GUITARISTS...string gauges

[Hink]

however after 30 plus years of playing only once have I had to do a fret job...

Oh great! A bullshit competition! That's nothing I tell ya! I've been usin' the same set of strings for thirty years!

which part is bullhit?

OK -- you fooled us all - you play fretless guitar!

Seriously though - for just 1 second - frets do wear out ( unless you have 101 guitars and play each one every three months or so). Of course my piano strings are a whole other story - still holding up very well after thirty years

yes frets wear out...but even more serious for a minute...I haven't played the same guitar all my life

I do play a lot, yes I have done one fret job on my guitars...I also have a fret file...see you gotta take care of your guitar..I built my Warmoth in 1999...play it daily...no significant wear (they're a little flat on top, but that's cool). The action is too low for many, no buzzing or issues...they do wear some but they are not made out of lead or brass. They are made of nickel/silver, they do wear out but they generally the same hardness as strings.

A cutting tool must be harder then the surface you are cutting...that is why diamonds cut glass and why many metal cutting tools are carbide tip. So unless you are totally abusive to a guitar, frets dont wear out overnight (I have seen many vintage guitars with original frets). The strings are harder, but not by much which means it takes longer to wear out.

Don't believe me...get a hacksaw and cut through a piece of non-hardened cold rolled steel, then cut through a piece of aluminum, then try a piece of lead...the aluminum is easier then the steel to cut through, but no where near the difference in ease between the aluminum and the lead. That's because the hardness between the aluminum and steel are much closer.

Nickel and silver are fairly hard, strings as well are made out of nickel, so they aren't ripping it to shreds. Yeah they get flat on top...get a file (not a regular bastard file), but a fret file that will recrown it...however that will create a lot more wear and should really only be done if you notice a problem.

Being a little flat on top will not be a problem. Both ends of the strings make there point of contact across much wider and flatter points (neither a saddle or nut is a knife edge). Funny too because I think a guitar strummed open has more defination, more sustain and is better sounding then fretted chords...so obviously the width of the flat on the nut and saddles doesn't seem to hurt the sound much. Actually some guitarists call it "breaking it in".

Then on top of all that changing frets is easier then wallpapering...

[darcyb62]

oh and I like elixirs but they are so expensive

Try Blue Steel instead.
It's cheaper then Elixir and sounds better but it doesn't have all the other avantages of coated strings.

Never found the coating benefits to be worth the extra price.

How about prolonging the frets life to avoid those $300 refret jobs?

I've had to re-fret 1 guitar and that was one I bought at a pawn shop that was wel used. I can't see how they will prolong fret life. I used a set of the Elexirs once and found that the couating wore rather quickly on the underside of the string (where it touched the fret) so there was no real benefit there (a lot of string bending). The stop side stayed smooth so it helped reduce the string noise. Supposed to help with string oxidation as well but my my hands don't sweat a lot so again I can't really justify the cost. To each our own I guess though.