0 Fret Guitar Conversion

PittPastor

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I saw this reviewed online recently

Zero Fret Conversion

It claims to make open chords more resonant, and makes fingering the "cowboy chords" easier.

It is also reversible, which is a good thing.

I was just wondering if anyone had done this to their Guild and had an opinion on it?
 

adorshki

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I saw this reviewed online recently

Zero Fret Conversion

It claims to make open chords more resonant, and makes fingering the "cowboy chords" easier.

It is also reversible, which is a good thing.

I was just wondering if anyone had done this to their Guild and had an opinion on it?

No experience but I note Ramirez guitars, Rick Turner, and Bela Fleck endorsing 'em, that'd give me a lot of confidence.
Reversability makes it a "no-brainer", $ and travel/luthier time allowing.
 
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AcornHouse

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I did one on a guitar I’d made for a customer. Just have to make sure the 0fret is the correct height for your other frets.
 

Quantum Strummer

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The zero-fret guitars I own all have trouble-free nuts (bigger slots, no binding), which has saved me some setup work. Dunno if I'd replace a fine-tuned nut with one, though.

-Dave-
 

chazmo

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A zero fret was pretty popular back in the '70s in that I've seen a lot of acoustics with that from that era. Not so much on modern stuff. I'm not sure if I've heard of anyone converting a Guild, as per Pitt's question. I'm not really sure why anyone would even though the idea has always seemed like a good one.

[edit: I just looked at the zero glide system and I suppose it offers some interesting advantages...]
 
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steve488

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Never done one or seen one. I noted in many of the reviews however that people noted a shift in tone. Seems like the effect is to shift part of the mechanical load off the nut and onto the metal "0 fret" which in my mind would push a metallic / bright characteristic into whatever resonances were coupled into the neck at that point. Perhaps on an electric or pickup equipped guitar you could futz with the settings and find something new, but on a straight acoustic I am not sure I would consider that tonal quality "better" ..... just different. Swapping the bridge out for a piece of steel would make a tonal shift as well but not for the better I suspect. After about 50 years of playing I think I will stick with what I got.
 

swiveltung

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No different than moving up the neck. I often wonder why 0 fret isn't the standard. SIMPLE
 

marius

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A zero fret was pretty popular back in the '70s in that I've seen a lot of acoustics with that from that era. Not so much on modern stuff.

One claim I heard that I found interesting was that they were once popular, at least in the case of cheaper imports, because of a less skilled labor force. The idea suggested was that a zero fret reduced production cost by eliminating the need for skilled labor to shape the nut.
 
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stormin1155

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I've always liked the idea of a zero fret. I have an old '70s acoustic with one, and I put one on an electric I built. I really don't see a compelling reason to do a conversion to one though.
 

Brad Little

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I think the only guitar I've had with a zero fret was a mid 60s Country Gentleman. Don't remember it as much different from a guitar without one, but it's been a long time.
Brad
 

jedzep

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My already lively '31 Gib L0 got pleasantly brighter with the Zfret and allowed me to tweak my neck angle via the truss rod to give me a little better (lower) action.

The trick is that the nut only serves to keep the string in it's side to side spacing so the new contact point at the nut is resting on a saddle/fret-like surface. If you have your nut slot at the right slope so that it had the correct break angle I guess it would render the zero fret pointless.

Is this physics or geometry?
 

PTC Bernie

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Zero Fret

The zero-fret guitars I own all have trouble-free nuts (bigger slots, no binding), which has saved me some setup work. Dunno if I'd replace a fine-tuned nut with one, though.

-Dave-

I agree. I've had them on a couple of guitars that I've owned over the years. I like them, but I don't think I'd replace the nut on a guitar that's not giving me trouble.
 

wileypickett

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I put a Zero Fret on my DV72 as an experiment. I'm happy enough with the change that I haven't felt the need to switch back to the standard nut. Lowered the action slightly at the nut, sounds fine.
 
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