Frets drop your 2 cents here..

kerneltime

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After having a few ukes, one thing that stands out to me are the varying frets and necks.. In the past there was a very useful discussion around necks here: https://forum.ukuleleunderground.com/showthread.php?136716-Necks!!-Drop-your-2-cents-here

Starting this thread for frets.
1. Frets can be high or low
2. Frets can be wide or narrow
3. Frets can be rounded, flat and other shapes..

High vs Low: High frets seem to reduce the finger pressure I put down and as a result are less demanding on the hands but sliding your hands is not as pleasant.. Also, having higher frets allows to make slight intonation changes by changing pressure. Kiwaya has the lowest frets I have seen and on that uke, I still like it but it is more neutral
The highest frets i have are on my Tinguitar soprano and I have come to like them..

Wide vs narrow or shapes: No opinion here..

When ordering custom ukes, do you customize the frets?
What have your experiences been?
Drop your 2 cents here..
 
I am a HUGE fan of large fret wires. Pono pro classic was my first exposure and it made fretting notes very easy. When I ordered my first LfdM custom I asked Luis to use them, he already did, those are all he uses on his ukuleles. When I ordered my Webber custom tenor I asked David about using the same size, he already did, are we seeing a pattern here. I have ordered 4 other customs and specified large fret wires on everyone of them.
 
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I am a HUGE fan of large fret wires. Pono pro classic was my first exposure and it made fretting notes very easy. When I ordered my first LfdM custom I asked Luis to use them, he already did, those are all he uses on his ukuleles. When I ordered my Webber custom tenor I asked David about using the same size, he already did, are we seeing a pattern here. I have ordered 4 other customs and specified large fret wires on everyone of them.
Is there a specific one? Available on stewmac?
 
I bought a ukulele that was set up by the seller. The frets had been brought down until they were all noticeably flat. And it wasn't just one or two high ones were brought down to the height of the rest, they were all equally flat, or near so to the eye. I could never figure out if that was on purpose, or what. It played fine, great intonation, low action, no buzz, but it bothered me.
 
Really flat frets seems odd to use..
I bought a ukulele that was set up by the seller. The frets had been brought down until they were all noticeably flat. And it wasn't just one or two high ones were brought down to the height of the rest, they were all equally flat, or near so to the eye. I could never figure out if that was on purpose, or what. It played fine, great intonation, low action, no buzz, but it bothered me.
 
I like the looks of narrow fret on concerts and sopranos, on a tenor the fatter ones don't look out of place. Playing, I find that I can adapt to what ever because my playing is basic strumming of various forms to suite the song. Flat Frets should be recrowned or replaced, unless they are just markers like some fretless basses. Sharp edges can cut or deform strings.
 
Non wound plain plastic strings won't eat the frets at all the same way as steel strings will. Always good to use string direction vibrato only though. I prefer then as small strings as possible (looked away from fretboard), especially because of the short scale sizes of ukes. Height I am not that sure to give any opinion, but probably good height too there.

For intonation round tops, not filed flat at all like in my steel string acoustic guitar.
 
I bought a ukulele that was set up by the seller. The frets had been brought down until they were all noticeably flat. And it wasn't just one or two high ones were brought down to the height of the rest, they were all equally flat, or near so to the eye. I could never figure out if that was on purpose, or what. It played fine, great intonation, low action, no buzz, but it bothered me.

I bought a neck-with-frets to make a banjo uke. I didn't notice until it was finished that the frets were very low. As a result, fretting individual strings does not work out well.
 
I find the frets on my Kanile'a tenors to be lower and thinner than those on my other ukes. I think it makes barre chords a little harder to do cleanly. Not terrible by any means, but slightly more difficult.
 
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