Did Gibson ever use stainless frets at factory?

[gtone]

Think I might have stainless steel frets on my '08 Firebird-V - they wear strings out like crazy and show virtually zero wear.

Did Gibson ever use SS frets on non-CS guitars? If not, maybe someone had 'em installed at some point. Is there a simple way to tell if they're SS or not?

[murkat]

No.

Nada.

this information is brought to you by

A former Gibson Custom shop employee

[gtone]

Thanks for chiming in, Jay - knew you'd have the answer but didn't want to bother pinging you coz' I know you're pretty busy.

Is there an easy way to tell if they're SS or do you just go by "feel" with fret files or finishing tools, etc.?

[tbonesullivan]

do they have any discoloration on the frets you don't use much? SS frets get absolutely none. N/S after a few years should definitely be dull and or/yellow on spots that don't get played much.

But murkat knows Gibson, and given their reluctance to adopt some new technologies, you might see SS frets on them in 50 years. They'll put all kinds of weird electronics in, but gotta be nitro finished, gotta have Nickel Silver frets.

[cmatthes]

Also, if it's a Firebird V and still has the fret end binding nibs, those are stock frets. I've never seen stainless on a Gibson, even a Custom Shop guitar, that were original.

[gtone]

tbonesullivan + cmatthes - at office right now but will check on both counts when I get home. IIRC, there's neither discoloration on the frets and no nibs over the fret ends, but will doublecheck on both to be sure.

Tanks gents!

[murkat]

SS will look like chrome ish.

nickle will look like,... nickle.... (?)

[crunchee]

I wonder if you can find out with a magnet?

[cynic]

I've read (online) that if you rub your finger vigorously back and forth over a fret that it will make your finger smell.

Penny smell = nickel

[gtone]

Looks like they're standard nickel/silver frets, guys. Fret nibs (nubs?) are intact, but no there's no discoloration that I can see. When I rubbed them, got the penny smell in spades and some black tarnish also came off on my finger.

Guess I need a little crown/dress/polish perhaps.

Thanks to all - I'm now older and wiser (but mostly just older)...

[tbonesullivan]

if there's no wear, you don't really need to do anything. maybe use some gorgomyte on the frets to give them a little bit of a shine.

[cmatthes]

Thanks to all - I'm now older and wiser (but mostly just older)...

We all are, buddy! We all are...

[gtone]

if there's no wear, you don't really need to do anything. maybe use some gorgomyte on the frets to give them a little bit of a shine.

They're sort of universally square shouldered instead of rounded in spite of having little/no apparent wear. The squared edges seem to be cutting into the strings as I bend them (never seen this before). Thinking a crowning file could do wonders here and make that fret profile exactly what it should be.

[tbonesullivan]

how square? Gibson usually uses a "schoolbus" profile on their frets.

[gtone]

how square? Gibson usually uses a "schoolbus" profile on their frets.

Had coffee with my local luthier this morning and he was telling me about the "schoolbus" profile. Never owned a newer Gibson, I guess, as all of my others had the "standard" crowned profile. Anyhoo, luthier figures my problems are a combination of the schoolbus profile and the all-nickel strings I use on that guitar.

[tbonesullivan]

It does take some getting used to, and can be a bit rough on the fingers if you slide them over the fretboard back and forth. that's just how Gibson has always done them though. He could probably do a fret dress and make them more rounded if you wanted.

[gtone]

He said he'd check the level and then fix 'em up for me, presumably with his crowning file, I'm guessing. He's a good luthier and friend, I trust him with my instruments and his prices are very fair. Man has a distaste for "unnecessary" mods/customizations, so thank God we have access to guys like Jay (murkat) with the necessary combo of expertise/experience to do those special projects we all dream about/oogle here.

Good to know about stock Gibby frets - learn something new every day...

[gtone]

Followup: Luthier bud Chris gave me the hookup. Three hours and $60 later, the schoolbus left town for good...

Nice round, smooth fret profiles like my other two Gibsons now (mind, both have been refretted). Should be much kinder to my strings and fingers - colour me happier and wiser now...