21 Fret shredders????

[MBreinin]

Eric Johnson has never seen to have any problem hitting any note he wants on his 21 fret guitars.

Eddie did pretty well with his 21 fret necks as well.

Me, it doesn't make a damn difference as I rarely go up there anyway. My hands are small, but I just can't make the upper frets work that well for me. It is one of the things I really should work on...because I just don't go up there that much because I can't really make it sound that decent.

Maybe I should get a guitar with "ultimate" access so that I can learn to play up there. I find a Les Paul, a Strat, or even my Predator with its scooped out joint area just too hard to use up there.

Flying V, anyone??

Mike

[MadJack]

I'm spoiled on 24 frets. Sometimes that isn't enough. They are very close together but I've grown acustomed to it. I'd love to have a 29 fret jem. Even with .008's on I just can't get that last A in Eugene's Trick Bag. I'm really tempted to bend 24 to 27 and suspend the guitar by the trem bar. Anyone think it'll hold the weight?

I play up top most of the time and love neck thrus because of that. 15 years ago I sold a Westone Spectrum FX neckthru that had a totaly heeless cutaway. It was a really cool guitar for what it was. I miss it.

My M5 is superb except for one small issue. The cutaway, at times, is too narrow for me to reach everything I try to do. The tip of the cutaway kinda grinds into the back of my hand. Figured I'd get used it. Maybe thats why the dinkys have a wider spread.

Another nice find would be an old Carvin V220. No reach issues there.

[Ace]

I have no problem playing all the way up to the 22nd fret of my SG as far as access is concerned. That's probably my biggest issure with Les Pauls is that it's hard to get to the finger-mash frets. With the SG I can fret all the way up and keep my hand in practicaly the same shape all the way up the neck.

24 frets are nice, but I don't need 'em. Like a Floyd Rose, if I'm jamming on a guitar that has it, sure I'll play with it, but I certainly don't need it. Six strings, 21 frets and a stop tailpiece is all I need to rock!

And I was going to mention Eric Johnson as well... good call Mike!

[sonicsamurai]

i've never owned a 24 fret guitar - never needed it

[442w30]

I have not needed more than 22 frets regularly, and never had a scallopped guitar. That said, 8's and the scallopping seems like it would make it more attainable.

[toejam]

Yeah, they just came out recently. There are 6 different types/gauges, the 9-42s are not what he uses they are just "Yngwie approved". Here's the link:http://www.deanmarkley.com/Strings/E...msteenEl.shtml

Ah, that's interesting. I didn't know there were all those types "approved" by him. Hmmmm.

[atomic charvel guy]

22 is all the juice i ever needed. 24's always bugged me.

[VitaminG]

usually play 24s but still enjoy playing my 22 fretters, although I do occasionally get lost playing on 22. Not because I often play above the 22nd, but more that the end of the neck acts as a reference when I'm playing about the 12th and I'll find myself playing a lick 2 steps lower than I'd planned. Don't think I've ever owned a guitar with only 21 frets.

Having said all that though, I'm the last guy you'd call a shredder.

How many frets do Doug Aldrich & Gary Moore's strats have? Those guys can tear it up.

[HeWhoIs]

Number of frets never really bothered me. I adapt to whatever the guitar I'm playing at the time has to offer, whether it be number of frets, bridge type, or number of pickups.

[HeWhoIs]

As for 21 fret shredders, didn't Randy's polkadot have 21 frets?

[Deneb]

I remember Yngwie saying the reason he uses the 8 as the high E, because he bends the C to like F or some shit like that.

[sambencuda]

I currently have 21, 22 and 24 fret guitars. I like em all for their own reasons. I do find it hard switching between them though. It takes a few minutes to get into that particular guitar, but then again, I can't shred so what the hell do I know!!!

[QuantumRider]

usually play 24s but still enjoy playing my 22 fretters, although I do occasionally get lost playing on 22. Not because I often play above the 22nd, but more that the end of the neck acts as a reference when I'm playing about the 12th and I'll find myself playing a lick 2 steps lower than I'd planned.

I encounter similar problems, especially with licks that have right hand tapping.

The only difference is that I get "lost" when I switch to my 24 fretters from the 22's that I usually play.

[Hyperfuzz]

Well, the obvious solution to all of this, is to boil the strings first before installing them. I prefer boiling them in chicken grease myself, but, you know, you have to find what works for you.

[DTP]

I have a 25 fret guitar and I can't for the life of me figure out what to do with it. All my others are 22 and 24, I've never had a 21. 22 is fine with me, of the few solos I do know none need more than 22.

So I guess it doesn't really matter to me.

J.