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Does anyone use Zero Frets on their guitars ?

Do you have some detail/pictures of how this is executed ?

Many thanks any help would be grately appreciated.

Hi Russell,
I don't use zero frets. i suppose it got a bad reputation because many of the real cheapo guitars use zero frets...mostly because they don't want to have to deal with acurately filing the nut. Zero fret is nothing more than having a fret in the first slot that you would normaly cut to make the leading edge for the nut. Just leave that first slot and fret it. Cut the nut slot ( you still need someting to guide the strings ) in the fret board 1/8ths beyond and your done. I don't like em don't use em. I have never known of any advantage to them. Maybe someone will chime in who knows of one.

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"

I'm working on a rather complicated build that has a fingerboard extension beyond the nut for two of the strings. My client has asked about the possibility of using a zero fret, since it will simplify using a special capo for these strings.

I've never built a guitar with a zero fret, and the last one I recall seeing that used one had a noticeably larger zero fret. Now that I think about it, though, I don't guess a taller zero fret is really necessary, is it? Be a real ich if I got open string buzzes, though.

Best,

Michael

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Live to Play, Play to Live

I'm in the early stages of my FIRST guitar and I am using a zero fret. I've played a Brazilian Rosewood Yairi since 1972, and I love it. It has a zero fret. I'm trying to duplicate it for my first attempt. I think the main advantage is you don't have to precisely cut the right nut slot depth. The zero fret should place each string at the height it belongs, and the nut just guides the strings to the pegs and provides correct spacing. I'll let you know how it goes.
I also know it is frowned on by purists and I don't know if I'll use it on my second guitar, but I already have my fretboard prepared for it on this one.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......

Russell,

I have used a zero fret once and plan to do so in future, I like the even sound it gives in first position with open and fretted strings, I think this is even more important in the altered tunings such as DADGad. I think the expert on zero frets on the forum is Jimmy Caldwell. I had a PM conversation about them and he gave me some good guidance, look at his website, I like his radical approach. One of the key things he told me was to use higher wire on the zero fret, I think he said 55thou for the Zero and 46thou for the rest.

Martin Carthy, had his pre-war Martin 000 altered to a zero fret system and Martin now make a copy of his altered guitar as the 'Martin Carthy' 000 in their special additions.

ColinColin S38598.4043981481

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.