20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

[Jocelyn]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I HATE 21 fret necks! That is so retarded!

They need to be 22 or 24 and the 24's must only have a single bucker! A neck pickup does not cut it for me in a 24.

I totaly agree with you on all of that. I just dont get it why do they make guitars with 21 frets..How much does it hurt or cost to put that extra Fret. Also yes on 24 frets the neck sound BAHHHH

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I totaly agree with you on all of that. I just dont get it why do they make guitars with 21 frets..How much does it hurt or cost to put that extra Fret. Also yes on 24 frets the neck sound BAHHHH

It's not a matter of cost per se, they just do it to differentiate their Mexico line which they keep as close to the original as possible (i.e. in the most cost-effective way) and keep all the improvements everyone else did the last 30 or so years for their American line. It's just business practice.

Also, on the 24-frets I actually like it how it's less boomy than with the 22, it's actually more useable for me. On 22 I constantly try to EQ the crap out of it, with 24 everything just moves into place better...
Just don't ask me to put a middle pu in there!

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

It's all about pickup position.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I just dont get it why do they make guitars with 21 frets..

I think 21 frets is a throw back to the 50's when Fender made Strats with 21 frets. In those days I doubt many players were shredding that high up on the neck anyway so it was more than enough.

In the 80's, 22 frets on Strat clones and similar guitars became popular. Fender eventually added the 22nd fret to the original, though I think on their reissue models or others where they want to stick to the classic design, they stay period-correct.

It used to frustrate me trying to play Pink Floyd leads on my 21-fret '79 Strat back when I was starting on guitar, because I couldn't figure out how Gilmour managed to bend up to E on the high E string.

The neck pickup does have a fuller, throatier tone when it's located right where the 24th fret would be. I know as you move up higher from the 12th fret that changes. And for some reason a guitar with a 24 fret neck and a neck single coil doesn't get that tone 3 frets higher either. There's some wierd magic about a pickup right under where the 24th fret would be.

The highest fret I usually actually play is the 22nd, bending it up to that high E. I typically don't play the 23rd or higher so I have no need for them.

 

[Indie P Bass]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

For me... it's just a fact that I rarely play above fret 12, so having something with 24 frets is pretty useless... plus I have this traditional preferance for guitars. Why should I sink the money on a guitar with 24frets when I don't like how they look and have no need for the extra frets?
But its all personal opinion, you know?

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

for someone who, like me, doesn't solo, 24 frets just get in the way.

I have an issue of Guitar Player from the early 90's with an interview with Anthrax. Scott Ian is shown in a photo with a Jackson Soloist with frets only going up to the 12th fret. Above that it's just bare fretboard. He commented that he never plays up there so he only needs 12.

 

[KeeperOS]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

quite often really, and 24 too. With my Strat I just use the blade of my neck mini-bucker to simulate the 24th fret.
I can tell you one thing however, it ain't the best thing for the pickup though...

 

[mixedmedia]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I sometimes thought it seemed like a waste for there to be frets leading all the way up to the soundhole on acoustics when there was no cutaway since they were unreachable.

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I totaly agree with you on all of that. I just dont get it why do they make guitars with 21 frets..How much does it hurt or cost to put that extra Fret. Also yes on 24 frets the neck sound BAHHHH

It costs very little to put that last fret on...however when you sell thousands upon thousands of guitars, it adds up, and folks weren't playing much lead guitar up high on the fretboard when they designed those first solid guitars.

 

[bigheadood]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I know it's just one fret, but I just don't feel right on a 21 fret guitar.
I will occasionally go to 22 or even 24 on my ibanez, but not that often.

It would be nice if fender would make 22 fret mexi-strats. I don't like them enough to pay for an American one, and I won't buy a 21 fret guitar. Stupid Fender. And, instead of making a million different versions of the exact same thing, make some hardtail, some vintage trem, and some floyd, different pup combos...etc. Stupid Fender. /rant.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

24 fret fretboard require moving the neck pickup. There's a big deal right there.

I agree, which is the only reason I prefer 22. Of course, with a no-neck-pu guitar, I'd cram 100 of them in there if I could.

 

[MikeS]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

PRS has said that 22-fret guitars offer more sustain, while 24-fret guitars have more tonal range.

tonal range I understand, but all other things being equal it makes zero sense to me how a guitar with 22 frets has greater sustain than one with 24 frets. Maybe I could understand that for frets 23 and 24 because of the fingerboard extension, but what impact does that have on the other 22 frets? Again, all other things being equal.

FTR, 22 frets for me, please.

 

[Kac]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I have had plenty of guitars with 21, 22, and 24. I prefer 22 which is what both of my strats have right now, but I'm not set against 24, and may pick up another 24 fret guitar in the future. The number of frets isn't the absolute selling point for me.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

Theres no money above the 3rd fret.

 

[MikeS]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

Theres no money above the 3rd fret.

Hehe, every time I hear that the fret number decreases.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

Hehe, every time I hear that the fret number decreases.

You need to get with the times Mike and listen to some new music. Thats why I don't mind that theres no fret markers except side dots on that neck I bought from you.

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

Due to my style, I need a bare minimum of 22 frets. As for 24 frets, I like them too. Some people don't like the neck pickup being moved back, others love the fact it's less bassy on 24 fret guitar. Either way, I'm not bothered really.

 

[uOpt]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

tonal range I understand, but all other things being equal it makes zero sense to me how a guitar with 22 frets has greater sustain than one with 24 frets. Maybe I could understand that for frets 23 and 24 because of the fingerboard extension, but what impact does that have on the other 22 frets? Again, all other things being equal.

FTR, 22 frets for me, please.

Typically, 24 fret guitars have a longer neck and the neck//body joint is at a higher fret.

That doesn't have to be true, though, for example Warmoth offers you 24 frets with an overhand, using a standard Fender neck pocket.

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I understand the advantage of having more frets, but why would someone have less?

Because there's no money past the 12th fret (I stick with that number). Anything above is just musical masturbation.....


























Of course, I'm kidding; I like 22 (and use'em...)

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: 20, 21, 22, 24 fret guitars?

I never mind more frets... But by the same token, why not fill a guitar with frets :laugh2: do away with the whole lower bout, contour it so that you can fret all the way to the bridge, use a piezo pickup...

Why stop anywhere or at any particular place? I wonder if people who have those 36 fret things from the 80s wonder why anyone would live with 24 :smokin:

Yes I agree. I want to have as many frets as physically playable. I was searching quite extensively on google for Michael Angelo's charvel rocket, but couldn't find anything remotely similar. I wanted one for a long time, and a flying V is perfect for that, because of superior fret access. I definitely wanna own a guitar with 36+ frets later on (and maybe 7 or 8 strings).

I had another idea - to make frets thinner and put double the amount of frets, effectively dividing the guitar into semi-semitones. This will take chromatic playing to a whole new level. So a 24 fret guitar would become 48 fret. Would probably need a longer scale neck (27" or longer) and much smaller guage frets to accomodate something like that. Also probably would need to use flatwound strings with that for smoothness.

I totally want one. Once I play with re-fretting a bit, I might just do it myself, or build my own custom neck someday... sky's the limit...