22 Frets vs. 24 Frets: What are the advantages?

[Ampguy]

At the sake of showing my ignorance, I am asking: What are the advantages / disadvantages of one design over the other? Obviously, there are two more frets on a 24 fret model and the scale is different from a 22 fret. But am I missing anything else? I have three 22 fret PRS models and one 24 fret PRS model. I really don't notice much difference in playing them. I am more of an amp guy (obviously), so what don't I know about these two concepts? I think someone once told me that if you are a strat player, the 24 fret PRS is less of a challenge to switch over to. I am asking the guitar aficiandos out there to enlighten me and perhaps others out there. Thanks.

[dantedayjob]

The scale isn't changed from 22 to 24 frets on a PRS, it is still 25" scale. The bridge moves slightly towards the neck on a 24 fret guitar and the neck joins the body at a higher fret. This results in more hand clearance when playing in the higher registers than on a 22 fret guitar. It also hangs a little different, the 24 fret will feel ever so slightly longer. I prefer 24 fret PRSi for the reasons that the bridge position feels more natural to my right hand and I am not so crowded when playing in higher registers, even if I rarely go above the 20th fret.

[swede71]

Personally i get lost on a 24 fret guitar,so thats a disadvantage :).I guess bass pickup closer to the bridge makes a difference.

[dantedayjob]

Personally i get lost on a 24 fret guitar,so thats a disadvantage

Can you explain this? I never understood this statement... is it simply because the neck joins at a different fret, or what?

[swede71]

Im not sure what it is dantedayjob,i guess it is musclememory from having played only 22 fret guitars for so long. :)I would love to own a custom 24 though,customs my fav.

[dantedayjob]

Im not sure what it is dantedayjob,i guess it is musclememory from having played only 22 fret guitars for so long. :)

Interesting... I guess it's different for different people... what really screws me up is the size of the neck... if it is too thin or too thick I will get lost... or if I have been playing a Strat and then switch to a Gibson the shorter scale will mess me up... but having 2 more frets with a Cu24, or one less with a Strat doesn't seem to matter

[Ampguy]

The scale isn't changed from 22 to 24 frets on a PRS, it is still 25" scale. The bridge moves slightly towards the neck on a 24 fret guitar and the neck joins the body at a higher fret. This results in more hand clearance when playing in the higher registers than on a 22 fret guitar. It also hangs a little different, the 24 fret will feel ever so slightly longer. I prefer 24 fret PRSi for the reasons that the bridge position feels more natural to my right hand and I am not so crowded when playing in higher registers, even if I rarely go above the 20th fret.

Thanks for the info. I knew that someone out there knew more about guitars.

[veinbuster]

I have a hard time thinking in terms of advantages or disadvantages of one versus the other.
Personally I favour the 22 fret because I like having more of the string vibrating over the body. This might be a bias developed from acoustics where I'm a big fan of a 12 fret which has half of the string over the body, but I have convinced myself that the tone of the 22 fret is a bit richer - meaning more of the mid range harmonics. This might be different if I didn't tend to play mostly between the 5th and 15th fret.
I do have a 24 fret which I use maybe 20% of the time. Sometimes I just want access to those higher notes, especially when playing with a piano player mate who strongly believes that all the best songs are in the key of E - and it is convenient to have a full 4 octaves to duke it out with him.

[cwhenke]

I agree with swede...I get lost on the 24-fretters. Everything is just in the wrong place...I know it's fractions of inches, but it makes a HUGE difference in the feel. And, by the time I get down to the first fret, it feels like I have to really stretch my arm out there.

[CantankerousCarl]

I like the option of having two full octaves...but it's just that, it's an option, and I rarely take advantage of it.

When I started getting back into playing again, I became obsessed with having 24 frets, read all of the Ed Roman stuff, etc. about how the pickups cannot possibly be placed in the right position on a 22 fret guitar. Now that I have both 22 and 24 fret American and Korean PRS's, I call shenanigans. I like both.

I have short arms and I do find it easier to play the 22 fretters - my SE Santana and SE 245 are especially comfy because of the short scale length. I also find it easier to pull off artificial harmonics on the 22 fretters, maybe it's because of where I pick in relation to the pickup? Dunno...but I like that we have both.

[LSchefman]

When I started getting back into playing again, I became obsessed with having 24 frets, read all of the Ed Roman stuff, etc. about how the pickups cannot possibly be placed in the right position on a 22 fret guitar. Now that I have both 22 and 24 fret American and Korean PRS's, I call shenanigans. I like both.

Yeah, Ed Roman thought he knew a lot...I always wondered about his medications...

