You will not get a satisfactory answer there either...at least not one that hasn't already been presented here.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Fender Jazz only with 20 frets; why?
- Thread starter Green Lantern
- Start date
Well, yes, unfortunately, "Cuz Leo" is still a valid answer, because there are many, many players who "just have to have" the vibe of the original designs. And the sales figures show it. Look at all the 21, 22 and 24 fret models which have come and gone since the late '80's after ownership of the parent company changed post-CBS. Most of those models are gone or have been reconfigured, where the original designs keep selling, and selling, and selling....
I find it odd that anyone could find anything "wrong" about the number of frets on a jazz bass. It is what it is. It's not like they left a critical position off the fretboard...like if they skipped the fifth fret and went straight from the fourth to the sixth fret.
Virtuous players that have pushed the limits of the bass guitar rarely use notes that high even when they are soloing. Also the best of players would never admit to needing those notes to express themselves in a solo or otherwise.
Think about it...
Virtuous players that have pushed the limits of the bass guitar rarely use notes that high even when they are soloing. Also the best of players would never admit to needing those notes to express themselves in a solo or otherwise.
Think about it...
I have 20 frets (or fewer) on most of my basses because of Fender. I would prefer that 21 became the new standard, though. I think 24 can lead to crowding for something like a J bass, so 21 just makes sense. It allows the bass guitar to have three full octaves from E to E without introducing crowding.
As things stand, I don't play the 21st fret enough to need it on every single bass, but it's something that I need to make sure I have on at least one bass of mine.
As things stand, I don't play the 21st fret enough to need it on every single bass, but it's something that I need to make sure I have on at least one bass of mine.
As for why 21 frets, this song is definitely one of the main reasons why I play bass. You really can't play it on 20 frets:
There are more failed "updated" Fender bass models than I can count, while the bog-standard P and J have never gone out of production.
A few that have come and gone:
Precision Special (1980?)
Precision Elite I and II
Jazz Bass Special (MIJ P body, J neck, PJ pickups---Duff McKagan style)
Precision Bass 32" scale
Jazz Bass 22 fret ("boner bass")
Precision Plus
Jazz Plus
Precision Hot Rod
American Deluxe P and J
The AmDlxes were the only models that lasted more than 5 years.
Don't care about virtuoso ! I don't need them to validate my use of the 24th and beyond
Please don't misinterpret my sentiment...no one really ought to require any outsider's validation for their mode of expression. My point is that there is nothing inherently wrong with working within a medium that may be considered confining to others. Like a photographer that chooses to work in black and white instead of color, even a limited palette can provide infinite ways to create your art and one is also not inherently better than the other.
