Does Fully Coated Strings (like Elixir) Cause Less Fret Wear?

[Ritter667]

I looked it up, doing a search, but couldn't find any threads/posts addressing this question.

So does fully coated strings, like Elixir Nanoweb nickel-plated roundwound strings, cause less fret wear than conventional uncoated nickel-plated roundwound strings, like D'Addario XL strings?

 

[onda'bass]

I would think that they will do the same harm.

 

[tb-player]

The Coating on the Elixers has no effect on the fret wire. Frets get worn due to the physical contact they make with strings. If you've got really acidic sweat, that might cause them to corrode faster, but you can polish them yourself with metal polish to clean them up between fret dressings. (according to Reddit)

 

[Ritter667]

The Coating on the Elixers has no effect on the fret wire. Frets get worn due to the physical contact they make with strings. If you've got really acidic sweat, that might cause them to corrode faster, but you can polish them yourself with metal polish to clean them up between fret dressings. (according to Reddit)

How come then that stainless steel wound strings cause more fret wear than nickel-plated steel wound strings?

 

[tb-player]

How come then that stainless steel wound strings cause more fret wear than nickel-plated steel wound strings?

I honestly have no idea. That was a cut/paste from a Google search/Reddit thread.

I think this is one of those subjects that gets more play than it probably should. Friction is friction. If steel wears frets worse than nickel, the difference is likely negligible and wouldn’t be visible for a long period of time.

For 10 years my only bass was a Stingray 5 with DR High Beams. I played that bass a lot and the frets were perfect when I eventually sold it.

Granted, it’s entirely possible that Elixir’s nanoweb coating may be slightly easier on the frets. But my guess is, you’d have to own the bass for a few decades to realize the difference and benefit from the effects.

I’ve never owned a bass that long. lol

 

[michael_t]

I've never had any fret wear on any of my basses from using regular non-coated nickel rounds. And I would never switch to coated strings for the sake of saving the frets.

 

[Killing Floor]

Frets are going to contact your strings regardless.

 

[HaphAsSard]

I looked it up, doing a search, but couldn't find any threads/posts addressing this question.

So does fully coated strings, like Elixir Nanoweb nickel-plated roundwound strings, cause less fret wear than conventional uncoated nickel-plated roundwound strings, like D'Addario XL strings?

It's the saw-like effect of roundwound string ridges gnawing at frets that gradually erodes them. The microcoating - even when laid on the entire string as is the case with Elixirs - is, well, micro, i.e. a super-thin film, and cannot possibly mitigate the effect (even though it does make a difference with respect to tone and feel on the fingers). It's far too thin to either act as a cushion between the two metal objects, or present a continuous surface to the fret (and in so doing, prevent the file effect) as nylon tapewounds do.

 

[evanrunyon]

Technically yes but I reckon you wouldn’t notice until you’ve put in literally tens of thousands of hours of playing.

 

[HaphAsSard]

It's the saw-like effect of roundwound string ridges gnawing at frets that gradually erodes them. The microcoating - even when laid on the entire string as is the case with Elixirs - is, well, micro, i.e. a super-thin film, and cannot possibly mitigate the effect (even though it does make a difference with respect to tone and feel on the fingers). It's far too thin to either act as a cushion between the two metal objects, or present a continuous surface to the fret (and in so doing, prevent the file effect) as nylon tapewounds do.

Hmm. On the other hand, the coating "stocking" might have a very, very marginal lubricating effect, assuming it can slide back and forth on the string ridge, until it is itself ground away under the string, exposing the metal (which I guess doesn't take long).

 

[Not Insane]

I looked it up, doing a search, but couldn't find any threads/posts addressing this question.

So does fully coated strings, like Elixir Nanoweb nickel-plated roundwound strings, cause less fret wear than conventional uncoated nickel-plated roundwound strings, like D'Addario XL strings?

Hard material will cause less wear than soft material, all other things being equal.

 

[Thumpin6string]

I've never had any fret wear on any of my basses from using regular non-coated nickel rounds. And I would never switch to coated strings for the sake of saving the frets.

^^^This^^^
My 20 year old bass has no visible fret wear, and it has had both nickel and stainless rounds on it its whole life. By the time my bass has fret wear that is an issue, I'll be dead and gone. So, to me it's a moot point. Just play your bass and quit worrying.

 

[E2942]

No, because
where the string meets the fret, that coating gets rubbed off quickly, especially if you bend

you wouldn’t notice until you’ve put in literally tens of thousands of hours

I just figuratively did that!

 

[Dave TB Killer]

If fret wear is such a concern, then go flatwound tapewound or fretless..

 

[E2942]

Practice using a lighter touch.
Most of us press with far too much force, which will lead to fatigue & stress your fingers, hand, & even your arm & elbow.

 

[Lowend65]

No - in face in my experience the frets will take the coating off - almost immediately.

 

[Salem6127]

I tend to dig in and pluck hard when I get excited, and neither my elixir or NPS strings ever caused visible fretwear.

Only time I did wear frets was a bass with SS warwick reds. But those are surely the most abrasive strings in the universe.

 

[Coldmilk]

I’m going to say, yes, the coating will help with fret wear to some degree. It’s the abrasion of the string that causes the fret wear rather than the density of the material.

For example, think of tapewounds, which is nylon tape over metal core. Lots of players use it for fretless, not just for an upright sound, but also for the sake of wear prevention on the fretboard. It’s not any less “metal” than regular roundwounds.

 

[Dr. Turkey]

Probably a little, but just barely, and just the elixers since they've got the string condom thing going on. Things like DR Black Beauties are likely to cause the same amount of wear as standard steels. As mentioned earlier, nickels would cause slightly less than steel since they're softer. Bends, hammer ons, slaps, and just fretting with a hard touch would also probably cause increased fretwear. All of this might be exaggerated on a fretless neck but maybe not depending on what sort of treatment they put on it

All that to say: don't worry about it

 

[Chrisk-K]

If you worry about fret wear, use light touch. I’ve bern using SS rounds on my basses and their frets are fine.