Am I an absolute outlier?

[Deleted member 365158]

So, to preface this, I currently have seven basses, which, yes, is excessive. My horde includes a fretless six string custom Thor Bass, a fretless five string Ibanez, a fretted five string ESP, a fretted six string Ibanez, a fanned fret five string Ibanez, a four string Ibanez, and a four string ESP. The one thing all my basses have in common is that they all have at least 24 frets (one of my fretless basses has 30, technically). I cannot deal with playing on 20 fret necks. It screws with my entire usual play style. Yes, this means that I can't do Fender basses. At all. I know, that's an unpopular opinion, but I cannot be alone in the "I need 24 frets to do my job properly" camp. Or am I? You tell me! Constructive comments welcome.

Im the other way around.
I actually let go of my 24 fret Ibanez not too long ago. I recently learned im actually more comfortable with 21 frets.
For me, i guess its more visual and muscle memory plus I visit above #12 but I definitely don’t camp up there.

 

[G On Bass]

If you play a style that requires getting up that high, then that is what you need and you are firmly in that group of players.

My world is a little different and I never really need to go bast the 12th fret but maybe for one or 2 notes a night with the rest being in the bass register. Otherwise the bottom end of the band goes away.

 

[Scott Lynch]

I cannot be alone in the "I need 24 frets to do my job properly" camp. Or am I? You tell me! Constructive comments welcome.

You definitely are not alone. If you need the range, or any other feature to get your sound, that’s what you need.

I gigged a 24 fret bass as my main axe for a while, but over time returned to 20 and 21 fret instruments out of preference. I am a “gear classicist”, to use a marketing buzzword I recently saw.

Many players sound great in the treble range opened up by those extra frets and higher strings. If that’s your thing, more power to you. Rock on!

 

[T Bassman]

You say you need to have 24 frets.

It's OK - just joking.

This was actually pretty funny. I had the same thought for a second

 

[Watchootognbout]

I have never had a guitar or key player ask me “what if you played that phrase an octave higher?”

/sortajoke

Many have a "stay in your lane"mentality.
Not an "interlock and mesh" mentality.

 

[Jefenator]

I find it slightly ironic that you can transition between fretted/fretless, 4/5/6, but a shorter finger/fretboard stops you cold.
I do get it, though; it does feel weird when I spend a bunch of time exploring the upper register of the 6-string then abruptly go back to my P-bass. Feels like I'm suddenly in some kind of cage.
That said, I do like a good old-school axe for old-school "meat & potato" playing. Sure, traditional country bass lines can be played on a 7-string but when the extended range is going to go unused for extended periods, IME the old Fender designs sometimes feel like the better tool for the job at hand. YMMV.
Also, this thread is just a few hours in so I guess it's finally my turn to be the one who says it: Jaco didn't need a 2 octave board. (People say that so much here there should be an abbreviation for it: JDN. It's horribly - often jokingly - overused but nonetheless relevant. If I were to spool up JP's debut album or some Weather Report, I would have to ask myself: is it this 20-fret board that is holding me back or is it something else?)
But, you know what? The whole Fender thing is more than adequately covered (some would say done to death) by other players. So if a fleet of 2+ octave boards is your thing, the more power to you!

 

[Logic_11]

I used to think exactly like you. For about 6 years actually (ages 19-25). Then I realized I never play past maybe the 17th fret, so I became open to the idea of less frets, but getting one was never on the wish list

Then one of my friends asked me to help fix his 4 string squier j bass and I was surprised by the amount of sustain and tonal difference that came from it. It did not sound or feel like a 24 fret active bass. So that made me we want to get one.

I got a Fender 5 J bass in February this year, and my all of my basses have fallen to the back burner and don’t really get played. I even bought a squier 4 string p bass to see what the hype was about, but I think i think it missed the mark, and I’ll be sticking to jazz basses. I’ve also never liked the feeling of a p bass. The necks are so thick, it feels weird

 

[buldog5151bass]

Whether I'm playing jazz, rock, or anything else, I'm seldom above the 14th fret, and seldom that high. Whatever gets you the music you want, all is good.

 

[Steadfast]

I have a 24 fret fender 24 v deluxe jazz bass. Sweet bass.

 

[user362432]

I've never noticed how many frets my basses have since I never play above that one with the double dots. Arthritis.

Double dot is the warning sign.

