21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

badco33

badco33

New member
I'm ready to order a neck from USACG for my Tele Project. I have a Fender Highway 1 blonde body that I put a couple light coates of nitro clear on and sanded and polished. It looks great and will be getting a black guard. I'll be using a Callaham bridge with the brass saddles and Antiquity pickups. It will basically be a vintage 50's type set up so should I keep with the vintage type theme and go with a 21 fret neck or should I go with 22?

Tele guys help me out.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

Hmm... the question is, will you need the extra fret?

Personally, i prefer 22 frets instead of 21, since i can bend up to a high "E" with a 22 fret neck :)
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

do you plan on making this a main guitar? do you play songs in which you use the 22nd fret? if you answered yes then go 22 frets. if you answered no then go with 21 frets just for the more vintage look.

-Mike
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

I think it depends on your style. For anything soloing on higher frets I would suggest the 22 fret, if you never use the 22 fret than you won't probably need it. Plus it depends if you can even reach 22 fret on tele body your using, if you can't reach there is no point in it.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

There has been more than one occassion that I've cursed my tele for having only 21 frets. It's a fantastic guitar, but I do on occasion miss the 22nd fret. IMO, unless your primary concern is vintage correctness, there's really no good reason to not go to 22. Even if you don't go that high on the neck now, you never know, someday you may.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

Go for 22. It never hurts to have on extra fret does it? And besides you'll never know when you might be tempted to use it.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

I vote for 21. If you're going for an old vibe, it's the only way to go. I've built two Teles, one with 22 frets, purple with Joe Barden pickups. The other is butterscotch blonde with Antiquities and 21 frets. It just looks so cool! Plus, 21 frets never held back James Burton, Keith Richards, Bruce Springsteen, or any of the other many vintage Tele guys. You can still get all of the notes too - bend up to D and Eb, and play the 24th (or 5th) fret harmonic for the high E. The only concessions my old style Tele has is a two-piece neck with no skunk stripe (I did this for practical purposes - the truss rod adjust is at the headstock, so I don't have to remove the neck from the body to fiddle with it). I also used the staggered locking Kluson-style tuners to avoid needing string trees. But the new 50s style Strat I'm building is going to have a one-piece neck with skunk stripe (and 21 frets, of course).

I love Teles, and to me a guy (or girl) playing one with 21 frets and a vintage-style 3 barrel bridge just has more authenticity. Maybe that's a stupid thing to think, but I'm sure not the only one who thinks it!
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

Something about a 21 fret tele makes me feel like when you go up there to play, the guitar is just pointing at you and laughing. It knows that 22 would be the logical conclusion, and it has pulled the rug out from under you. It's taunting you. "Are you a real man?" it says. "Can you triple bend that last note up to a high E, or will it fall flat?" Are you going to let it speak to you that way? I for one bend that note to whatever pitch I feel like. "Screw you telecaster, I had my Wheaties this morning."

Are you going to let it beat you? Go for 21 and kick it's handicapped butt.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

hehe, I just joined a cover band...damn Santana song has him using that 22nd fret! I have to bring my Les Paul just for that song...the Tele-Gib is perfect for everything else...so far. I'd say get the 22, but it's your axe. Good luck, sounds like a sweet Tele.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

Every time I switch from the ricky or gibby to the tele, I find myself running out of frets.

I like 22 myself, It never hurts to have an extra fret. If it's a custom, why would you concern yourself with vintage-correctness?
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

28!! :headbang:


J/K. I'd be tempted to go with 21, just to keep the vintage vibe going. Although, if you're afraid you'll need that extra one, go for the 22. You can always just not play it. It's kinda hard to play one that isn't there. :D
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

thirty ****in six!!!!!


no less. maybe more!




:lmao:
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

What drawbacks are there to having a 22 fret neck? It seems to me that you'd always want to have as many as possible.

Well, maybe not more than 26 or so.
 
Re: 21 or 22 fret neck for my project tele

who cares about vibe or vintage correctness...it isn't a vintage guitar. go for the one that is more useful- 22. It isn't just about the high E string you know, I use those 22nd frets on the other strings as well.
 
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