Am I an absolute outlier?

[chadds]

Got me. One of my oldest friends, a guy I gave some lessons to when he was a teenager who went on to become a very skilled bassist, recently blew out his preamp, so I'm gifting him my 4 string BTB bass in a few weeks when we go camping. I don't play it much anymore, and the thought of him going without a functional bass when I have seven bothered the hell out of me. So, the blue flame maple BTB will be finding a new home and someone who will give it more love than I have to offer at the moment. I just want it to be played and loved. I mostly play my Thor Bass six string fretless and my fanned fret SRMS805 of late. My six string fretted SR1306PM and my Portamento SRF705 are both getting neck adjustments to restore them to fighting trim sometime this week or next, as well.

My post was in jest. One is enough for some fifty could be enough for someone else. Who cares? May we live in a world where we care about others welfare not their possessions and personal actions.

That’s the fun in the Fender/Tort/Flats/SVT dogma. Live long and prosper.

 

[Nephilymbass]

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.

I prefer 24 and 26 fret necks spoiled from years of playing 26 fret warwicks. Fender did make a 24 fret jazz bass for a couple years though.

 

[Steadfast]

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

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

not a joke

 

[D.A.R.K.]

I have a couple older/ vintage basses with only 21, but I also prefer 24+ frets. Anything I buy new is at least 24, I have one with 26 also.

 

[GeneralElectric]

I think all of Basses have 20 frets (maybe my Stingray has 21)

New band has me tuned down to C so I wish I either had more frets or a 5 string!

 

[swarfrat]

There was no money above the seventh fret before the pandemic. I'm pretty sure above 20 is sucking money out of your account

 

[SLPimp]

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.

24 is 14 more than I ever use. YMMV

 

[3bc]

There are lots of great 24 fret basses out there. I had a 24 fret carvin and warwick. I don't go out of my way for 24 frets and I haven't owned a 24 fret bass in years. Controversial hot take here - bassists that needs 5/6 string basses with 24 frets have guitar envy, IMO. Basically no musician on the planet wants to play with a bass player who NEEDS to have that crazy high B note on their bass. Somewhat related, saw a video recently (it wasn't brand new) where Marcus poked fun at Victor's double thumb/double pluck thing. Someone asked him why he doesn't really do that, does he not like it? His response was more or less, "it's OK I guess, why don't you go ask vic's band how they feel about it". The irony is that unless you're getting paid by a legend like Marcus to be the drummer or keys player in a band, no musician wants to play with a bass player who plays slap 90% of the time either.

These giant instruments with all this range is super cool in the context of a piece of music written around a specific melodic bass composition/solo. In the context of a typical song there's no reason to be playing on top of guitar and keyboard and horn players. I know I get pissed when a keys player spends half his time pounding on the bottom end of his instrument.

 

[dkelley]

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.

Not an outlier. I dislike less than 24 frets also. I lived with it on my ernie balls, although I no longer have those instruments. I really prefer 24, always have, always will. I have my reasons.... familiarity is one thing, and I play up high for fills, do certain harmonics where the upper fret markings are critical for doing fast math, stuff like that. And I chord up high and stuff sometimes as well as soloing up there.

 

[Picton]

Meh.

I enjoy my flexible brain and my take-what-comes attitude. If I had a choice between having an adaptable mind and having two or three extra frets (and I do!), I'll take the more adaptable mind.

You do you, OP. But I'm glad I don't have to.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

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.

Solve the problem. Get back to us.

 

[Steadfast]

Why not have 24 frets? You still have the first 12 for those that are bashing the OP.

FENDER did make a 24 fret that I own and love. I posted a picture earlier.

 

[sxaxsx]

I rarely need above 14, I guess up to 17 is nice to have. There was one RHCP song I remember I could play on my Ibanez but not couldn't play one of the fills on my Jazz bass because it was so high up, but that was the only time I remember ever needing frets that high. I don't remember but I guess I probably just improvised something else, or played it at a different place on the neck.

 

[40Hz]

I’ve got 20 and 24 fretted (and fretless!) necks. Even had a 27-fret Cort Curbow bass for a short while.

I just play whatever bass I’m playing and try not to hand down ultimatums on myself when I do. So words and phrases like: “I can’t,” or “would never,” or “it must” don’t play any part of my musical universe.

I’m more of the mindset that (borrowing from the I Ching) says: If the traditional large and gilded bowl is not available to offer sacrifice to the gods, two smaller and more modest bowls will serve equally well.

Or, to put it more prosaically: “Love the one you’re with.”

 

[punchdrunk]

No

 

[Jack Deth]

You have angered the “4 string Fender P-Bass with Tort Pickguard” gods... maybe even his supreme Sunburst holiness.

 

[Killing Floor]

Play what you want to play.
I play a lot of guitar. If I need to hit some high notes I’ve got it covered. If I can be a bassist who also loves to play guitar surely you can be a bassist with higher frets or more strings.
What’s the beef? As long as you have tort on at least one. I think that’s the rule.

 

[Jack Butler]

21 makes the most sense to me, lowest and highest notes on the bass are the same. To each their own of course.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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.

Most posters here would much rather play Basses they are comfortable playing, and having a tool that allows them a full artistic experience. No you are not an outlier.

 

[Spidey2112]

How can you possibly deal with your fretless basses?