Crystal Frets

[Roland Rock]

Apologies if this has been discussed before, but anyone come across these?

Basically you pay the company $1500 odd and they replace your old metal frets with quartz crystal ones, in whatever crazy colour combo you want.
Superb tone, sustain, durability etc. etc.

[url="http://www.crystalfrets.com/"]http://www.crystalfrets.com/[/url]

[SidVicious1978]

they seem cool but very pricey

[Kiwi]

Durability? Quartz is rated 7.0 on the Mohs scale. Stainless steel is rated 5.5 - 6.0 but quartz is also very brittle.

Crystal frets are not going to result in noticeable sustain or amplification by themselves, there's more to creating sustain than just hard frets. It requires a more rigid neck/fingerboard too but that also changes tone...you might notice more prominent attack, just like stainless steel frets but that may also result in more clatter, depending on what the fingerboard is made from.

[cocco]

I don't really see the point....

[Happy Jack]

Depends whether the crystals have healing powers.

And re-sharpen old razor blades.

[charic]

They do seem pretty cool (if you have the money spare).

[Grand Wazoo]

[quote name='cocco' timestamp='1331278064' post='1570556']
I don't really see the point....
[/quote]

Me neither, I can imagine the risk of injury from shards detatching from the quartz that could slipt your fingers

[leftybassman392]

Can you get them made for a lefty?

[bigsmokebass]

Remember seeing a YouTube vid on this, seem extra nice in what they do but I'm a vintage guy and I love basses how they are out of the factory at the moment

[apa]

Will it mean you'll always be playing in time?

See what I did there? did yah? ah?

A

[RandomBass]

I'm sure there is someone in the music fraternity that can get you some, although that price does seem high.

Oh sorry, I misread the thread title

[Ou7shined]

[quote name='apa' timestamp='1331502422' post='1573942']
Will it mean you'll always be playing in time?

[b]See what I did there? did yah? ah?[/b]

A
[/quote]

Yep. Crystal clear.

[Wil]

Stainless steel frets are apparently are right bugger to dress, due to the hardness, so I'd hate to think what these are like.

I've got SS frets on my warmoth guitar, no difference in sound and not much difference in feel (the main advantage is it reduces the chances of my nickel allergy flaring up). I also once had a P bass refretted with SS - on this instrument there was a noticable increase in fret clatter.

So, I'd say, if your hands are ok with nickel... stick with nickel.

[xilddx]

I can't see what the problem is they are trying to solve. Fret wear? Tone / Sustain? Appearance? Seems like technology for technology's sake. They also look vile and too big.

Edited March 12, 2012 by silddx

[shizznit]

Very pretty, but utterly pointless. I think you would lose a lot of the feel of your instrument because those frets are MASSIVE!!! Even Jens Ritter would struggle to find a reason to use those frets!

[dlloyd]

Not sure about these, but I still want a fretless with a granite fingerboard:

[chris_b]

Same old fingers though....

Will they make Brown Eyed Girl sound any better?

[Wil]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1331557298' post='1574665']
Not sure about these, but I still want a fretless with a granite fingerboard:

[/quote]

To me, that just looks like a kitchen worktop...

[xilddx]

[quote name='dlloyd' timestamp='1331557298' post='1574665']
Not sure about these, but I still want a fretless with a granite fingerboard:


[/quote]

I love the dual purpose rule!

Flat screwdrivers for opening paint tins, guitars for slicing eggs ..

Granite fingerboards for chopping cabbage. Shredding has never been easier.

[Low End Bee]

Wasn't Crystal Frets and Alistair a cartoon?

[shizznit]

[quote name='silddx' timestamp='1331558652' post='1574703']
I love the dual purpose rule!

Flat screwdrivers for opening paint tins, guitars for slicing eggs ..

Granite fingerboards for chopping cabbage. Shredding has never been easier.
[/quote]

[Gust0o]

Are they good for metal?