Ever miss 24 frets?

[stingrayPete1977]

[quote name='BigRedX' post='1280806' date='Jun 24 2011, 12:06 PM']All the basses I play regularly these days have 24 (or more) fret necks. Not because I need all the frets (although sometimes I do) but because the longer neck means that heel has been moved further up the neck and therefore the higher positions that I do use (between the 12th and 17th frets) are much easier to play.

This the reason why I no longer use bolt-on necked basses with 21 or fewer frets because the heel/neck joint is completely in the way.[/quote]
Really? Heel moved up? Hmmm

I'm thinking many people think that this is the case? Scale length is from nut to bridge saddle, Extra fret basses are the same length with an extra long fret board protruding nearer the bridge. The distance from nut to say 17th fret is the same on all 34 inch basses. 35 inch scale 24 fret basses will give you more room between frets up the dusty end but only the exact same room a 20 fret 35 inch bass would have.

I refer back to my earlier comment about basschat science lessons

[stingrayPete1977]

For most basses that doesn't apply because the extra fret version just has more board so the extra frets if anything are even harder to reach (although at least they exist) . What he means then is that he likes a bass designed and made with a deeper cutout which can be obtained easier with a longer neck which is neither here nor there until the point of a thru neck, You don't have to put frets all the way if you don't want to and at some point making the neck longer and the body shorter will create new problems.

Edited June 24, 2011 by stingrayPete1977

[stingrayPete1977]

In most cases other than cutom stuff this is more likrly to be the case

Mex strat 21 frets joined at the 21st fret
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Artist-Jimmie-Vaughan-Tex-Mex-Stratocaster-/140565066647?pt=Guitar&hash=item20ba54b397"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Artist-Jimmie...=item20ba54b397[/url]

Or USA version 22 frets joined at the 21st fret but the extra fret is nearer the neck pickup
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-American-Srandard-2009-USA-Stratocaster-Strat-/320716128361?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item4aac2bc069"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-American-Sran...=item4aac2bc069[/url]

If rightly or wrongly you like the look of this [url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-american-standard-p-bass-/160604768667?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2564ca499b"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-american-stan...=item2564ca499b[/url]
then adding frets will only shift them up the body even more, If you start cutting the horn out more and more you will end up with an ugly bass with a neck far too long for its body.

About the most you can go without hanging the board past the cutout and look good although its at the maximum point for me compared to the top horn is this sort of thing
[url="http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lakland-Skyline-4401-4-String-Bass-/180574094661?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item2a0b0e0545"]http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Lakland-Skyline-4401...=item2a0b0e0545[/url]

Edited June 24, 2011 by stingrayPete1977

[JTUK]

The heel aspect is something that super Jazzes dealt with in the 1st instant...
To have that block there on a Fender/bolt-on is a lack of design/thinking

[gafbass02]

I don't miss it, but often wish for one more like the KSD had. I find playing the widdly bit in sir duke always throws me on a 24

[deepbass5]

Rarely go above the 12th

Like Johnston, I only venture beyond fret 12 for Free - Alright Now and the intro to Sweet Child of mine. (oh! Just learned the bass solo to Smooth operator for the hell of it) I am Bass player Damn It

Wasn’t it Marcus Millers Dad who reminded him that, what’s played below the 5th fret is where the Bass player earns his money?

I used to have a headless Lag with about 29 frets, my others are 24, but since buying Homers Shuker with 21, I prefer it, it feels right like my first P bass. More room on the body to pluck n thumb

Go for less Frets

[stingrayPete1977]

I have seen what red's Gus basses look like (only kidding) so I'm alright over here Ta and as for set necks, No thank you

[stingrayPete1977]

In true scientific fashion I have just played my Ray and even noodling up to the 22 fret the body join doesn't really interfere with my hand in any way, It naturally falls into my left palm if at all. If it were contoured like some other makes have 24 frets would be no problem even with the heel left where it is (already a big 6 bolt heel on a ray too) Maybe that could be added to these 19mm string spacing Ray 5's they are talking about probably never making? Another one for Sterling Balls henchmen no doubt

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1281439' date='Jun 24 2011, 08:04 PM']But they are all based on the limited Fender design with the bolt on bolt off everything fits everything else.

Step out of the Leo box Pete come join us over on the dark side [/quote]
Thanks for that reply Johnson - you put it far more tactfully than I was about to do...

I think the heel (or lack of it) question comes down to what you are used to. My first bass was a Burns with a completely heelless set neck which was a fantastic piece of design especially since it dated from 1960! My next serious bass was an Overwater with a neck through construction. I didn't own a Fender-style bolt-on neck bass until I bought a Squier VMJ fretless about 5 years ago, by which time I'd had almost 30 years of playing basses where the cutaways rather than the neck joint were the impediment to playing up the neck. Consequently I found the heel/joint on the Squier far to obtrusive and limiting to get on with and sold it after a couple of months when it got replaced with another through neck bass - the Pedulla Buzz.

[12stringbassist]

I do have a bass with 26 frets. It's wasted on me.
I normally stop around the 14th fret as a rule.