Zero fret

[jezzaboy]

What exactly is a zero fret for? I have one on my Status but why...........

Jez

[Paul_C]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_fret"]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_fret[/url]

[BottomEndian]

[url="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_fret#Purpose"]Wikipedia knows all[/url].

[BottomEndian]

JINX!

God, I'm 8 again...

[xilddx]

I'm a fan of the ZF. They make perfect sense and no-one on this planet may argue differently. If they do, they are nuts.

[Bassassin]

It's an incredibly sensible idea which for some reason has been tarred with the notion that it's a cheapskate corner cut.

All basses & guitars should have zero-frets. You know it makes sense.

Jon.

[Bassassin]

[quote name='silddx' post='739508' date='Feb 8 2010, 10:41 PM']I'm a fan of the ZF. They make perfect sense and no-one on this planet may argue differently. If they do, they are nuts.[/quote]
Amen, brother.

J.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Bassassin' post='739509' date='Feb 8 2010, 10:41 PM']It's an incredibly sensible idea which for some reason has been tarred with the notion that it's a cheapskate corner cut.

All basses & guitars should have zero-frets. You know it makes sense.

Jon.[/quote]
See? Now we understand each other

[xilddx]

Ooh, we're on a roll here mate

[ped]

Wikip.. oh :0)

[xilddx]

[quote name='ped' post='739514' date='Feb 8 2010, 10:46 PM']Wikip.. oh :0)[/quote]
Patrice is the only bass maker I fully agree with.

[ped]

How come?

[jezzaboy]

Aha! So it a good thing then. That`s me chuffed!

Jez

[xilddx]

[quote name='ped' post='739529' date='Feb 8 2010, 10:54 PM']How come?[/quote]
Because he focuses on what is necessary and what is usable. He abhors unneeded traditionalism and does what is practical with exceptional quality and attention to detail. He abhors glued in necks and vehemently denies they have any use whatsoever which really floats my monkey.

That said, there is no way in hell I would be happy with your bass which I played at the SE BB. It required too delicate a touch. But I dare say I could higher the action a bit

[ped]

Classic post. Agreeing with my POV? Check. Use of words like Abhor and Vehemently? Check. Use of word Monkey? Check.

[skankdelvar]

In a slightly different sense, Martin Carthy tells the story of his ...er... Martin 000-18MC "Martin Carthy Signature Model". He's always preferred a zero fret and asked Martin (the company) to put one on his Sig.

"Oh no," say Martin, "[i]We[/i] don't do zero frets. Mark of the amateur. Well-known fact".

"Oh dear," replies Carthy, not to be denied. "Over in Europe [i]everybody[/i] and his dog uses zero fret guitars. Leave the zero fret off and this guitar won't sell sell a single unit."

"Ah. Right. Well, I suppose you know your market best," concede Martin and off they go to re-tool.

Suckers.

Edited February 9, 2010 by skankdelvar

[EssentialTension]

Don't some Hofners have zero frets?

Edited February 9, 2010 by EssentialTension

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I think my hohner B2A has one. Can't be bothered to get it out if its case to check though.

[xilddx]

[quote name='Jean-Luc Pickguard' post='740313' date='Feb 9 2010, 07:56 PM']I think my hohner B2A has one. Can't be bothered to get it out if its case to check though.[/quote]
It does.

[ped]

[quote name='silddx' post='740334' date='Feb 9 2010, 08:17 PM']It does.[/quote]

Silddx is in yer' house!!

[xilddx]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='740299' date='Feb 9 2010, 07:33 PM']In a slightly different sense, Martin Carthy tells the story of his ...er... Martin 000-18MC "Martin Carthy Signature Model". He's always preferred a zero fret and asked Martin (the company) to put one on his Sig.

"Oh no," say Martin, "[i]We[/i] don't do zero frets. Mark of the amateur. Well-known fact".

"Oh dear," replies Carthy, not to be denied. "Over in Europe [i]everybody[/i] and his dog uses zero fret guitars. Leave the zero fret off and this guitar won't sell sell a single unit."

"Ah. Right. Well, I suppose you know your market best," concede Martin and off they go to re-tool.

Suckers.[/quote]
That's right. Martin Carthy does know best.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Is it mere coincidence that my best two basses have a zero fret?

Or is it that they're made by complete QC obsessives (Patrice Vigier / Rob Green)?

Or is it the Carbon Graphite connection?

Either way, Vigiers and Statii sure are good (and consistently good, too) instruments.

[ped]

My Marleaux bass also had a zero fret. I think they give more consistency between the fretted and unfretted notes and allow a lower action and overall setup. I like 'em. They do seem to be a European thing, though!

[davidmpires]

My T-Bass has a Zero Fret, can't tell I notice that much a difference comparing to my spector

Edited February 10, 2010 by davidmpires

[cheddatom]

On the Wiki, it says that certain people claim that a difference can be heard between different nuts, even when you're fretting the string. That surely has to be a load of bollocks and there's been a scientific experiment to prove it?