Nickel/Silver fret wire is the standard “vintage” style used whenever possible to maintain historic accuracy on repairs and re-issue style builds. Don’t let the name fool you though; Nickel has more in common with brass then true silver, sharing the same base metals (Copper and Zinc) but with the addition of 18% Nickel.

Nickel frets don’t really offer much in the way of advantages when compared to stainless steel frets, but they do have that traditional charm to them. Tonally, it’s argued that they lend a much smooth, rounded element to the tone, and are less prone to “ping” after notes. You’re also more likely to notice that your strings are less likely to snap against the frets.

On paper, there seems to be many disadvantages with nickel, (publicised and argued near constantly in some circles) which we feel are a little unfounded. It’s said that they wear too quickly (with the loudest complaints coming from heavier guitarists) and feel gritty on bends.

A little look into the science behind these complaints clears them up, but basically because it is made of the same material as the most common form of strings (Nickel wound), heavy use will eventually cause the frets to degrade and require the polishing again. If this is something you’ve experienced, then it might be a good idea to switch over to stainless steel, but for the most part, it’s a “worst case scenario”.

Its also well worth avoiding nickel frets if you’re planning to use steel strings. The combination can have you playing a fretless in a couple of days!

To help combat the problem, we’ve designed out Nickel frets to measure 200HV on the Vickers hardness scale (the same as our stainless steel) and whilst the problem might rear its ugly head from time to time, it’s not as common as some people would have you believe.