Am I an absolute outlier?

[Tedthulhu]

@Real Soon The Ibanez Portamento fretless board goes all the way to the neck pickup. Sweet bass!

I love my SRF705. It's a fantastic bass.

 

[Lebowitz]

A whole lot more affordable, too heh... I kinda just discovered them, and yeah-- interest piqued. Unless I find some one-off awesome oddity somewhere, that might be what I bring home

You shouldn't be disappointed. Neck is like silk, well balanced, and the tones are great. I
'm not a huge Bartollini fan, but they sound great in this bass. The piezo's sound very good also.

 

[Lebowitz]

I love my SRF705. It's a fantastic bass.

I agree! I love mine!

 

[thabassmon]

You shouldn't be disappointed. Neck is like silk, well balanced, and the tones are great. I
'm not a huge Bartollini fan, but they sound great in this bass. The piezo's sound very good also.

Same, that would be one of the changes I'd make. Frets, Drop some Nostrand Big Splits in it, Bass Xtender and a new nut.

 

[Neon Scribe]

Although I almost never go past the twelfth fret except when goofing around, I don't understand why every bass doesn't have 24 frets. It just makes so much sense from the standpoint of orientation to have two full octaves on each string. The cost would be negligible. Is there any reason other than tradition?

 

[ebo]

All my amps go to 10. I would never consider an amp that only goes to 8 or 9. Have I ever played an amp at ten? No, but that’s not the point! I need to know it’s there, man!

 

[SgtHulka]

Although I almost never go past the twelfth fret except when goofing around, I don't understand why every bass doesn't have 24 frets. It just makes so much sense from the standpoint of orientation to have two full octaves on each string. The cost would be negligible. Is there any reason other than tradition?

Lack of need? I couldn't care less. I barely go above the 15th fret for anything other than a slide anyway.

 

[Outbush]

I have a 24 fret Ibanez on a GruvGear DuoStrap which I will sing the praises of with the slightest provocation. However, with this strap I have never got the knack of swinging the bass forward to easily access the very upper frets comfortably and if I don't swing it forward I find my fretting arm very cramped and my hand slow and inaccurate - at least for the sort of stuff I would want to do up there. So in my case a bass with 19 frets would be just fine all other things being equal.

That said, playing in duos with a guitarist I can really see the benefit of being able to play a few chords up there for when the guitarist wants to solo. Probably need to get that sorted really, eh.

 

[thabassmon]

Although I almost never go past the twelfth fret except when goofing around, I don't understand why every bass doesn't have 24 frets. It just makes so much sense from the standpoint of orientation to have two full octaves on each string. The cost would be negligible. Is there any reason other than tradition?

I think it's only tradition, there is a market for that configuration so companies continue to manufacture instruments to fulfill customer needs.

The double bass generally has a two and a half octave fingerboard, you would think that in making a electric guitar equivalent, you would design the instrument to have the same or similar range. On the Fender Precision there is an empty void between the end of the fingerboard and the pickup which could of easily encompassed that range, the cutaway would have to be deeper though. But it was possible and could of been done from the start.

Even though I like the electric bass very much I do see it as a compromise between guitar design and double bass function without truly equalling the range of either. Six strings or two and half octaves from the start would of done it.

But I suppose the limitations of the earlier designs allowed other companies to explore different variations of the basic design.

 

[logdrum]

I did this to my bass in 1988. Right after I saw Michael Manring. I defretted after seeing Jaco in 1987. The original bass, a Kramer Pioneer model had a bare maple fretboard to begin with So the luthier added a thin piece of ebony and let it overhang up to the pickup. I still have it and it is a great recording bass. I use to only prefer 24 fret basses but today I can deal with the 19 or 20 even if I am soloing. You can always use fingered harmonics for the higher notes. I changed from virtoustic to lyrical in my soloing. I also play sax and when I was young I would do all these altissimo p[6 letters] contests - basically adding an octave plus over the 3rd F on the tenor sax.

However be you @Tedthulhu . Make music - who cares if you are an outlier. Do not be a sheep.

 

[Ric5]

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 have 15 basses and 3 being built. I have an 8 string, a 5 string fretless and 13 fretter 5 string basses. I am also building a 10 string ... 5 string with octaves. I have active and passive, 34" 33" 32" and 30" scale basses ... all of my basses have 20 or 21 frets. I much prefer 21 to 20, It has been a long time since I owns a bass with more than 21 frets. So since I don't have the 3 extra frets I don't miss them ... but there was also a time I thought 4 strings was enough.

 

[Dr Zee]

So few pictures, I had to so something about it. Haven't found models for these two yet but they're 24's

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

I'm the opposite.. I still like slapping, and 24-fret necks get in my way. The body shrinks, and where I generally like to slap and pop needs to come cloeser to the bridge which messes up my posture and tone. Plus, even though I got a few basses that have 24 frets if I need those high notes, I almost never need to play that high on the neck in real situations. Ergonomically 20/21 frets is the best for me. Also, the strap button for the horn needs to be in between the 12th and 13th fret. So a Fender like instrument has the best ergonomics for me.

 

[Jack Deth]

I don't understand why every bass doesn't have 24 frets.

I question why they don’t all have 25. The zero fret pretty much eliminates the open string tone problem. (Long rant removed)

 

[thabassmon]

I did this to my bass in 1988. Right after I saw Michael Manring. I defretted after seeing Jaco in 1987. The original bass, a Kramer Pioneer model had a bare maple fretboard to begin with So the luthier added a thin piece of ebony and let it overhang up to the pickup. I still have it and it is a great recording bass. I use to only prefer 24 fret basses but today I can deal with the 19 or 20 even if I am soloing. You can always use fingered harmonics for the higher notes. I changed from virtoustic to lyrical in my soloing. I also play sax and when I was young I would do all these altissimo p[6 letters] contests - basically adding an octave plus over the 3rd F on the tenor sax.

However be you @Tedthulhu . Make music - who cares if you are an outlier. Do not be a sheep.

Your bass is exactly what I meant.

 

[retslock]

If I was a soloist that would be an issue but I can’t imagine how 24 frets would be an advantage in any of the bands I’ve played in over the years. I do go above the 12th fret but only for quick tasty stuff. Most of my work is done between the 2nd and 12th frets.

 

[The_Owl]

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.

Agreed. I prefer 24 frets from an aesthetic POV, though I've had 22- and 20-fret basses. FWIW, I do use that range from time to time.

 

[boombloom]

Yes. Now you get on with your life and we will get on with ours.

 

[farmertom]

I need like 9 frets. I think I know one song where I use the G string. Could make it with 7 frets and 3 strings like 90% of the time.

 

[chadds]

There are some Basses that were never designed to play well above the 14th fret. There are others that are designed to reproduce a clear ringing note from every note on a 24 fret neck.
When in practice I play every note up down forward and back across descending etc.

Not to “horse a dead beat” but that difference makes their higher cost worth it. That attention to precision is present throughout the Bass.