Med or Jumbo frets that come on new mandolin?

[dudley]

Is anyone aware of affordable mandolins with larger frets? By affordable, I’m meaning around $500 to $1000.)

Thanks.

[buckhorn]

I build with next size larger wire from Stew-Mac.. Don't know the number, but think it's for banjo..

[rcc56]

It depends on what you mean by "medium or jumbo frets." I recently sold an older Eastman 505 that had factory frets that were similar to the Stew-mac #147 wire just mentioned by buckhorn. It is also the wire that I recommend and use for most of the mandolin re-frets that I do. My customers have been very happy with it. Its crown width is .080" and the raw height is .040". On a mandolin, this would be considered a large, but not huge wire. On a guitar, it would be considered to be the lowest range of medium wire.

I don't know whether Eastman is still using it. My friendly neighborhood music store is no longer carrying Eastmans.

[Josh Levine]

Kentucky KM950