Do 6100 (jumbo) frets make a brighter tone (strat)?

[smv929]

I replaced the neck on my Nash strat (see specs at bottom) with one having bigger frets (6100s). It's defintely brighter. Is this normal? (They're not stainless steel either; they're not supposed to be anyway.)

At first I was concerned about them being too bright. I've had to reduce my amp's high end and mids to warm it up. Also I lowered the pickups' height to where they should have been anyway. As a result, I'm very pleased with the sound. The guitar is warm, but still much brighter and more "punchy" than it was with the original neck. Same is true when compared to my other strat which has smaller frets (they are the tall, narrow frets -- 6105 or 6150). The difference in brightness shocked me, but after making adjustments, I'm excited because it actually sounds a little more strat'ty a'la Stevie Ray. He used 6100s too. For instance, when playing a rhythm on the neck pickup using the old neck (or on my other strat), my tone would be too bassy. I would have to reduce the bass and increase the mids. But that is no longer the case. Rhythms on the neck pickup sound just right. I'm concerned about the bridge being too bright. So far it's ok. I usually roll down the tone knob slightly anyway for it.

An interesting note: I wanted 6100s on my strat after getting a PRS DGT. I thought those frets were huge. However, the 6100s on my strat neck significantly taller. PRS must file down the frets on the DGTs.

My strat specs are: alder body, maple neck with rosewood top, 12" radius, lollar pickups (nash strats have Lollar Black Faces in neck and middle and, I think, a Lollar Blonde in the bridge. Strings are 10 guage.

If you have any experience or tips, let me know. I'm hoping this bird will fly. I think it will. I need to gig with it to know for sure.

[Keyser Soze]

You changed the entire neck?

Might not be the frets, might be the neck, also might be both the frets and the new neck.

In general I'd say that the neck wood tends to have a more profound effect on timbre than any potential changes due to fret size.

[smv929]

yeah, it's a brand new neck. Both the old and new are maple with rosewood top. The profile is about the same, so the amount of wood is about the same. I've changed necks before with fret size being the main difference and never heard drastic differences in tone. But, you're right. It could be the neck in general is still different somehow. I was just wondering if 6100 frets meant automatic brightness.

[topbrent]

What brand of neck?

[buddastrat]

A neck is the fundamental fingerprint of the guitar's tone. You changed necks.

Having said that, I have found through lots of refrets that the big, wide frets do have more of a sizzle, or clank frequency. like a cymbal's high end. Similar to fret buzz too. More as you play and the nickel frets wear quick and then you have more for the string to rattle against.

[smv929]

Originally Posted by topbrent

What brand of neck?

It's a USA Custom Guitar neck.

Originally Posted by buddastrat

...the big, wide frets do have more of a sizzle, or clank frequency. like a cymbal's high end. Similar to fret buzz too.

You described it exactly. Although that sounds like a bad sound, it's actually really cool. I'm getting some serious strat tone out of it and am liking the guitar more each day after making adjustments.

At first, I thought the higher frets would require the saddles to be raised to clear them, but it was the opposite. I had to lower the action about a whole allen wrench turn. Perhaps the old neck had a taller neck pocket?? I'll have to measure and compare them when I get home. BTW, I don't know the brand of the old neck. There's no label on the bottom of the neck. It's a Bill Nash guitar and he tends to use varous brands depending on the circumstances.

Any way, once I lowered the strings, the pickups were too high and sounded terrible. To top it off, the big frets added the brighter sizzle sound. I was fearing I had made a costly mistake. But after I lowered the pickups to accomodate the lower strings (using suggested standard pickup heights), the sound went from bad to great -- buttery, warm, stratty. Still haven't gigged with it, which is the true test, but a good sign is that it's sound and feel has inspired me to practice more lately.