When did Fender start using jumbo frets? Which Fender guitars have jumbo frets? Does Fender use jumbo frets? What are the advantages and disadvantages of having jumbo frets on your guitar? When it comes to fretting sizes, the jumbo is really not that popular compared to Fender guitars’ typical medium-jumbo frets, so, normally, many are still unfamiliar with this fret size. If you are willing to learn more about jumbo frets and Fender guitars, then you are in the right place.
So, what is a jumbo fret? Although not a common thing you see, especially on Fender guitars, there are still some famous guitar players who prefer to have jumbo frets on their guitars. Jumbo frets have a width of 0.11 inches and a height of 0.055 inches, and they can be considered the largest frets you can have on your guitar; although there are still some that have super-jumbo frets, it is very unusual.
So, what are the advantages of having jumbo frets in your guitar? Having jumbo frets in your guitar does really affect some things that other fret sizes can’t. Jumbo frets tend to help your guitar to produce a bigger tone. Another good thing that comes from jumbo frets is that they have an increased sustain. However, they yield to lesser precision when playing notes.
When did Fender start using jumbo frets? Since Fender started to manufacture guitars, they are already known to use little frets or also known as vintage frets. However, after CBS took over the company, they started producing some guitars with jumbo frets until they decided in 1983 to use the medium jumbo frets as the standard fret size for their guitars.
To this day, Fender still produces guitars that have jumbo frets on them; most of them are custom or signature guitars.
Which Fender Stratocaster Has Jumbo Frets?
Jim Root Stratocaster
Famously known for being Slipknot’s rhythm guitarist, Jim Root is also widely known for using Fender guitars in his performances, and one of his signature guitars under the company is the Jim Root Stratocaster.
It has a Mahogany body, and its neck is made of Maple with a modern C-shape. Its fingerboard is made of Ebony, which really gives an added dark tone to the guitar. Its headstock is larger compared to other Fender guitars you see in stores.
The guitar has a compound fingerboard radius, which means that it has a more pronounced curvature across its width near the guitar’s nut, and it slowly flattens to a very slight curvature toward the guitar upper frets. The guitar has 22 frets, and all come in jumbo size.
Its bridge pickup is an EMG 81, while its neck pickup is an EMG 60. Both pickups are active humbuckers and are perfect for Jim Root’s heavy playing style. This is really a great guitar for playing heavy metal music, as it sounds dark, but when you shred on it, you can still hear the guitar screaming.
Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster
Another Fender guitar on the list with jumbo frets is the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Stratocaster. Kenny Wayne Shepherd is a famous American blues guitarist and singer. More and more blues guitar players prefer the jumbo frets nowadays; no wonder Kenny decided to have jumbo frets on his signature Fender Stratocaster.
The guitar has a chambered ash body, giving it a resonant and articulate tone. The material used in making the C-shaped neck is a Quartersawn Maple, and it also has a bound Rosewood fingerboard, which was a known Fender trademark in the 60s. The guitar has 21 frets and is all in jumbo sizes.
It comes with three custom-voiced single coil pickups with Alnico 3 magnets made explicitly for Kenny Wayne Shepherd, so this guitar would be a great option when you are a blues guy. The guitar has five switching positions and comes with a volume knob and two tone knobs.
This Strat has a classic 6-Saddle Vintage-Style Synchronized Tremolo with Graph Tech Saddles. Its tuning machines also have a vintage-style look to them. Its pickguard is a 4-ply white Pearloid, and its position markers are all in white Pearloid block.
Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster
Although this guitar has super jumbo frets, which are larger than the jumbo frets, I still feel the need to include it as it is one of the unique guitars on the market. Yngwie Malmsteen is widely known for being the author of the neo-classical shredding style, but aside from that, he is also famous for having a unique setup on his guitars.
The Yngwie Malmsteen Strat has an Alder body, and its modern C-shaped neck is made of Maple. Its fingerboard is also made of Maple, but its unique feature is that it is a scalloped fingerboard, which can really be challenging to play with, especially if you are not used to it. It has 21 frets and is all in super jumbo size.
The guitar comes with three signature Yngwie Malmsteen Seymour Duncan single coil pickups. These pickups are perfect for playing rock, neo-classical, metal, hard rock, and shred. It has three switching positions for the pickup. It has a master volume and two tone knobs, whereas the second one is a no-load tone control for the middle and bridge pickups.
The guitar’s bridge is a 6-saddle American vintage synchronized tremolo, and its tuning machines are Fender vintage F-stamped. It has a bullet-style truss rod, and its nut is made of brass. Lastly, all of its position markers are in black dots.
Other Fender Guitar That Has Jumbo Frets
Jim Root Jazzmaster
Not only has Jim Root had his own signature Fender Stratocaster, but he also has a signature Fender Jazzmaster, and similar to his Strat, it also has jumbo frets in it. The Jim Root Jazzmaster has a Mahogany body with a satin urethane finish. This guitar really looks simple, as gone are those bulky chrome bridges, dual tone circuits, and fret position markers.
Its modern C-shaped neck is made of Maple and has a contoured heel. Its fingerboard is made of Ebony and has a compound radius from 12 to 16 inches. It has a scale length of 25.5 inches and only side dots for its position markers. All in all, it has 22 frets and all in jumbo sizes.
Similar to his signature Strat, his Jazzmaster also comes with an EMG 81 and EMG 60 as its bridge and neck pickups, respectively. Both pickups are humbuckers and active, and it only has three positions for its pickup switch. If you are a nu-metal guy, then this guitar is a great option just by the combination of its pickups.
Its bridge is a six-saddle string-through-body hardtail with block saddles and has deluxe staggered cast tuning machines with sealed locking. Its truss is a bi-flex, which is typically used in Fender guitars manufactured in the US. Its nut is made of synthetic bone, and lastly, all its hardware comes with a black finish.
So, when did Fender start using jumbo frets? In its history, Fender only started to use jumbo frets on their guitars after CBS took over the company. Nowadays, there are still some Fender guitars that come with jumbo frets; however, most of them are either signature guitars or custom-made in their US factory.
