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
only need 20. but 5 and 6 strings are necessary.
id like a bass that got progressively more fretted as it went higher up. get the first 12 frets on the B string, the rest fretless. E string until 15. A, 17. D and G (and C) strings fully fretted.
oh the shenanigans
id like a bass that got progressively more fretted as it went higher up. get the first 12 frets on the B string, the rest fretless. E string until 15. A, 17. D and G (and C) strings fully fretted.
oh the shenanigans
Depends on the genre I'm playing. For most standard rock, blues, punk, I barely go above 10 or so. For prog rock, 15 to 17 is common enough, and occasionally 19 or 20 (King Crimson's "Red" needs 20, plus bending up a half-step). I've never needed more than that unless it was some solo bass tune, usually an arrangement of a guitar tune, and even then, I'm not sure I needed more than 21.
Alvaro Martín Gómez A.
TalkBass' resident Bongo + cowbell player
24 frets are a must for me. Not that I'm constantly using that high G, but I definitely need it for many things I like to play. Although I have a couple of 20-fret basses, I had very clear from the begining that they were not meant to become my #1 instruments but still like them a lot for different reasons. But, in general terms, a less-than-24 frets fingerboard is a deal breaker for me (EBMM Big Al comes to mind - it's the only reason why I won't buy one).
it's definitely do-able. i learned it all the way through and it was super cool to play, but alas, now i only have a fender p-bass.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.
I could get away with 15, but I still prefer 21
+1 I play praise and worship mostly. I also do a lot of rock and blues stuff. The highest I've ever gone was 15 when I was gettin a little bit crazy
Eric!
Commercial User
- Oct 29, 2005
- 1,038
- 39
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Aguilar Amp Gruv Gear and Mono Cases
I like it to have 24 frets although I rarely, rarely go up till 24th fret cause of the space and ease to move about around 20-21st fret. 
Practically I don't go above Middle C, as I would'nt on my 5 String DB, unless soloing.
But the 22-24 frets give a perfect to thumb slap, in ratio to the scale length!
But the 22-24 frets give a perfect to thumb slap, in ratio to the scale length!
Thanks for the input guys.
What drove this is when I had the Moser made (link below) I had the bridge pickup moved as far away from the bridge as possible to get more volume and tone out of it. That did work and made a difference. But the space between that and the P is so small that it gets cramped.
From what I have seen - most of the guys that use the 24th fret are doing chords or some jazz soloing. Not everyone listed their musical style though - so that might be a big assumption on my part.
The idea of angling the end of the fret board or neck is one that is both interesting and scary. That would be something where the G string might have 22 frets and the low B string 18. My guess is it would drive a slapper crazy but no biggee for pick and finger playing. No idea on tap.
Here is the bass. You can see the lack of space between the two pups and why I would like to move the P pickup up some. Keeping a custom made Nordy away from the bridge had some immediate positives!
http://nealmoser.com/store/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=6433
What drove this is when I had the Moser made (link below) I had the bridge pickup moved as far away from the bridge as possible to get more volume and tone out of it. That did work and made a difference. But the space between that and the P is so small that it gets cramped.
From what I have seen - most of the guys that use the 24th fret are doing chords or some jazz soloing. Not everyone listed their musical style though - so that might be a big assumption on my part.
The idea of angling the end of the fret board or neck is one that is both interesting and scary. That would be something where the G string might have 22 frets and the low B string 18. My guess is it would drive a slapper crazy but no biggee for pick and finger playing. No idea on tap.
Here is the bass. You can see the lack of space between the two pups and why I would like to move the P pickup up some. Keeping a custom made Nordy away from the bridge had some immediate positives!
http://nealmoser.com/store/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=6433
I could get away with 15, but I still prefer 21
Ditto.
Actually, the Sadowsky I ordered will have only 20, because I wanted to maintain the vintage look. I'll probably string it with flats and use it with my classic rock bands, in which I stay below 15 frets 99% of the time.
For a long time I yearned for 24, just for the sake of having two octaves on each string. Along the way I realized I didn't need them for any kind of playing, only for looks. That kind of insurance is totally lost on me.
Wicked bass! It depends on your needs obviusly, but for me it would be perfectly fine to turn it into a 18 or 20 fret bass and put that neck pickup closer to the neck.
