How many frets do *you* need on your 4-string?

[ewarren88]

While my playing doesn’t require anything beyond probably 12-14, there’s no good reason reason to seek out a bass that ends the fretboard there. I mean, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the higher range.

Now cue the responses of “zero!” from fretless devotees...

 

[groooooove]

full range of a 6 string bass for me

 

[InstantEctobass]

I find this pole a bit annoying. You put 20 and 21 together... but I wish my 20 frets basses had 21... So I can't answer 20-21... because I want 21 and I have 20 ^^

 

[brianrost]

17...to a high C on the G. After that the fret spacing and neck heel make it hard for me to finger notes cleanly beyond that.

 

[eyvindwa]

I have 26 on my Warwick Thumb, and I use them all!

 

[jnewmark]

Old bass player adage : There is no money above the 5th fret.

 

[Pings Bass]

I've got a fretless 6 with a 2-octave finger board. Talk about unneeded range!

Even on a 4, I'm good with 20.

 

[kmon]

I could be happy with 15

 

[drumvsbass]

There is an eloquence to the 20 fret 4 string. The lack of that high 'E' is kinda saying 'what are you doing up there anyway? There are E's you should be playing lower on the neck... No one dances to bass solo's' Stuff like that.

 

[Merlo79]

12 would be enough.

 

[nonohmic]

20 is enough, but I'd sure use 24 if I had them. It looks fun.

 

[Mushroo]

20 frets is the exact number of frets required, to play 2 full octaves in every key. There is a nice symmetry in that, which feels "perfectly designed" to me. I think being able to play equally well in every key, was one of the underrated killer features of the Fender bass. Suddenly the recording industry is open, for any singer, with any type/range of voice, to come into the studio and make a hit record, with the backing band playing fluently in any key. This has a big effect on the breadth and depth of 20th century music, in my opinion.

I don't like the 21st fret because in my opinion, that steers the musician toward writing songs in the key of E: you can play a full 3 octaves in E, but not any of the other 11 keys. I prefer instruments that are "agnostic" as to key signature of songs.

 

[themickster]

17 frets do me well enough. I sometimes slide up an 8th and sometimes go to the 5th above that on the next string up. I'm not one to twiddle about at the top end.

 

[fourstr00]

When I bought my first 20 fret bass a few years back, I discovered one of the trad Irish songs we play, and I have the melody, requires one more fret than I had.

Voted 24

 

[Snibborwocky]

I literally don't go higher than the 12 fret on any string. I'm not a "bass solo", upper high notes kinda player so 12-15 would be more than enough for the way I play.

 

[Inara]

I play fretless, almost exclusively, but the same concept of fingerboard range applies, so I didn't vote "fretless carrots" (although I really enjoyed seeing that option! ) But I couldn't vote anyway, because 21 versus 20 is important to me. I strongly desire 21 "frets" or more ... I don't like 20 "fret" fingerboards, because I like having the high E on the G string available when soloing. My favorite fingerboards are 21 or 24.

 

[Jack Butler]

My Kramer has 21, I think there was 1 song where I actually needed the 21 instead of 20(Voices, by Dream Theater?)
15 would be enough for my needs to be honest. That said, 24 actually makes logical sense in my mind, 2 octaves per string. Just seems like what you'd default to if designing a bass I don't own any 24's though so maybe there's a downside?

 

[mongo2]

I prefer to have all of them...just in case.

 

[Picton]

...however many a Jazz or Rick come with.

 

[groove pump]

Now I'm wondering what to go for if I ever get off my duff and try to build myself a 3-string... Maybe I'll just take the G off one of my 4's and see where that leads me.

Two of my more recent finds are 24 fret 4-strings and it's occurring to me how they change the equation up at the crossroads with the body (both are bolt-on's). Both basses have two pickups and the extra length on the fingerboard runs that end of the board up closer to the neck pickup than something like a traditional Jazz with maybe 20 frets.

What's caught my attention is that the extra fret board seems to create a fundamentally different tone from the string when I slap a little bit. I'm certainly not comparing two nearly identical basses with different numbers of frets here, but it seems that when I slap the string against a 24 fret neck, I'm knocking the string down against the frets at a different spot - effectively a little closer to the bridge - than on a 20 fret bass. Maybe a little less belly and a little more mid-range in that fundamental tone from a slapped string on a 24?

No biggie there, but it could be similar to how we can get different tones when plucking a string closer to the neck or the bridge. When I got these basses, it didn't even occur to me that they had "extra" frets. They were both really neat builds that would have come home with me even if they had only 12 or 15, but I guess I'll vote the 20-21 slot.