21 fret necks - what's the deal?

[shreddermon]

Why would anyone prefer 21 fret necks to 22s?

I get the preference for 22s vs. 24 (or vice versa). There, the neck PU position is different and, therefore, arguably tone is slightly altered. Or perhaps its a preference for better upper fret access for 24s.

But on a Charvel strat, there's no difference between the two for a 21 and 22 fret neck. Why would someone prefer a 21 fret neck? Simply to have "vintage" looks?

Clue me in - Sorry, I just don't get it. :dunno:

[Rich#6]

Fender players who refuse to change?

[Larz]

Yeah, isn't that the traditional strat/tele fretting?

And do some wicked bends if you need to go higher.

[chrisintampa]

backshape is different - if you are referring to the music zoo stuff. i havent played any of those, but i have a 21 fret baseball bat-ish and i wont give it up. i talked tot he dude there as i was ridiculously close to pulling the trigger on that HRF they had - i got hte impression that they are indeed thicker. i love that robins egg blue one they have, but the stuff is too $$ for me. think pc-1.

[Axewielder]

Bolt-on fanboys like them because they can hit the highest notes possible without slamming into their big blocky neck heels and being reminded of how foolish they were for not buying a neck-thru.

[markD]

i like 21 fret guitars...if i ever got a 21 fret charvel, it would be more like a modified fender, which is what i like. as i am getting older - 35 next month - i find myself going BACK to fenders...but i still like humbuckers, floyds, etc. - so a 21 fret charvel would be pretty awesome...especially if it had small frets too!!!

[SeventhSon]

for me it's only aesthetics, but it would never be a deal breaker if a strat had 22 frets.

now, i do prefer 21 (or 22) over 24 simply because i subconsciously know where the 12th fret is relative to where the neck comes out of the body (if that makes sense). i kind of get disoriented when i switch to a 24 fret neck through.

[Grandturk]

My first Strat had 21 frets. To me, a Strat should only have 21 frets. I also don't like Strats with anything other than a vintage style trem - no 2-point trems or hardtails - and only three singles. And it should say Fender on the headstock - anything else isn't a Strat.

Now, that said, I like my Charvels with 22 frets. Also, my fingers are too clunky for 24 frets, especially on a short scale guitar.

[toejam]

Bolt-on fanboys like them because they can hit the highest notes possible without slamming into their big blocky neck heels and being reminded of how foolish they were for not buying a neck-thru.

If you can't get around the heel on a Strat, you've got technique issues.

[Newc]

What Toejam said.

I find that it's easier to grab the 22nd fret on a 24 fret neck because either the body is cut deeper or the bridge is mounted slightly closer to the headstock to allow better access to the 24th on most guitars.

Look at most 22 fretters and see where the last fret is, then compare the same body shape with a 24 fret neck. Usually the last fret on a 22 is actually behind the cutout on a Strat-style, and the 21st is even with the cutout. When that same guitar is made as a 24 fretter, the 23rd fret is even with the cutout, which moves the 22nd into "open space".

Compare these two, which are the same model (SLS) in both 22 and 24 fret configurations, taking note of where the last 2 frets are in relation to the cutout:

SLS 22 fret




SLS 24 fret




See how the last fret of each one is "in" the body. The 22nd fret on the 24 fret model has better access because the bridge, and therefore the neck, are moved farther out of the body, rather than pushing the pickups closer together and having more frets in the body.

[XSSIVE]

If you can't get around the heel on a Strat, you've got technique issues.

that's just what i was going to say! if you can't play every fret on a typical strat heel you're not playing the guitar correctly...PERIOD!

-Mike

[Big D]

21 fret guitars piss me off. I pretty much refuse to buy anything that doesn't have 22. I'm not talented enough to (accurately) bend the 21st fret high E string a step and a half to get that screaming high E note so common in rock leads.

I'm a Tele fan, but I'm limited to the production model (American Deluxe) that has 22 frets.

And Charvels with 21 frets? That's just wrong IMHO.

[joelayres]

Just like a drummer that can't do it on a 4 piece set, a guitar player that can't get it done with 21 frets needs to go back to the basics.

[metalchurch79]

I prefer 22 frets over 24, only because of the pickups being closer together on the 24 fret guitars.
Even though I dont use a neck pickup on any of my guitars, there's something about a 24 that doesn't feel right to me. I think it's the neck pocket. or it might be visual and gives me the impression that the frets are smushed together, which they are in some respects.

21 fret Strats feel weird to me because of the rounded fret board and it looks weird to me, plus they dont have jumbo frets and a tight radius.
I'll stick with my bolt on 22 fret King V's until I have a Custom Shop 22 fret KV built with an unpainted neck.

Prob the same as the old Floyd vs. Kahler vs. Vintage Trem...
Personal preference.

Hell look what Yngwie does with only 21 frets, not that he cant play anything else, he just prefers them.

[jdr94]

maybe it for the shorter feel? i dont know.