How many frets and why?

[Watchootognbout]

Some of you "No money above the twelfth fret" guys should build a P-Bass that has short neck and a long body that starts at the twefth fret.
How great would that look?
NO?

 

[superheavyfunk]

My bass has 24 frets. Personally, I'd like 26.

Because why not? I don't have to use them all the time for them to come in handy. I'd rather have them there and not need them and NOT have them when I'm in the middle of something crazy.

 

[Audible Vibes]

While it's interesting to play in the upper registers at times, it seems most basses aren't even ergonomic enough to accommodate and facilitate that.

I agree, I can't reach those highest frets well enough to play them with any groove. But having more frets makes it easier to hit frets 12-16.

I recently switched from a 4 string 24 fret to a 5 string 20 fret; both 34" scale length. I really noticed the difference when playing a song with a slide down from the 15th fret. On the 24 fret bass I didn't have to make any extra movement to hit the note, but on my 20 fret I have to reach a little further and at a different angle, which isn't as smooth.

 

[bholder]

Some of you "No money above the twelfth fret" guys should build a P-Bass that has short neck and a long body that starts at the twefth fret.
How great would that look?
NO?

Not everyone plays for money, either. Enjoyment and sheer cussedness take me places money won't sometimes.

 

[micguy]

Frets past the 14th or so are there so when I hit the string hard, it has something to bounce off of. If they weren't there, the lower frets would take the hit, and I'd rather preserve those to play notes on.

 

[ole Jason]

If I'm doing jazz gigs I want 24-26 because I'll use the whole neck. For everything else I don't care too much.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Not everyone plays for money, either. Enjoyment and sheer cussedness take me places money won't sometimes.

Yes!And right at this very second I am exploring chords and harmonics of the upper atmosphere of my seven string!
Just wish that it had a deeper cutout to get WAY up there!

 

[lz4005]

Some of you "No money above the twelfth fret" guys should build a P-Bass that has short neck and a long body that starts at the twefth fret.
How great would that look?
NO?

That sounds familiar...but I'd give it at least 14.

 

[bholder]

Some of you "No money above the twelfth fret" guys should build a P-Bass that has short neck and a long body that starts at the twefth fret.
How great would that look?
NO?

It'd look something like this, but even more so:

The Fender Bass V was a flop.

 

[Watchootognbout]

It'd look something like this, but even more so:

The Fender Bass V was a flop.

IT EXISTS!!!

 

[onosson]

I regularly play in the 12th-15th fret area for all kinds of gigs and styles. I will occasionally go a few frets higher doing chordal stuff, but not really into the 20th fret region except to add things like e.g. 7th chord notes over an open E (G# on D string, D on G string) or A (G on D string, C# on G string).

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I have a 24 fret Steinberger with very good upper fret access, but I don't use it much in the upper registers. 20 frets is fine, usually looking for lower notes like Drop D, thinking about a 4 string tuned BEAD. Its not a deal breaker either way.

 

[BusyFingers]

It'd look something like this, but even more so:

The Fender Bass V was a flop.

Awwwww, the wee-bass!

I'd love to try one. What scale length was it?

 

[nostatic]

How many bassists actually utilize two octave scale fretboards?

I do. All my basses are 24 fret with the exception of my Rob Allen Deep 4 fretless which ends around 22. And I can play up to the 24th fret on all of them as well. How much time I spend above the 12th fret depends on the band/gig. For some, I'm up there a fair amount, usually comping chords. My main band typically doesn't use guitar or keys so I play in that range. The other thing that ends up being important is an E or B-string that sounds good above the 12th fret, as I'll grab notes there so I can play a bass line while comping. Lot's of basses suck up there, mine don't. Because I got rid of the ones that do

 

[bholder]

Awwwww, the wee-bass!

I'd love to try one. What scale length was it?

Not wee at all - actually 3" longer than a normal Precision. I believe the scale length was still 34". With that huge body, would have to be heavy, I would think.

 

[BusyFingers]

Not wee at all - actually 3" longer than a normal Precision. I believe the scale length was still 34". With that huge body, would have to be heavy, I would think.

It's an optical illusion!

 

[NoiseNinja]

As I play almost all over the fret board and like to have the opportunity to go as high as possible on my four string (although admittedly by far the majority of time I stay below 13th fret when not soloing), I like there to be at least 22 frets, preferably 24.

My main bass at the moment has 22, and I guess I am willing to go as low as 20 if I found a bass that had the perfect playabillity and tone for me, that only came with that configuration.

I have owned basses with 24 frets before, and I actually did make use of the 24th fret on the G string at that point, so it's not just for the looks or some odd idea I got.

 

[LowActionHero]

Ideally I'd like to have 24 frets, just because it seems 'right'. But really, I hardly ever go that high anyways.....

 

[Herrick]

Is the number of frets a bass has inconsequential in most cases because most bassists don't play above the 12th fret?

The number of frets are inconsequential to me.

 

[BusyFingers]

IT EXISTS!!!

I know, right?