[quote="The Bass Sherpa":2u0oi70s]Seems like the frets on my AB1 5 are showing an ungodly amount of fret wear. Fret digging, really. I've only had it since lastr summer... Anybody else notice this on theirs? Thanks[/quote:2u0oi70s] This is a common problem with nickle frets and SS strings. SS strings are always going to wear nickle frets out quickly. I had an LB75P w/ SS frets and after 2 years of playing they were barely marked. Most of the frets looked brand new when I sold it. About 2 mos of constant playing on my ABII-5 I noticed fret buzz was becoming more prevalent in the middle of the neck, especially the A string. I looked very closely at the frets and it turns out the heavily played frets had flattened, like they do on nickle frets, and the less played frets still had the round fret crown. This is what was causing the fret buzz. It took me 3 days of playing and string bending in that area to manually flatten those frets out to match the rest of the neck. The fret buzz subsided after I did that. I'm about to order another ABII-5. Just this week I asked Sheldon if he could do SS mando frets in an ABII-5. He said he is not offering it at this time. It would be difficult to install SS banjo frets in a fanned fret bass because the frets at the ends of the neck have to twist slightly to match the radius fan. That's why I requested SS mando frets. I wish Sheldon would go ahead and offer SS mando frets In the ABII's, please.

Are SS frets an option on Dingwalls? I never had any issue with excessive fret wear so far, but having SS frets would Reeeallyyy delay any refretting job

SS frets are not an option at this point. If you're going to do a re-fret and choose stainless, I'd recommend going with at least banjo size as the mando size are trickier to install and less forgiving of errors. Sherpa, fretwear on a diagonal fret is a lot more noticeable than on a perpendicular fret even if it's the same amount of wear.

SS frets would probly make these basses a little bright. BTW, I have been playing my ABI regularly for 4 years and I don't have any fret problems. Maybe I have just worn them all equally and I can't tell it.

I have my beloved Wallnut wenge since 1999 and still there is no need for a refret

My Voodoo is a '99, and the frets are still OK. There is some wear on my AB after a year and it is the bass that sees the most playing time, but the wear is fairly uniform and is not a cause for concern nor is is causing any buzzing. My Dingwalls have allowed me to ease up on the pressure I have to apply with my fretting hand, because they will set up ridiculously low, especially my Voodoo. I've learned that less is indeed more on a Dingwall. Is it excessive fretting pressure that is wearing out the frets on the ABs? Mark

The minor issue of nickle frets wearing is not stopping me from ordering another ABII-5 however. Just inquiring to see if Sheldon could do it. Dingwall Sales told me a year ago that it was a possibility but mando would be better because the frets have to twist slightly.

Are SS frets available with a DDG re-fret job? Mark

How long are frets supposed to last on a bass if your playing about 3-4 hours a week? On my Combustion, the frets seem badly scratched up already, and it's only been a month - is this normal? I campared it to my MTD this morning, and there seems to be more wear on the C-bass. I don't bend stings *that* much, but I do every now and again. Does it look worse than it is because the string wraps arn't parallel to the frets like in most basses? Should I start (keep) worrying?

[quote="TheGrandEnigma":2gu9cfvu]How long are frets supposed to last on a bass if your playing about 3-4 hours a week? On my Combustion, the frets seem badly scratched up already, and it's only been a month - is this normal? I campared it to my MTD this morning, and there seems to be more wear on the C-bass. I don't bend stings *that* much, but I do every now and again. Does it look worse than it is because the string wraps arn't parallel to the frets like in most basses? Should I start (keep) worrying?[/quote:2gu9cfvu] The only thing you need to worry about is which Dingwall you will get next. The frets aren't perpendicular to the strings. That's why it looks worse than it is. Don't worry. But lucky you, Matt. When you do wear the frets out, you just have to drive it across town to get it fixed. Mark

[quote="guitarded":165npa3p] The only thing you need to worry about is which Dingwall you will get next. [/quote:165npa3p] I like those worries. [quote="guitarded":165npa3p] The frets aren't perpendicular to the strings. That's why it looks worse than it is.Mark[/quote:165npa3p] Awsome. Had myself worked up for nothing. That's a relief, thanks Mark.

Stainless Steel mando frets would solve the problem on any bass. SS strings will flatten nickel frets very quickly in your most frequently played areas, leaving the less frequently played areas with high frets. Fret levels are expensive, almost 1/2 the cost of a refret. Plus you're chasing the perfect setup throughout the life of your bass imvho. You should always always opt for SS frets when given the option imo.

Fret life is pretty hard to quantify in terms of hours. String type, action and technique play a pretty big role. Also, different set-ups and styles of music/tone requirments will tolerate more or less fret wear. There's a guy in my town that has matching 68 Precision and Jazz basses. He is physically the quietest bassist I've ever seen, nothing moves except his fingers, and only a little. His basses are strung with flats and have been since he got the basses "new" in the early 70's. I understand they were in the back room of a mom and pop music store tucked away. You can tell they've been played but the basses are 100% original and the frets are almost perfect. If I strung one of his basses with rounds, tuned-it down a half step/set-it up the way I liked I would probably cause more wear in two weeks than he has in 30 years. I agree with g-tarded, initially superficial wear is more visible on a fanfretted bass. I actually think that over the long haul the frets will last longer because the string crossing the fret at more or less than perpendicular means the string is contacting a slightly larger surface area of the fret, but this is just a silly little theory of mine. Ultimately wearing out frets means that your getting your money's worth out of an instrument, and that's a good thing.

[quote="Funkshwey":1vh9smrr]Stainless Steel mando frets would solve the problem on any bass. SS strings will flatten nickel frets very quickly in your most frequently played areas, leaving the less frequently played areas with high frets. Fret levels are expensive, almost 1/2 the cost of a refret. Plus you're chasing the perfect setup throughout the life of your bass imvho. You should always always opt for SS frets when given the option imo.[/quote:1vh9smrr] My SS refret will look even better when I install Funk's nickel strings

[quote="nastyn8c":rfqd0d93]My SS refret will look even better when I install Funk's nickel strings [/quote:rfqd0d93] Looking forward to installing my set tonight.