frets: how to know what kind?

Slim chance it's stainless steel, since this kind of fret material hasn't been around very long and it's been even a shorter period of time, since small guys like me could even get it.

I've heard someone say that the stainless steel fret-wire they bought was magnetic !!! And I'm wondering where this magnetic ss wire comes from (perhaps this is ss wire from Asia ?)

The ss wire I have from Germany is *not* magnetic at all, and looks pretty much the same as nickel-silver fret-wire. I have to read the labels on the coils to know which is which, but also, the ss wire is lighter in weight.

How to tell the difference between the 2 wire types after they've been installed on necks would be a problem.

Here's a photo of some of my fret-wire. Some in the picture is nickel-silver and some is stainless steel (two coils are gold, so those don't count). Can you tell which is which ? I sure can't

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v398/soapbarstrat/german-frets2.jpg

 

Yes, I should have a better picture, but the problem is that when they install either wire, they polish it real well, so both kinds are going to look about as shiney as the other.

I guess after some time, the ns wire will start to look dull, and supposedly ss wire doesn't do this.

be careful about fret-wear, because I've heard even stainless wire can get worn spots or damage, if the player is quite abusive.

 

The SS fretwire I have is more of a gray-ish/silver, the Dunlop wire I have has a bit of a gold-ish tint to it.
The SS wire I have is noticeably heavier than the Dunlop wire of equal size. The stuff I have is non-magnetic.

 

Stainless steel is impervious to magnetic fields--it can neither be magnetized nor can it be attracted to a magnet.

 

It was on another forum, and I replied asking where this "magnetic SS fret-wire" even came from, but got no reply back.
I knew if his wire was really magnetic, I would probably be some other kind of steel, as I've never seen a magnet stick to any SS.
It would have been funny if he would have replied with something like " no, I meant to say the SS wire is conductive", which would have made me ask " you mean you have other fret-wire that isn't ? " LOL

 

I beieve the 400 series stainless can be mildly magnetized.

 

The 400 series Stainless Steel is also known as Ferritic Stainless Steel....has higher carbon in the composition and is magnetic. The 300 series is known as Austenitic Stainless Steel.....not magnetic.