Is it merely for aesthetics?
Why do squarenecks have frets?
For the same reason that men have nipples.
Steel frets look more natural I guess. My Weissenborn has fret markers inlaid in the wood.
Edited by - FrederickPatterson on 02/21/2026 05:14:16
I like them for two reasons. They are easier to see in all kinds of light since they are 3 dimensional and reflect light from any direction. My Shubb capo uses them to locate itself without my having to pay attention.
What Greg said. The Martin Gross capo operates the same way using the frets.
Edited by - JC Dobro on 02/21/2026 12:37:10
It's funny but my '32 Regal round neck has a flat ebonized board and my '34 square neck has a nice, radiused rosewood board.
I had a squareneck with inlaid frets, and they were hard — sometimes impossible — to see. Real frets are much easier.
But that doesn't really answer the question, since violinists don't have markers and do fine without them. So: I have absolutely no idea!
I agree with Greg. In dim light metal frets are much easier to see than inlaid fret markers. I also think they help with intonation but that may just be me. As to fiddle players, the neck on a violin is a lot shorter than a reso guitar neck. And even experienced fiddlers find intonation a constant challenge.
I was at Frank Harlows one day. He let me play Gene Wootens cherry guitar. It was as tarted up as was possible. I am into simple.
It had the tree of life inlay on the fretboard.
Frank could not bear to remove the stick on dots on side of the neck. Gene had put them there. Even he needed fret marker now and then.
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