24fret guitars advantages/ disadvantages

[Eagle]

The other day I had a realisation that half of my guitars are 24 fret and thought about the trouble I had adjusting to the first one I had.
It was a white 86 Soloist;

My subconscious would tell me the end of the fingerboard was fret 22 and playing in the upper register was confusing at first. I was a long time Fender player so the other reference for me was the position of the heel. This is totally different so no help from that.
The first 24 fretted I was completely comfortable with was the Jem777 because it had a heel like a Strat at the same point on the neck. In fact all the geometry on the Jem is identical to a Strat for the same reason that made me comfortable with it. Steve grew up playing one and when he switched to Charvel Jackson he had trouble with the Floyd up off the body because of his picking style .
The jem was an amalgamation of the Charvel Green Meanie the Eyball Soloist and the Strat with the pre amp in it. The first Jems had a Charvel neck carve a fender neck heel position and a fender strings off the body hight . Also by cutting in to the body adding a fingerboard overhang instead of the usual SG approach of moving the neck position I could play the Jem with complete comfort from day one.
I unfortunately no longer have in and early ones are now very expensive. Specs have changed since then and I would want a first run one. I sold it because it was too Steve Vai to gig.
Do you play 24frets? Did it cause you any issues?

 

[Eagle]

Oh advantages are it is nice and makes visualisation sense to have two full octaves instead of one with a bit missing. I don’t think the pickup position is an issue for me.

 

[Blix]

Oh advantages are it is nice and makes visualisation sense to have two full octaves instead of one with a bit missing. I don’t think the pickup position is an issue for me.

Agreed. Except for single coils in the neck with 24 frets, that doesn't do it for me.

 

[Eagle]

Agreed. Except for single coils in the neck with 24 frets, that doesn't do it for me.

I generally play a Strat or Tele for single coil tone.

 

[Blix]

I generally play a Strat or Tele for single coil tone.

Of course, just referring to the Jackon pictured, I'd have to put in a DiMarzio Air Norton S or Pro Tack un the neck position to make it usable for me :)

 

[Eagle]

Of course, just referring to the Jackon pictured, I'd have to put in a DiMarzio Air Norton S or Pro Tack un the neck position to make it usable for me :)

That an original untouched 80s custom shop so it’s staying stock but I agree.

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

I rarely do any kind of soloing on guitar so there is no need for me to have 24 frets, but when I do make it up that high on the board, it is nice to be able to count backwards from the 24th rather than counting up from the 12th. Makes it easier for me anyway to realize where I am and what notes are in the area. The other advantage for me though is putting the common areas that I am using, a touch further from my body. In so doing, I find playing above the 7th fret or so, more comfortable as I have a little extra space between my left arm and body (at least with my PRSi)!

 

[laxu]

Honestly I find that I rarely find myself playing those very highest notes. I own both 22 and 24 fret guitars and don't really care if I have those extra frets or not. Never had issues moving between the two. Even the neck humbucker placement closer to the bridge is a non-issue for me.

 

[DrewJD82]

It was never an issue for me, but probably because I went from playing a Strat to the JEM with the AANJ and I think I was still too young to even have any preferences, I was more stoked that I finally had a JEM.

Funnily, I ditched all the Vai-associated gear coming out of high school for the exact reason of it being ‘too’ Steve Vai, except for the JEM but that was because I couldn’t afford another guitar that matched it’s quality.

 

[metropolis_4]

I like the symmetry of 24. 2 full octaves is nice at times, and I like that 24 fret guitars feel less cramped on the upper frets because of the extra space.

It’s kind of like a 7 string for me. I rarely need the extra range, but when I do it’s nice to have it available.

 

[likitlikeyoulikeit]

Not a lot of experience, as more of a hack rock/punk/hardcore player for most of my playing life ...

But now with my HILS I get the access.....and have to admit I do go there, if just For the laughs and nostalgia kicks.....

But my ear doesn't really jive with all those high notes!!!

I do appreciate those that can do something with them extras though.

For the .015% I actually notice them.....they are cool.

 

[FuzzyAce]

I own two 24 fretters. My old Artist is super comfortable all the way up, the best access you could hope for imo. But I've never been one to spend too much time past the 19th fret even though I love playing lead guitar. Besides that, the only issue I might have with a 24 fret board is the neck pickup is in a different spot than the usual 21/22 fretter.

 

[2112]

PRS Custom 24/CE24 are a pretty easy adjustment for me. My Rubato Lassie basically joins the body at the 24th fret so that takes a minute or two to get used to.

 

[mbenigni]

I used to be obsessed with a zillion frets and easy access heel carves, etc. For some reason I don't play in that register as much anymore. I'm not generally satisfied with the resulting timbre - but minus frequent practice, which is the chicken and which is the egg LOL?

Almost anything with a double cut and a minimum of 22 frets works for me now. I hate reaching for the top of the fretboard and finding a Db (aaaaargh!) I consider myself a "Strat guy" but a Jem feels like perfection to me for reasons I don't even fully understand. I'll just borrow your word, "geometry", from above.

"This one goes to 36. That's 12 more, innit?"

 

[2112]

@mbenigni Hamer Virtuoso?

 

[Eagle]

I used to be obsessed with a zillion frets and easy access heel carves, etc. For some reason I don't play in that register as much anymore. I'm not generally satisfied with the resulting timbre - but minus frequent practice, which is the chicken and which is the egg LOL?

Almost anything with a double cut and a minimum of 22 frets works for me now. I hate reaching for the top of the fretboard and finding a Db (aaaaargh!) I consider myself a "Strat guy" but a Jem feels like perfection to me for reasons I don't even fully understand. I'll just borrow your word, "geometry", from above.

"This one goes to 36. That's 12 more, innit?"

Al the important parts are in the exact same place in relation to each other.

 

[mbenigni]

@mbenigni Hamer Virtuoso?

Yep! The only one I'd go back into a burning building for.

 

[spawnofthesith]

the vast majority of my guitars are and have usually been 22 fret, however, over the last few months my semi hollow CE 24 has become my #1. Never have had any adjustment issues to speak of, if anything sometimes I have to "snap back" a little bit when going back to 22 frets and occasionally find myself thinking "dang wish I could go hit that second octave right now"

 

[Aelred]

Fwiw, my ramble as a hobby player/mostly Strat - with a new ESP LTD Deluxe with 24 frets and active pickups…

The thing is teaching me!

I picked it up after messing around with my Strat for an hour, and my hands and fingers just went to the “wrong” place and I happened to find a few notes I liked. What key is that, I wondered, and when I looked on All Guitar Scales it told me C# Mixolydian.

Or D# Natural Minor, G# Dorian, A# Phyrgian, F# Ionian…

Ok, for me that translated as F# Major. Fair enough. But when I shift it to something I am more comfortable playing – C, A, E, G, D major and minor, nothing much else. Too much CAGED I guess – it just loses its spark or whatever. I play it on the Strat, and it’s ok. But when I play it on the 24 fret ESP in “C# Mixolydian” I am inspired to come up with chords and leads all over the fretboard and wonder how to layer underneath and around it…

Move to C or D or A or even F# and it’s just some scales and chords practice. Which is fine.

It isn’t a song or anything, just a little part that “demands” to be played on the ESP in C# Mixo with Fluence Gain and a Phaser.

In general, the 24 fretter is “teaching me” above the 12th leads as never before. So I’m thinking in terms of layers underneath/around it with my other guitars and Looper.

All part of why I bought it.

 

[Will Onyx]

The only disadvantage to 24 frets is all the old heads that swear real guitars/guitarists only need 21.