Guitarists are picky bunch when it comes to the ideal specs on their instrument, but the debate around the number of frets on a guitar’s fretboard is very much justified. Whether your guitar has 21, 22, 24 frets or even more, will change how comfortable you’ll find it to play, what you can play and even how it will sound. Here’s a brief overview of how just 22 and 24 fret guitars differ:
- Guitars with 22 frets have a shorter fretboard than those with 24 frets
- This means the neck pickup is fitted further away from the guitar bridge
- It gives them a ‘fatter’, more rounded tone
- The neck pickup on 24 frets guitars will generally sound more balanced and defined
- You also get a full four octaves a breathing room playing notes higher up the neck
- Vintage-inspired electric guitars are also made with 21 frets, while some modern guitars might have 27
Should you get a guitar with 22 or 24 frets?
The most obvious point between owning a guitar with either 22 or 24 frets are those two extra fret positions, which give you four complete octaves to play. It’s not often guitarists use the 23rd or 24th frets, although there’s no reason why you couldn’t or shouldn’t make the most of them. You’ll find they are mainly utilised in rock and metal, so unless you’re into those types of music, you probably won’t find yourself up there all too often – especially if you like playing along to some more popular tunes.
Just to name a few, the likes of Megadeth, Avenged Sevenfold and Children of Bodom all reach into the higher frets in their guitar solos. Some players like Wes Hauch, Rusty Cooley and Jake Bowen take things even further, notching up 27 frets on their custom shop guitars.
But the real reason many players like to hold the fort at 24 is the breathing room it gives you when fretting that high. It gets considerably more uncomfortable playing up at the 22nd fret where you run out of space. There’s also the case of fretboard familiarity: once you’re used to a certain number of frets, moving to any other setup can feel frustratingly unfamiliar.
Do 22 fret guitars sound different to 24 fret guitars?
Yes. If you were to compare two identically spec’d guitars, one with 22 frets and the other with 24, the neck pickups will sound different. That’s because the fretboard of a 22 fret guitar is shorter without the two additional frets, meaning the neck pickup can be placed further away from the bridge of the guitar. On the other hand, a 24 fret guitar has less room to accommodate the neck pickup on the body without extending scale length, forcing it in closer to the bridge pickup.
In essence, the 22 fret guitar gives you two wider tonal extremities: the bigger, bassier and livelier sound of the neck pickup and the crisper, cutting edge of the bridge pickup. The difference between neck and bridge pickup tones on a 24 fret guitar are slightly more understated, and enough for some guitarists to opt for the sonic range of 22 frets.
There are very few guitar builders who make exactly the same guitar in both 22 and 24 fret versions, so a comparison between, say, a Fender Jazzmaster and Ibanez RG to prove tonal differences are moot. However, there is one guitar manufacturer who do make extremely similar guitars in the form of PRS. We can observe the change in sound between the PRS Custom 22 and Custom 24 models to prove the effect it has on tone.
PRS SE vs S2 vs Core - Which PRS Custom 24 is Right for YOU?
Which PRS guitar should you get? What are the differences between the Core, S2 and SE PRS guitars? In this video we compare the Core PRS Custom 24 with a PRS S2 & a PRS SE so you can decide which PRS is the best one for you! | https://tinyurl.com/y79dnywp
Guitars Used in the Video:
» PRS Core Custom 24 in Faded Whale Blue | https://tinyurl.com/y7t8hx5c
» PRS S2 Custom 24 in Whale Blue | https://tinyurl.com/y8w3b3g5
» PRS SE Custom 24 in Charcoal Burst | https://tinyurl.com/y7wusnd9
» Full Range of PRS SE Guitars | https://tinyurl.com/y9fjaw7z
» Full Range of PRS S2 Guitars | https://tinyurl.com/y9mjwlng
» Full Range of Core PRS Custom 24 | https://tinyurl.com/y8yz4mts
The PRS Custom 24 is the flagship model for PRS guitars. It features in every range that PRS makes, including their SE models, American S2 and Core line range! But which one is right for you? Today, The Captain & Danish Pete give us a full overview of the different ranges to help you make your choice!
Check out our guide to PRS Guitars!
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⏰ Timestamps ⏰
» 0:00 Intro Jam
» 3:18 What Are We Doing Today?
» 5:08 Quick Rundown of the Full PRS Range
» 6:36 Let's Start with the Core PRS Custom 24
» 11:05 What Does it Sound Like?
» 13:45 More specs on the Core PRS
» 16:08 Moving On to the PRS S2
» 18:53 Let's Get Some Tones!
» 20:44 Thoughts & More Specs
» 23:00 Finally, Let's Take a Look at the PRS SE
» 27:08 What Does the SE Sound Like?
» 30:31 Let's Blindfold Pete!
» 35:29 Blindfold Off!
» 38:25 Final Overview
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2022-04-13T14:00:23Z
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21 fret guitars
Even though 22 frets is considered the standard appointment on a modern electric guitar, there are plenty still made with 21. All Fender guitars featured 21 frets until the introduction of the American Standard range in 1987. Any guitar resembling ’50s, ’60s or ’70s specs (unless hotrodded) will most likely contain 21 frets – that goes for both Telecaster and Stratocaster models. Quite simply, people love the retro feel. You’ll find guitars with 21 frets populated in the Vintera series, which take their inspiration from the golden age of Leo Fender guitar designs.
How do you benefit from 21 frets? You get that much-coveted vintage tone from both the neck pickup and middle position, if you’ve got one. The deeper sound of the neck pickup is even more noticeable than on a guitar with 22 frets.
If you enjoyed this article, check out some of our other Labs blogs!
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