a 3-hour session (left the Gibson at home) - it's got almost equal fret wear to the Furch!
Yep, sounds like soft fretwire. Sometimes the alloy just isn't the right mix. Or it could be that Furch uses cheap wire, or got stuck with a bad batch.
Refretting isn't hard, but it is labor intensive and usually somewhat expensive (when done by a good luthier). Talk with the seller (shop) or Furch themselves about covering all or some of the cost. And good luck with it.
I don't think wiping or changing strings has any effect on the fretwire, which in this case sounds like a quality of materials issue. Most manufacturers do not warranty frets. You should bring it in to a good shop. Frets can often be resurfaced and leveled long before they need replacing. Fretwork is seldom cheap and a refret might not make much sense economically.
Some of those "cheap" Ibanez Japanese made mandolins from the 70's are quite good and now command respectable money in the used market.
If the fretwire alloy is too soft, resurfacing them is just throwing money away. The problem will soon recur. Better to refret with stainless steel and be done with it.
I used to do all the inlays and fret work for Flatiron Mandolins. Old, oxidized strings can chew up frets more quickly than fresh strings, so it's a reasonable practice to replace strings every 150 to 200 hours of playing time. Most fretwire manufacturers recommend this.
excessive fret wear?
excessive fret wear?
I've had this mandolin 6 months, maybe more, and yes, I do play a lot; but the frets are really worn down. Is it something to do with bad technique?
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
I don't think it would be technique, unless your hands are made of metal or something. Sounds like maybe it's cheap frets? Was the mandolin new 6 months ago when you got it? If not, did you happen to check it for fret wear when you got it?
I have a mandolin that I got about 2.5 years ago, and I noticed the other day that it has some pretty noticeable fret wear too, but I played it quite a lot with a band. If you play a whole lot, maybe wearing frets down in 6 months is "normal". Sounds kind of strange though.
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by timmy!
Re: excessive fret wear?
A bit more info might help us come up with some answers.
How many hours a week do you play that mandolin?
What make mandolin is it? How old is this mandolin?
What size fretwire is it? (Even if all you can tell us is thin, medium, or fat)
What gauge strings do you use?
Which frets are worn?
Is the fingerboard (the wood itself) also worn?
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: excessive fret wear?
What kind of mandolin is it?
Do you change your strings monthly?
Do you wipe off your strings after you play or make an effort to keep the strings clean?
I'm not an expert in this area, but I wore the frets off my first mandolin and tried to have them replaced only to be told that it would cost more than the replacement value of my mandolin.
My understanding is that my disregard for regular string changes and cleanliness did the frets of my first mandolin in. Also, I had a low end Ibanez which probably didn't help.
Good luck
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by abuteague
Re: excessive fret wear?
I s the fret-wear causing any problems ? That's the big question. Are any of the notes now buzzing, for instance ?
You might also be loosing a bit of accuracy of intonation.
It may be possible to remove the wear by "stoning" the fretboard, running a flat whetstone up and down the fingerboard to take down the fret height. This is a temporary measure, later you will need a refret.
Of course, we haeven't asked leading questions like "How good/expensive is the mando ?" You can buy brass mandolin-wire on eBay, but I wouldn't recommend it as hard-wearing. Also, how hard do you fret ? Are you over-agressive with your left hand ?
Some wear must be expected. I find, as I diversify into more instruments, that I get less wear on each one.Get another instrument - 'zouk maybe, or banjo.
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: excessive fret wear?
How many hours a week do you play that mandolin?
- - 5 or 6 hours on a good week – 2 when I’m too busy
What make mandolin is it? How old is this mandolin?
- - Furch / Stonebridge F23 six months old
What size fretwire is it? (Even if all you can tell us is thin, medium, or fat)
- - I guess medium
What gauge strings do you use?
- - Martin Bluegrass
Which frets are worn?
- - The first 5, mainly on the 2nd string (which I bend quite a lot!)
Is the fingerboard (the wood itself) also worn?
- - No
Do you change your strings monthly?
- About that
Do you wipe off your strings after you play?
- - I don’t get sweaty fingers at all, so no.
