22 frets vs. 24

[lex666]

on another thread, some people were bashing guitars with 24 frets, saying 22 fret guitars are better. why are guitars with 22 frets better than guitars with 24? I own guitars with both and hear nor feel any difference...

 

[jeremy]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

i do notice a difference. i usually prefer 22 fret guitars but i own a 24 fret as well.
the big difference that i notice is that the neck pup doesnt sound the same on a 24 and i like the sound from the neck of a 22

 

[aleclee]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

Some people prefer the pickup placement on 22 fret guitars. Also, the unsupported length of the neck is generally shorter on 22 fret guitars, leading to greater neck stiffness. This often leads to a perceived improvement in tone.

 

[chcjunior]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

i do notice a difference. i usually prefer 22 fret guitars but i own a 24 fret as well.
the big difference that i notice is that the neck pup doesnt sound the same on a 24 and i like the sound from the neck of a 22

How do you isolate the difference in sound due the difference in necks?
I've wondered about the question posed as well and couldn't come up with any solution other than comparing two different bolt on necks.

 

[KoreanGuitarMan]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

I prefer 22 frets. Here's why.

The problem with most 24 fret guitars is that they are essentially a 22 fret guitar with an extended fretboard, thus pushing the neck pickup towards the bridge.

Now, what a luthier like Jeffrey Earle T. (JET Guitars) does is build necks in a 25" scale, where the heel of the neck extends the full length of the fretboard. The 24th fret is actually a brass piece that is screwed into the neck. Also, the neck pup is situated right up against that brass piece, and is directly coupled to the top. Since there's no wood beyond the 24th fret, and no pup mounting ring, the neck pup can be placed as closer to where it would be on a 22 fret guitar. Although it's not a complete fix, it's pretty close.

 

[mrfjones]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

i can tell the difference on the neck pickup but i generally don't like the guitars that have 24 frets for different reasons.

 

[aleclee]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

Some boutique guitars have necks that are properly scaled for 24 frets

How so?

The common scale lengths are 24.675" (often incorrectly described as 24-3/4") as on Gibsons, 25.5" on most Fenders, and 25" as on PRS. In all three cases, the distance from the bridge to the 24th fret is 1/4 of the scale length (ignoring compensation for intonation).

If the scale length is pretty much standard and the fret position is dictated by math/physics, what are the boutique builders doing that is supposedly different?

 

[B2D]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

I prefer 22 fret necks because of neck pickup placement (better bass tones I feel) and I just don't need 24 frets. If I want a note that high I'll just bend til I can't bend no more.

 

[joelap]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

Never felt a need to get that high. I use all 22 Fret guitars and a 21 on my Fender.

 

[Guitarist]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

...and the Strat owners feel terribly left out!!

 

[KoreanGuitarMan]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

How so?

The common scale lengths are 24.675" (often incorrectly described as 24-3/4") as on Gibsons, 25.5" on most Fenders, and 25" as on PRS. In all three cases, the distance from the bridge to the 24th fret is 1/4 of the scale length (ignoring compensation for intonation).

If the scale length is pretty much standard and the fret position is dictated by math/physics, what are the boutique builders doing that is supposedly different?

See my edited post. There is a correct scale length for 24 fret guitars (PRS uses it) but neck pup placement is remedied by other construction techniques.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

My main beef with 24 fret guitars is the location of the neck pickup. there's something about squashing it toward the bridge that messes with the tone.

it may be difficult to tell between an ESP hammet and and Epi LP, but on two similarly spec'd models, (say, a PRS CU22 with whammy and a PRS CU24) it's pretty obvious.

 

[aleclee]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

See my edited post. There is a correct scale length for 24 fret guitars (PRS uses it) but neck pup placement is remedied by other construction techniques.

I'm still confused. What problem does that solve? As far as I can tell, all it does in solving the "problem" of pickup positioning is move it closer to where it is on a 22 fret instrument. If the LP sound is your benchmark for neck pickup tonality, then yeah, 22 fretters are "better" (given your taste) and moving the pickup as far as possible from the bridge is desireable. Just keep in mind that such sweeping statements are far from absolute and that others' mileage may vary.

As for scale, I think it's presumptuous to say that there's a "best" scale for tone, particularly in the context of 22 vs 24 fret guitars. There's certainly a tendency for longer-scaled instruments to sound different from shorter ones but which is better is strictly a matter of taste. If it weren't, builders like Tom Anderson wouldn't offer their instruments in multiple scale lengths.

As for "direct coupling", that sounds like Ed Roman's marketing mumbo jumbo. I won't say anything more on that topic.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

its the placement of the neck pickup for me...but most players who use 24 fret guitars dont use the neck pickup as much, i guess...i love the sound of the neck pickup (and use it 80% of the time) on my 22 fret guitars...I found I never used it on my guitar with 24 frets, and eventually sold that guitar...

 

[lex666]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

its the placement of the neck pickup for me...but most players who use 24 fret guitars dont use the neck pickup as much, i guess...i love the sound of the neck pickup (and use it 80% of the time) on my 22 fret guitars...I found I never used it on my guitar with 24 frets, and eventually sold that guitar...

interesting... I never realized that I hardly play the neck pup on my 24 fret guitar... i play mostly bridge or neck & bridge... I'll try playing the neck alone and see if there is a difference...

thanks...

 

[strat_master]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

i like 22 more 21 more, 24 is just too much, and too metal imho.

 

[Quencho092]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

i still dont see a purpose for a 24th fret even for metal styles

 

[Hellion]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

I don't own any guitars with 24 frets and I don't miss the 23rd or 24th until I want to get that high on a solo. But given the fact that we're a three piece band, I don't find much need to get that high very often.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

I use the 23rd and 24th frets quite a bit on my Carvin. To be hon3st, I preffrer the neck pickup sound from a 24 as opposed to a 22. It is brighter and snappier, but that's what I want from a neck pickup. I want all the chime and detail I can get.

 

[Nate]

Re: 22 frets vs. 24

If neck pickup placement is such a big issue, could you build a guitar with the bridge pickup and bridge moved back to compensate for that lost space you encounter with a 24 fret guitar? Would the neck pickup sound the same that way?