In your opinion, which strings "eat" frets faster?

[piloto117]

I'm kind of curious to know if not only the material of which the strings are made of (nickel, steel, etc), but also gauge (thinner cuts more?) and string core shape (hex, round) plays a significant role in fretwear.
What's your take?

[EADGBE]

I think they're all about the same with the exception of nylon. I mean it's metal on metal.

[snowblind56]

I found Dean Markley Blue Steels to wear my frets faster.

[Dev...in]

steel is harder, and wears frets faster than pure nickel. It does depend on other factors. The best way i think to avoid unecessary fretwear is to change strings somewhat frequently (at least 4 times a year imo) depending on use. Polished clean frets will last longer. Also there are various grades and inconsistancies in fretwire which determine how soft or hard the material is.

fwiw: I used to use GHS boomers, these were harder on my frets than the pure nickles i use now.

[scolfax]

Aren't "pure nickel" strings just nickel wrapped steel on the wound strings?

[Dev...in]

"nickel wound" is nickel wrap. In short yes. But if you buy a slightly more fancy "pure nickel" set the plains are nickel coated or contain some nickel. The string industry is very murky about this. Mostly because the proportion of specific mentioned alloys is the secret formula. Whatever the case may be some really bright strings even use stainless on the wrap, which is still harder than most frets and therefore sorta bad for your frets. YMMV. Live fast play, hard and don't worry about your frets.

but please change your strings! all the worst looking frets i have ever seen belonged to guitarists who say "oh i only change strings when i break one"

[scolfax]

^^^ cool, thanks for the info!

[GAD]

Change them before they rust and your frets will last forever.

edit - yup - what he said.

[DustyRhodesJr]

Stainless steel strings will wear your frets out faster.

[tracye]

Great sounding strings and that they are fret eaters is nonsenseRotosounds will also eat through your frets.your fingers will be more relaxed, and you can play faster, cleaner and more effortless all at the same time.

[RocksOff]

Stainless steel will eat softer frets faster. Basic science.

[straycat113]

I change my strings at least once a month.A few small but important issues come into play when it comes to the life of your frets. First off if you are a blues based player and do a lot of bending your frets are going to wear out faster than someone playing shred or jazz where they are not bending anywhere near as much. Second and the most simple but neglected rule- wipe down your strings after each session. I see a lot of guys just wipe down the top of their strings-big mistake! Grab each string separately holding the top and bottom and slide up and down from the bridge to the nut. What happens is that all that crut on the bottom gets hard and starts cutting into your frets. The coolest little gadget I have come across in the last few years is the -Tone Gear String Cleaner Tool, which clamps down on all 6 strings and cleans both top and bottom evenly.-
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...FUHf4Aodmwtr_Q

[omfg51]

Originally Posted by Dev...in

steel is harder, and wears frets faster than pure nickel. It does depend on other factors. The best way i think to avoid unecessary fretwear is to change strings somewhat frequently (at least 4 times a year imo) depending on use. Polished clean frets will last longer. Also there are various grades and inconsistancies in fretwire which determine how soft or hard the material is.

fwiw: I used to use GHS boomers, these were harder on my frets than the pure nickles i use now.

I literally MUST change my strings every 2 weeks at the longest. They die so quickly. I have pure acid hands

[RoadRunner]

IMO... the strings that "eat" frets the fastest are the ones that get played the most.
If you play a lot you're going to wear out the frets on your guitar, the type of strings used doesn't matter.

[Jazzydave]

Originally Posted by straycat113

I change my strings at least once a month.A few small but important issues come into play when it comes to the life of your frets. First off if you are a blues based player and do a lot of bending your frets are going to wear out faster than someone playing shred or jazz where they are not bending anywhere near as much. Second and the most simple but neglected rule- wipe down your strings after each session. I see a lot of guys just wipe down the top of their strings-big mistake! Grab each string separately holding the top and bottom and slide up and down from the bridge to the nut. What happens is that all that crut on the bottom gets hard and starts cutting into your frets. The coolest little gadget I have come across in the last few years is the -Tone Gear String Cleaner Tool, which clamps down on all 6 strings and cleans both top and bottom evenly.-
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/acces...FUHf4Aodmwtr_Q

Bending strings has nothin to do with it...playin the same chords over and over does. I play all over the board which means I'm putting little pressure on each fret for limited amounts of time - people who stick to "cowboy chords" tend to wear out the first 3-4 frets first. Blues players who play around E mostly wear out the first few and around the 12th fret.

As someone who performs MANY times a year and plays everyday, changing your strings on a regular basis and cleaning your frets is key. A simple wipe down and/or light polish of your frets will do wonders, regardless of which strings you're using.

I'm always saddened when I buy a "new" nice guitar from someone on here and the strings are rusty and the frets are dull...it's like changing the oil in your car!