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.
How many frets do you need?
- Thread starter ZiggyDude
- Start date
One more than they put on fender basses. Because I hate having to bend to get the high E when I play cliffs of dover (To trump all the guitards who say bass sucks).
Just George
Fingers on 4 Flatwounds
- Dec 29, 2008
- 412
- 413
- Disclosures
- Artist Relationship: Wilkins-Ampeg-La Bella
I play fretless about 50% of the time but when I do play fretted I only need 20 of them and for most songs I use way less than that.
If I had to play a gig with a bass that had frets only to the 7th fret, I could play damn near anything. In fact, I'd like to have a bass that was only fretted to the 7th fret - that would be a fun combo (fretted and fretless)!
Well, I would like to play that, actually.
I prefer 24 frets. I do slides down from way up high at times, and I like having plenty of hand room at the neck joint. I think it's also just a matter of that's what I'm used to.
Several of my bass lines require me to play beyond the 15th fret up to the 24th fret. So not only do I use them but I use them on a regular basis. My current debate is if I should go with a Warwick Corvette or buy a P bass, but the P bass doesn't have the 24 frets I normally use.
Bingo. I've been playing 24-fret Carvins for years now, and am totally spoiled on 'em. A full two-octave range on each string is useful not only for chording, tapping and soloing up high, but also for hitting harmonics at the double octave (Yes I know it's still possible without the fret. I prefer the fret.)
There are cases where less is more. Here's a case where more is more...
MM
I have to have 24 frets and 5 strings. I play all original stuff and guess that one would call it prog rock/metal/new age. As some others do, I use the upper register for soloing, tapping, chording, etc... I use a pick 65%, tap 25%, and fingers 10%. I'm personally not concerned about the money thing. I play for my own enjoyment. I did use those upper frets for one cover that I can remember. We played "Dust in the Wind" and I had a ball playing the violin part. If you have no interest in this type of playing, get something with 20 frets and set up the pups the way you dig it.
I don't use them every song, but I need 19 frets for all of our songs. 1 song is naturally that way, the other, is a song we adjusted the key in and I have use the higher frets to make up for not being able to hit the sub-harmonics in that key.
Having said that, I really like having 24 frets, 22 minimum.
Having said that, I really like having 24 frets, 22 minimum.
22 for me. I dig 24 but I've only owned one bass that sounded just the way I want it to and had all 24 frets and I sold it 
.
.
hrmm.
well one of my basses has 24 frets, the other has none.
so, by the law of averages, 12.
but seriously, i usually only play up to about the 15th - 16th position anyway ... the action gets a bit high down there. most of the wear on my fretless is 0-3 and 6-9 range ...mostly on the E and A ... i really need to switch to flats on that thing before i totally kill it.
well one of my basses has 24 frets, the other has none.
so, by the law of averages, 12.
but seriously, i usually only play up to about the 15th - 16th position anyway ... the action gets a bit high down there. most of the wear on my fretless is 0-3 and 6-9 range ...mostly on the E and A ... i really need to switch to flats on that thing before i totally kill it.
- Aug 5, 2005
- 7,243
- 92
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: J.C. Basses
On my low B-string (or F# on my 8-string): I don't ever use anything past the 12th fret. Too many intonation issues with a string that large and action as high as it is has to be. Plus, the tone is just worthless.
On my high C-string (or F on my 8-string): I frequently venture up to the 23rd fret or so, but I tap the 24th occasionally and it just makes finding harmonics much easier. If I could have 36 frets on my bass, I would.
On my high C-string (or F on my 8-string): I frequently venture up to the 23rd fret or so, but I tap the 24th occasionally and it just makes finding harmonics much easier. If I could have 36 frets on my bass, I would.
