21 Fret shredders????

[DTP]

Double post.

[jgcable]

To expand on this a little, what I mean is range. How many of you 21 fret shredders "run out of frets" when you are soloing in the high registers. I regularly bend my 22nd fret up to high E. Its very difficult to bend my 21 fret strats up that high. I do like the way a 21 fret standard Fender Strat neck feels. Especially above the 12th fret.

[Deneb]

I personally would rather play a 24 fret neck. There are many guitars that I've walked away from because of the 22 fret neck. I currently own a few guitars that aren't 24 frets. My US Strat, my Ovation acoustic, and some 12 string Epiphone turd acoustic.

That said, I pass on a lot of guitars that are 22 frets, with the exception of a Rhoads (and since you can buy the import one, swap the neck, and have a 24 fret I could see me in the future doing that).

I don't exactly know why, because I don't know that I use the high E that much at all in the upper register. I play a lot in E minor/G Major so like I'll so a lot of E F# G A B C D E on it, but for the most part, I stop right around the A and go back or whatever.

JG, I can't give you a really good answer, because I don't have one. What I can tell you is, I don't like guitars that are not 24 frets.

[Shawn Lutz]

I prefer 22 fretters myself. I no longer own any 24 fretters. I have one old 70's strat neck with 21 frets. its not in use as it needs a fret dress but I didnt have a problem 'shredding' on it. I did all the Yngwie stuff on it too.

[jwoods986]

JG, I can't answer this at the moment but hope to be able to soon! With a list of favorite guitarists/influences that includes Yngwie, J. Beck, SRV, Hendrix, plus Blackmore and E. Johnson recently, I've got to try a Strat in my collection. Right now I've got a Model 6, two Wolfgangs, and a 7-string Washburn so a Strat would be something different anyway (playing and sounding). I'm considering a Jimmie Vaughan or a Deluxe Players Strat, which are both 21 fretters.

[shredmonster]

I don't understand why you would not want a 24 fret neck since they are available and give you more flexibility.

Logically lets take one single person and take their maximum bend. They will be able to bend to a higher note on a 24 fret neck compared to 21 or 22 frets period - thats just plain physics.

Second, personally I run the Am arpeggio (and Em and others) all the way up the neck starting at 0 and finishing on the 24th fret. You need the 24th fret to do this.
I am not talking about running the arp up to the highest fret and bending up to the high E string or stopping there at the high E - I am referring to running it up to the 24th fret and coming back down from there in the 24th position back down from the high through low e strings. There is no time to bend and there are not enough frets on a 21 or 22 fretter for that matter to play them this way. You have to have 24 frets.

I have a 22 fret Charvel, 3 - 24 fret Jacksons and a 27 fret Hamer Californian. I play all three and never get lost because I play each one often enough.

[jwoods986]

Well I already have a 24 fret guitar (two actually, the Washburn is also) so if I'm playing something that requires it, I can grab my Model 6. The other week I was at a local shop that had a NOS Ibanez RGT3020FM for $899, which is a great price. I played it and was really considering it but then thought, "why?". It's really just a variation of something I already have - neck thru, 24 frets, thin neck, etc. So that's why I want a Strat, it's totally different from my other guitars. And something I noticed the other week when I was (trying to) work on some Yngwie stuff with my Model 6 is the upper frets on 24 fretters can feel a little crammed sometimes.

In the end it's whatever works for you

[MadJack]

24 isnt enough. The arps I've been playing recently made me realize that in certain keys, I have nowhere to go when I run through progressions I've gotten used to by repetition. 31 would be cool if I could reach them!

[toejam]

A lot of people prefer the warmer sound of the neck pup with 21- or 22-fretters. With a 24-fret guitar, the neck pup is pushed closer to the bridge, making it brighter. I've always preferred 24-fret guitars, but I seem to own more guitars with 22 these days. I mostly play rhythm anyway, so it's not that big of a deal either way.

[lerxstcat]

Well I already have a 24 fret guitar (two actually, the Washburn is also) so if I'm playing something that requires it, I can grab my Model 6. The other week I was at a local shop that had a NOS Ibanez RGT3020FM for $899, which is a great price. I played it and was really considering it but then thought, "why?". It's really just a variation of something I already have - neck thru, 24 frets, thin neck, etc. So that's why I want a Strat, it's totally different from my other guitars. And something I noticed the other week when I was (trying to) work on some Yngwie stuff with my Model 6 is the upper frets on 24 fretters can feel a little crammed sometimes.

In the end it's whatever works for you

Consider that since the Model 6 is 25.5" scale, same as a Strat, the spaces between the frets are the same as the Strat on frets 1 through 21, and the access is better because the neck joins the body about 1-1/2" further up. So that feeling is completely psychosomatic on your part. If you don't use the last 3 frets how can they feel cramped?

I won't own a 21-fret guitar because to me, the bend from C# to E is harder, doesn't sound good even with guys like Yngwie and Uli doing it, and with 22-fret Strats available, why do that to yourself? I prefer 24 frets because of the reasons outlined above on arpeggios. Sure Yngwie may not use them, but Gilbert, Friedman, Vai, Laiho, Petrucci and many others do use them, so if you want to attempt that music, or write music of your own that goes there, then you need it.

For those that don't want or need it, that's great, you have every right to your own preferences. When you say it in such a way that implies you think they are superfluous, though, you're dissing everybody who differs with your personal needs.

Now I know my statement about the Model 6 vs. a 21-fret Strat seems to contradict what I just said, but really, think. The 6 has 21 frets TOO. It just has 3 more above them, which you never have to use if you don't want to. The 21st is the last with a fingerboard inlay, just like a Strat.

Use what works for you, but don't discount what works for the other guy. For me, 22 frets is absolute minimum, 24 highly preferred.

[MBreinin]

I don't understand why you would not want a 24 fret neck since they are available and give you more flexibility.

Logically lets take one single person and take their maximum bend. They will be able to bend to a higher note on a 24 fret neck compared to 21 or 22 frets period - thats just plain physics.

Second, personally I run the Am arpeggio (and Em and others) all the way up the neck starting at 0 and finishing on the 24th fret. You need the 24th fret to do this.
I am not talking about running the arp up to the highest fret and bending up to the high E string or stopping there at the high E - I am referring to running it up to the 24th fret and coming back down from there in the 24th position back down from the high through low e strings. There is no time to bend and there are not enough frets on a 21 or 22 fretter for that matter to play them this way. You have to have 24 frets.

I have a 22 fret Charvel, 3 - 24 fret Jacksons and a 27 fret Hamer Californian. I play all three and never get lost because I play each one often enough.

Well, I don't do any of that stuff, high fret tones sound squeaky to me.

I also prefer a 21-22 fret guitar for the sweetspot it places the neck pickup in.

24 fret guitars "feel" weird...they feel long, like you are playing a sword or something.

I could, honestly, be just fine with a 20 fret guitar.

Mike