 

[klyph]

Well, you’re only an outlier in that out of six Basses, two each are four, five, and six strings. You don’t think you could swap a fiver for a 21 fret six string and still feel comfortable/fulfilled/artistically enabled? Do you tune the fours differently? How do you feel playing them? I don’t feel stymied by a lack of upper register access, but after 30+ years of playing 5 string bg I occasionally feel that way when I want to play low Eb or D on my upright. I also love having the neck pickup as far “north” as possible (I play a lot of dub/reggae/pop/dance etc.) I just started playing a vintage bass (I posted an NBD post) that has a single pickup at the 24th fret position. It’s not for everyone, but I love the sound...

The instrument is young, with few *standards” or “conventions” that aren’t cribbed from the grand tradition of bassline cliches established across different acoustic instruments over the last 200 years. Any orthodoxy observed in an activity developed during our modern technological age may only actually apply to 51% of participants, if that. We’re all outliers and guinea pigs, to some extent.

My main bass is a 24 fret five string. I almost never play above the 16th in a band situation, but I do like having the option, and I DON’T feel comfortable on a six, for a few reasons. I get it. Rock on...

 

[Dr. Cheese]

As a kid and young man, I was a huge Stanley Clarke fan, so I wanted a 24 fret bass like him. Over time, I realized I did not need 24 frets for what I did, so I stopped worrying about it. I do like at least 20 frets though.

 

[MisterFabulous]

Fender did sell a 24 fret Jazz bass

I played one for a few minutes at an open mic and it's great; nice build quality, etc.

All my basses have 21-22 frets or fret positions, so I feel ya.

 

[Logic_11]

I have a 24 fret fender 24 v deluxe jazz bass. Sweet bass.

I’m sorry, what? Fender has a 24 fret bass? And it’s a jazz. Dude I think you just burned a hole in my wallet

 

[Logic_11]

I have a 24 fret fender 24 v deluxe jazz bass. Sweet bass.

well we’ll we’ll, I typed in what you said into the search bar and nothing. I knew it was too good to be true . Haha really though, do you have a pic? I couldn’t find one

 

[JW56789]

I played only 24-fret five-strings for years, then bought my first-ever Jazz Bass a few years ago, and I must admit if felt like a mandolin with that 'short' 20 (or 21?) fret neck.

I don't miss the extra range as much as I dislike the neck-block where it screws on to the body. What a pain.

 

[Nuage420]

I just put together my first fender parts P. I've been wanting a P for a long time to fill a pretty specific role. My usual line up is similar to yours minus the fretless. A lot of 24 frets a lot of ibanez have come and gone, I now have an ESP AP-5, a sandberg, a schecter, and now this P with 20 frets. I actually love it. It growls and thumps wonderfully, I stay in the lower register and groove out. If I'm going to be in the upper register then I'll be on the sandberg with a jazz MM set up. I've been avoiding fender for almost 20 years rationalizing for this reason or that... I wish I hadn't.

 

[Nuage420]

I'm strictly a 5-string 24-fret guy. Makes it a heck of a time finding a P bass, but man, whenever I try to play on fewer frets, it throws everything off. Doesn't even matter if I ever actually play up there (though I do) it just feels so doggone different as an instrument!

P.S. Sounds like you have an Ibanez Portamento. I've wondered about those, whether having more frets would just as off-throwing as having fewer frets. But it works for you, huh? [Okay, not frets, positions, whatever]

There's so much more room with the 20 fret. I kinda dig it as it makes me slow down and groove

 

[C Stone]

Me anywhere near the the 12th fret... my guitar player...

 

[Hounddog409]

So, to preface this, I currently have seven basses, which, yes, is excessive. My horde includes a fretless six string custom Thor Bass, a fretless five string Ibanez, a fretted five string ESP, a fretted six string Ibanez, a fanned fret five string Ibanez, a four string Ibanez, and a four string ESP. The one thing all my basses have in common is that they all have at least 24 frets (one of my fretless basses has 30, technically). I cannot deal with playing on 20 fret necks. It screws with my entire usual play style. Yes, this means that I can't do Fender basses. At all. I know, that's an unpopular opinion, but I cannot be alone in the "I need 24 frets to do my job properly" camp. Or am I? You tell me! Constructive comments welcome.

Well, to start - "absolute outlier" is redundant.

And i use all kinds...20 frets...24....dont really care. Does not effect my "style" either way.