Zero fret

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A zero fret is a fret placed at the headstock end of the neck of a banjo, guitar, mandolin, or bass guitar. It serves one of the functions of a nut: holding the strings the correct distance above the other frets on the instrument's fretboard. A separate nut is still required to establish the correct string spacing when a zero fret is used.

[edit] Function

The zero fret is positioned at the location normally occupied by the nut. On a guitar having a zero fret, the nut is located behind the zero fret and serves solely to keep the strings spaced properly. The strings rest atop the zero fret, which is higher than the other frets. This provides the proper clearance as the strings pass over the fretboard.

[edit] Purpose

On an instrument with a zero fret, the sound of an open string more closely approximates the sound of a fretted string as compared to the open string sound on a guitar with no zero fret.

The zero fret is commonly (but not exclusively) associated with cheaper instruments, since the cost of the labor involved in making a nut with slots carefully filed to the correct height is greater than the labor required to install a zero fret. Some manufacturers that frequently use(d) a zero fret are Gretsch, Kay, Selmer, Höfner, Anderson, and Vigier.

Steinberger uses a zero fret with their headless guitars. Due to the way the strings are attached at the end where the head would normally be, there is no need for the string guides that the nut provides. Use of a zero-fret is a simpler design, and allows changing string gauges without worrying about nut slot width.