Q I noted that in issue 496 your reviewer is less than complimentary about the use of the zero fret on the Rapier and Saffire guitars. I appreciate that the pros and cons have been debated for decades and that the received wisdom, based on the fact that very few makers now employ the zero fret, is that it is a bad thing.
Is this partially due to the fact that, historically, the zero fret is associated with cheaper instruments, despite the fact that makers like Gretsch, in the past, and Vigier, currently, use the zero fret? Many luthiers are supporters of the zero fret based on the advantages of string height at the nut and continuity of tone between fretted and open notes and so on. However, the big minus, according to critics, is that the fret wears down so quickly.