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

[JTE]

Four of my eleven basses have no frets at all...

When I got my first StingRay in '79 I figured the additional fret over the Precision would not be important. There was one song though where I started playing an A and E double stop on the intro that used that 21st fret. After a few months I took the P bas to a gig, that song came up and I started up there. Just before I hit that power chord I realized I didn't have the E. But having 20 or 24 or whatever has never been a factor in deciding whether to get a particular instrument.

 

[bobyoung53]

I've learned some very important things here in the 16 years I've been a member, among them:

1. People actually weigh their basses

2. Any amp that is heavier than your typical class D is heavy and only comes out on special occasions.

3. People actually count the number of frets on a bass.

I voted 15 would be more than enough, I can play in the upper register and used to quite a bit when I was younger but I started to rethink that one day when after an especially long flurry of superfluous notes up near the body of my P bass one of the guitarists in my then band asked me in exasperation why I just didn't go out and grab a Tele guitar and join them doing triple leads or something like that.

 

[BarfanyShart]

I only have 20 now, and I didn't even think about the fact this was a downgrade from 22. It's mostly fine, of course I'm not playing bass lines up there, but I do compose music occasionally, and when I'm working out a compositional idea it would be great to have 24, or even 26, frets.

 

[ctmullins]

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.

I think that's an important point.

Many of you play Fender (compatible) instruments. The ergonomics of the Fender bolt-on neck severely limit access to the upper register. It's one of the many things I hate about Fenders.

So I have to wonder - how many of you might spend more time in the upper registers if it were easier to play up there?

 

[Chrisk-K]

I’d be good with five frets.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Let me put it this way: I’ve never even counted the number of frets on any four-string I’ve ever owned.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

I’d be good with five frets.

Me too, so long as they were the 3rd 4th 5th 6th and 7th frets: bottom G up to middle D would be fine.

 

[growlypants]

I like 24. (Just in case...!)

 

[Jefenator]

20 is nice and "old school" which I like sometimes. It does facilitate slapping farther from the bridge, while constraining upper register forays that may not fit on certain gigs.
22 throws me off; I always mistake that 4th marker for the 3rd. Nothing a little time in the woodshed wouldn't fix, but is it really worth it just to be able to go up to F??
24 makes more sense than 22 to me. 2 octaves on every string - got it - and that range does get used.
For me 20 frets goes hand in hand with a classic, passive design and 24 frets makes more sense with some kind of active neck-through modern wonder. YMMV.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

My bass has 24 frets, and this range is totally wasted on me. I wondering if I'm alone.

One more than I have. Having the high E would be useful.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

My bass has 24 frets, and this range is totally wasted on me. I wondering if I'm alone.

I have 24 on myb5 string, it’s rare, but I do use it.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I was very careful not to say anything along the lines of "I don't use anything beyond the 19th fret and neither should anyone else", and think it a wonderful thing that the bass guitar market seemingly offers at least something for everyone.

(I wish I had done a better job of identifying the bass which best answered my needs, but that's another matter)

‘I don’t think there is one bass that satisfies all needs.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I was watching some vintage guitar clip on youtube, one of the usual suspects, and there was, iirc, a late 50s Strat which had severe wear on the first three frets and nothing beyond

Kind of looks like this?

 

[Sean150]

Anywhere between 21 and 24 for me. It’s useful for soloing and composing.

I am getting more and more mystified about the idea that a bassist doesn’t need to play in the upper register. When I see DB players they will often play up there and I would assume that this would be considered more traditional playing.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

The tastefulness of my playing is inversely proportional to the number of frets on my bass.

I can see where that might be a problem if done to excess.

 

[Ricky Rioli]

how many of you might spend more time in the upper registers if it were easier to play up there?

Playing across the full 4 octaves of my guitar with ultra-low action and 008 gauge strings is incredibly easy, but I haven't had it out of its box for more than an hour this century. So I think that rules me out?

(The guitar's neck has not drifted at all in that time: those mid 80s Westones really are nicely built)

 

[sean_on_bass]

I've owned a couple 24 fret basses but never really got married to it, so i am cool with a lower number. I like to have 20 frets but could easily do with 15 and still play what i need to play. Even when i play a bass solo i tend to do it in the middle of the neck. My thought has been that if i find myself wanting to go into a higher register the solution would be to get a bass with more than 4 strings. I actually would love to mess around with a 6 string someday as i play guitar as well as bass.

 

[luciens]

My bass has 24 frets, and this range is totally wasted on me. I wondering if I'm alone.

I suck so bad that the number of frets on my bass has no effect on my playing or tone. I suck just as bad with no frets at all.

The typical problem is access to that area of the neck anyway. The typical 34" scale neck is so long you either have to wear the bass to optimize comfort in the upper ranges or the lower ranges, but not both. Either your arm breaks playing the lower notes or it breaks playing the upper notes.

In saying that, to me 21 frets makes the most sense, since it gives you the high "E", but requires the least modification to the instrument to accommodate more frets that the player doesn't use that much anyway.

But for folks who do specialize in this area of the neck, I can see the usefulness of 24 (or even more).....

L

 

[GretschWretch]

Either one fret every half step, or none at all.

 

[ToneMonkey]

I only rarely play above the 12th fret, and then only for occasional color on the D and G strings. There's no money up there.

I just realized that I play somewhat the same way on electric guitar. I see lotsa guys grabbing a handful of D and A strings way up the neck. I think the tone sounds too sludgy and cloggy. I prefer to voice those same passages in the middle of the fingerboard one or two strings over. I guess I'll never be famous. Womp womp.