The Zero Fret

Help!I'maRock!

Help!I'maRock!

Mediocringly Derivative
Two friends on another forum were having a discussion of Gypsy Jazz guitars. One mentioned neck specs at the zero fret. It occurs to me that most electric players have great contempt for the zero fret, due to their inclusion on thousands of terrible budget instruments throughout the decades. But from what I remember, this hate is misguided.

As I understand it, the zero fret was standard. Over time, manufacturers Eliminated it purely due to production costs. But the zero fret actually provides better intonation at the nut. The fret wears instead of the nut allowing longer life, and consistency of sound between open and closed chords.

Am I wrong? Or is it time to revisit the zero fret?
 
My Steinberger has always seemed like it has better intonation than my 'regular' guitars idn_smilie
 
I've never actually owned a guitar with a zero fret, but I use a capo every day and I can see that using a capo with a baritone would essentially be the same thing. I wouldn't be opposed to it, particularly if it came with a trick feature like the Kubiki Factor bass that could do drop B by flipping up a built in mini-capo that exposed two extra frets below the normal open nut.

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baimun said:
I've daever actually owned a guitar with a zero fret, but I use a capo every day and I can see that using a capo with a baritone would essentially be the same thing. I wouldn't be opposed to it, particularly if it came with a trick feature like the Kubiki Factor bass that could do drop B by flipping up a built in mini-capo that exposed two extra frets below the normal open nut.

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Do those Kubicki's take special strings or just regular bass strings?

I've always kinda wanted one, if I was ever to buy a bass.
 
If I remember correctly, the ball end went to the headstock and then it gripped the rest of the string down at the bridge and would be clipped off. No double ball necessary. Pretty clever design all the way around.
 
I have no issues with zero frets. My Gretsch Country Club has a zero fret, and it plays just fine IMO.
 
I have never owned a guitar with a zero fret, but I would have no issues owning one in the future.
 
I don't mind them. They make sense to me.

But I have to ask: if manufacturers eliminated them due to production cost, why are they so common on cheap-o guitars?
 
Tralfaz said:
But I have to ask: if manufacturers eliminated them due to production cost, why are they so common on cheap-o guitars?
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Zero frets were eliminated because musicians disliked having to replace them on a regular basis. Zero frets get a lot of wear. In the days before good low-cost guitars people only had one guitar so the zero fret would quickly end up with grooves under the strings. When a player bends a note through the groove it can get make a pinging sound just like when a nut slot is too wide.

Zero frets were common on cheap guitars because it was cheaper to just add a zero fret than it was to cut the nut correctly. Which explains a lot about Henry J. trying to bring back the zero fret.
 
Zero frets are a better idea than just the nut.

Somewhere down the line it became a prestige thing where having the zero fret = cheaper guitars.
Could be because they didn;t have to spend as much time and money on making better nuts.
 
jp_nyc said:
Zero frets were eliminated because musicians disliked having to replace them on a regular basis. Zero frets get a lot of wear. In the days before good low-cost guitars people only had one guitar so the zero fret would quickly end up with grooves under the strings. When a player bends a note through the groove it can get make a pinging sound just like when a nut slot is too wide.

Zero frets were common on cheap guitars because it was cheaper to just add a zero fret than it was to cut the nut correctly. Which explains a lot about Henry J. trying to bring back the zero fret.
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Zero frets do insure better intonation. With the better fret materials we have now, they should make a comeback.
 
Virtual Pariah said:
Zero frets do insure better intonation. With the better fret materials we have now, they should make a comeback.
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Zero frets improve intonation on the first five frets. Compensated nuts do the same thing without the drawback of the zero fret.
 
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