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frets, 20, 22 or 24?

#41
^ John Deacon of Queen played really high up a lot and he DEFINITELY wasn't a showoff. He was like the exact opposite of a showoff. For all his talent, he just kinda stood in the back and didn't say much.

One of my basses has 20. I truly hate that. The only thing that keeps me from getting rid of it is the tone and how freaking indestructible it is, which makes it great for lugging around to to practice, etc. For me to truly be happy with a bass I need at least 21, though I'd prefer 24. I also think it would be cool to have a bass with 26 like on some Warwicks (I love power chords)
 
#42
kugelspot said:
^ John Deacon of Queen played really high up a lot and he DEFINITELY wasn't a showoff. He was like the exact opposite of a showoff. For all his talent, he just kinda stood in the back and didn't say much.

One of my basses has 20. I truly hate that. The only thing that keeps me from getting rid of it is the tone and how freaking indestructible it is, which makes it great for lugging around to to practice, etc. For me to truly be happy with a bass I need at least 21, though I'd prefer 24. I also think it would be cool to have a bass with 26 like on some Warwicks (I love power chords)
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I have a bass with 26, much fun, its a shame I can only easily reach 23, you kindof have to know your aiming at the highest ones beforehand.:hmm:
 
#46
BritPicker said:
20.

Can't really see the point in having more, as it's BASS that I'm playing.

I guess that I don't much go above the 17th, for an effect.

Players that are always playing high should just go and buy a guitar really.

It's just trying to show off and it's horrible.

Not as bad as slap bass, but close.
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Sometimes dicking around at home I play chordally and having a 24 fret neck so I can do a high E or F triad is nice. I don't really do that stuff on a gig. It's fun to have at home.

KO
 
#49
walterw said:
not necessarily.

a neck with more frets but the same scale length is therefore a longer neck, and thus more flexible end-to-end than an otherwise identical shorter neck. this can theoretically mean less stiffness, and thus less sustain and evenness.

besides, everyone knows there's no money past the 5th fret! :p
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# of frets does not determine where the neck and body are joined. The difference between a Fender 20 and 21 fret necks is just a bit of fingerboard that extends past the end of the neck
 
#51
^ By that do you mean, if I extend my arm x distance away from my body, which fret am I touching? Because sometimes it can influence it, but no not really. I've never seen a 20 fret bass where I had to really had to reach to play the lower frets, but I have seen plenty of "short" 24 fret basses.

If you mean the physical length of the neck, the frets really more determine the length of the fretboard. And if thats what you meant I don't know how you could really have an opinion :eyebrow:
 
#56
walterw said:
not necessarily.

a neck with more frets but the same scale length is therefore a longer neck, and thus more flexible end-to-end than an otherwise identical shorter neck. this can theoretically mean less stiffness, and thus less sustain and evenness.

besides, everyone knows there's no money past the 5th fret! :p
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HogieWan said:
# of frets does not determine where the neck and body are joined. The difference between a Fender 20 and 21 fret necks is just a bit of fingerboard that extends past the end of the neck
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HogieWan got to it first- it's a mistake that I've seen before and I don't know why people think it. Fret count has nothing to do with neck length at all. You can take the same bass and pull all the frets out until there's just one left, or extend the fingerboard until you've got 40 frets- either way it does not lengthen or shorten the neck.

To the original poster, adding 1-4 frets should not affect the tone at all- it's an incredibly small amount of weight that you'd be adding. It's right up there with thinking using a 1-ply pickguard will give your bass more snap while a 3-ply pickguard will give you more sustain.

And yes, this belongs in Basses and I'm sure will be moved by a Bassists mod shortly.
 
#58
Rocky McD said:
In 45 years I have never played above the 12th fret...
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aus_bass said:
Wow ! Sounds like some of you guys should be playing guitar. :eyebrow:
I've never been past 14.
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So you guys never even do an octave glissando? ;)

walterw said:
...a neck with more frets but the same scale length is therefore a longer neck, and thus more flexible end-to-end than an otherwise identical shorter neck. this can theoretically mean less stiffness, and thus less sustain and evenness.

besides, everyone knows there's no money past the 5th fret! :p
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Theoretically, maybe. In practice, I've never found this to be the case. And I don't plan on giving back the money I've earned above the 5th fret. Not that it would exactly be a fortune, anyway. :D

BritPicker said:
Players that are always playing high should just go and buy a guitar really.

It's just trying to show off and it's horrible.

Not as bad as slap bass, but close.
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You are going to make Stanley Clarke cry... with laughter. :rolleyes:
 
#59
MysticMichael said:
Far better to have something and not need it, than to need something - and not have it... :hmm:

MM
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I can agree with this. I used to play a lot of country and played in front of the pickup on my P basses. Having the shorter fretboard gave me more room to pluck before I was over the fretboard. I find plucking over the fretboard changes the tone (*). Since I didn't need the extra frets, I preferred to have the room.

But my Lakland has 22 frets and the number of frets was not a consideration in buying it. I don't need the extra two frets, but they do not hurt in any way.

And who knows, I might use them? It is like a five string, once that string is there you find times to use it.

(*) Paranoid by Black Sabbath is one song I always pluck over the fretboard to get the right tone.
 
#60
In my experience, for rock I like having 24 as having those extra frets generally means better access to frets 17-22 than is typical on a bass with fewer frets, and I usually play rock with a pick so I don't slap.

However, the extra finger space between the neck pickup and the end of the fingerboard on my 21-fret Schecter Cali Custom 5 (Jazz clone) makes popping MUCH easier when playing fingerstyle.
 

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