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
As I keep saying.............
Give us a bit of history when you first log on; general location, a hint of age and experience. Embroider this as much as you like for our help and amusement, it all adds to what we might be able to contribute in our replies.
Some people might not believe the career path I've described, but that's for themto disprove - I do have a photograph of myself as a pirate, should you doubt my words.....
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Guernsey Pete
Re: excessive fret wear?
and to Guernsey Pete - no buzzing at all; I may be pretty aggressive with my left hand, yes. But then I play hard rhythm, especially if I'm backing myself while singing. Rock'n'roll bluegrass I suppose ...
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
OK Pete. Place? London; age? ha! dug the ancient Gibson A-0 out of a 20 year retirement at the turn of this century, then decided to treat myself to an F-shape. I wish I'd written "Walls Of Time" ....
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
That's not much playing time at all. Sounds like cheap fretwire to me. Get it re-fretted with good wire by a reputable luthier.
Wiping down the fingerboard after playing helps prolong the life of your strings, but shouldn't affect the frets much. Even if you don't sweat much, hand oils can corrode the wrapping on strings.
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: excessive fret wear?
Just looked at the Furch website. They offer a 24-month warranty. It may or may not apply to the frets, but it might be worth a shot to see if they'd replace the frets at no cost. Also, if they're serious about making decent instruments, they need to be aware of fret wear happening in 120 hours or less of playing time. That's just not acceptable. Could be they got a bad batch of wire....
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: excessive fret wear?
Thanks 'Chesh' ... might be a bad batch - I've probably done nearer 300 hours playing since I first got it, but it's still not that much compared to some. I have a good local luthier (makes guitars) - do you have any recommendations for fret wire so I could advise him?
Thanks to everyone for their help, by the way.
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
I was just doing the math--you've had it only 6 months (24 weeks), and you say you play at most 5to 6 hours a week. That's at most 150 hours.
Most standard fretwire is an alloy of nickel and copper or brass. It's called "nickel/silver" in the trade, but there's no silver in it. You want at least 18% nickel in the alloy for proper hardness and durability.
Some places now offer stainless steel fretwire. It lasts much longer than nickel/silver, and most players like the smoother feel of the frets, too. It can be harder to install and typically is more expensive (but may be worth it in your case).
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: excessive fret wear?
Great - thanks, I will look into both types of wire.
I was not knocking your maths, by the way! It just that up until recently I had more time on my hands; and I played the hell out of the mandolin when I first got it!
As another matter of interest, I've just compared it to my 70's Jap Kasuga I've personally had for about 7 years; it's never had a refret, and I've played it every week in a 3-hour session (left the Gibson at home) - it's got almost equal fret wear to the Furch!
# Posted on October 17th 2007 by flatback88
Re: excessive fret wear?
Yep, sounds like soft fretwire. Sometimes the alloy just isn't the right mix. Or it could be that Furch uses cheap wire, or got stuck with a bad batch.
Refretting isn't hard, but it is labor intensive and usually somewhat expensive (when done by a good luthier). Talk with the seller (shop) or Furch themselves about covering all or some of the cost. And good luck with it.
# Posted on October 18th 2007 by Will Harmon
Re: excessive fret wear?
I don't think wiping or changing strings has any effect on the fretwire, which in this case sounds like a quality of materials issue. Most manufacturers do not warranty frets. You should bring it in to a good shop. Frets can often be resurfaced and leveled long before they need replacing. Fretwork is seldom cheap and a refret might not make much sense economically.
Some of those "cheap" Ibanez Japanese made mandolins from the 70's are quite good and now command respectable money in the used market.
# Posted on October 18th 2007 by Steve L
Re: excessive fret wear?
If the fretwire alloy is too soft, resurfacing them is just throwing money away. The problem will soon recur. Better to refret with stainless steel and be done with it.
I used to do all the inlays and fret work for Flatiron Mandolins. Old, oxidized strings can chew up frets more quickly than fresh strings, so it's a reasonable practice to replace strings every 150 to 200 hours of playing time. Most fretwire manufacturers recommend this.
# Posted on October 18th 2007 by Will Harmon