Hello,

I'm not a guitarist and no expert but there are people here who are.
I have all 24 fret guitars: Jackson and Ibanez.
Started as a pianist and even the smallest keyboards have 24 notes.
Been told that 22 fret guitars have better sound at the neck pickup because of more substantial resonance there.
My 24 fret guitar neck pickups sound rich and creamy.
And the second octave note is the cherry on the top, if the high frets are actually playable like my Jackson.
What is your experience?

 

The more notes the better in my book I don't know about the notion of a sound change- seems like that should be negligible on a decent guitar.

 

I have quite a few of both (Ibanez and Jackson also), never noticed any difference in tone. I use those top two frets in perhaps 2% of the songs I play and could probably live without them.

 

I've been alternating between 22s and 24s since forever. Sometimes i choose one over the other because of the type of pickups, the type of neck, the type of bridge, the strings and so on, never because of a tone change produced by the number of frets. But i very rarely use the neck pickup anyway so who knows.

I just think there's more important differneces between guitars than whatever little tone difference the number of frets could make. And if you're on the market for guitars, chances are the 22 and 24 frets you see around are just completely different models altogether.

 

I only buy 24-fret guitars because that’s what I’m used to, and without them, you end up missing a few notes when playing leads. I’ve owned 21- and 22-fret guitars in the past and never noticed any significant tonal difference. If there is one, it’s negligible. Years ago, when I bought an Eclipse, I did a thorough comparison between the ESP model (22 frets) and the LTD model (24 frets). I usually go for ESP guitars, but I had to go with the LTD because of the extra frets. Both models had the same Seymour Duncan pickups, and tone-wise, I couldn’t hear any difference. The ESP definitely had a better finish, but that’s purely aesthetic. With electric guitars (same construction), nearly all the differences in tone come from the pickups anyway.

 

I find it frustrating because boutique guitar makers like Dunlop, Powers, etc, insist on the 22 fret model.
I'd love to buy a lot of guitars, but for the 22 fret barrier.
Even 24 frets is too little sometimes when I'm playing cello music and I long for a decent 27 fret guitar.

 

It's easier to set and check the intonance if you have 24 frets - you can always quickly check it by ear, comparing open string with 24th fret, they should be in tune.

 

Sorry for the slight OT, but I just got off the phone with ISWorks Shreddage CEO. And he told me:

FUCK MORE FRETS!
GOD BLESS MORE STRINGSSS! [moaning noise]

I wonder what he meant by that... because man, he was feelin' it!!

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2024

Frets are endangered, and those that insist on using 24 instead of 22 or even 21 are literally volunteering to destroy the planet for a few extra notes here and there. Gee wiz, learn to bend strings and save the wire today!

 

G-strings, of the tight variety.

 

Something tells me the "G" thing isn't about tuning...

 

Bullsh1t. Those who have told you are idiots. The different sound of the pickups comes from their position. They s"see" different parts of the vibrating string with different overtone content. Simple as that. "Resonances". What helluva idiots.