Only Ed knew how to make a guitar. That's why his name is a household word among guitarists, why a Roman guitar is such a classic instrument, etc. I don't know what-all we were thinking playing anything but a Roman electric for the past 60 years. How could all those 22 fret guitars Gibson, PRS and even Fender made over the years possibly be any good?

If you studied what was known about aerodynamics at one time, you'd learn that a bumblebee couldn't fly, too.

[mcbprs]

Have and play both 22 & 24 fret PRSi and in different scale length and can understand many of the comments above, I have on occasion in the middle of an improvised solo glance down and jumped to the 15th instead of the 12th fret when playing me Santana ( I tend to play 22 fret most of the time recently) but there are other things to take into consideration, how often do you use the extra 2 frets, the position of the neck pickup can make certain harmonics easier or harder (different on 22 and 24 neither better just different). Allegedly the 22 fret neck was supposed to give better neck body connection and sustain (my Santana & CU24 do not seem to understand this rule :-) ) So for me the differences are subtle and as I now play various guitars it does not effect me too much but I know back in the day when I had only one guitar that I played for hours a day I could play practically any note or chord blindfold the slight differences between my guitars has robbed me of that ability.

[Fox77]

I had both 24 and 22 fret guitars. I prefer 22 frets because of the way the neck pickup sounds. To me, it sounds more "vintagey", more pleasant to the ear. True, the neck pickup will sometimes sound muddier on the 22 fret guitar, but if you have a decent pickup adjusted to the right height it should be fine.

And I read that stuff on Roman's website as well and tbh, I couldn't care less even if the scientists at CERN would prove to me that 24 frets leads to a better pickup position. :D

[Rodicus]

An advantage with a CU24 is that you can tune down a whole step and still be able to play every note as you would on a 22 fret guitar tuned to standard. I've read people say that they get lost on 24 frets. I find the opposite. Given the extra fret marker I find it easier to relate everything I do on the first 12 frets to the next 12. I guess it's all what you're used to. I know the neck pickup doesn't sound the same because of the placement but when I turn my tone knob down to five and play some leads I think the neck pickup (59/09's) sounds amazing! I own a Les Paul and find it very hard to reach the 22nd fret comfortably. With my CU24 the 22nd fret is no problem! Still I always wondered why PRS made so many 22 fret guitar models. Is it because they are better than 24 frets? (Can't be, look how many CU24's they sell.) Or simply is there just a higher demand for them because majority of the population grew up on 22 frets and that's what most people want. Or is it because the CU24 is so bad ass that they don't need any more 24 fret models. I've always been curious. :)

[tdarian]

I prefer 22 frets on a honkin big neck.

[AP515]

It takes me about 10 minutes to switch between a 22 or 24. After that my fingers remember where they are. The neck pups do sound different but I like both. The neck pup on my Cu24 turned down to about 7 is bliss clean. The 57/08 in my Cu22 is PAF heaven dimed. Different sounds but both tasty. Enchaladas one night, pasta the next...

[newfmp3]

Having just gotten my first 24 fret, I have been getting used to it over the past few weeks. First thing I notice is where my right hand rests in relation to the bridge. There's less room for my hand then my 22 fret guitars. This has forced me to relearn where my hand should be for muting strings and pinch harmonics and stuff. Some Van Halen stuff requires me to mute the E string but strum the rest and I find that the less room requires me to adjust my technique. As for the neck and getting up high, like others have said, even if you do not need the 2 extra frets, its just nice to be able to reach the 22nd fret so much easier.

There's defintely some "muscle memory" things going on too forcing me to look down more often. It's all little things really, and switching between the 22 and 24 only really takes a few mins to adjust. I'm no pro by any means, actually I probably suck, so if I can do it, anyone can. I do love my Custom 24 so far, just a gorgeous instrument.

[LearnedHand]

.. I've read people say that they get lost on 24 frets. I find the opposite. Given the extra fret marker I find it easier to relate everything I do on the first 12 frets to the next 12.

Me too.

[Boogie]

24 fret necks with birds get an owl. 22 fretters don't. :p

[dantedayjob]

24 fret necks with birds get an owl. 22 fretters don't. :p


OWL FTW!

[stonevibe]

I always thought the difference was where you placed the neck pup. On a 22 it normally halfway between the 12th fret and the bridge and so supposedly sweeter.

Plus with a 24 you get some extra notes and 'an owl...'

I have a 24 myself.

[Clark Kent]

IMO it's all about what you are used to playing. Basically a 24 fret guitar only has two notes that the 22 fret guitar doesn't have so not much of a difference if you really think about it.

I feel like my big fingers do fit between the frets easier on a 22 fret guitar so in that sense it's better. Still for some reason both of my PRS guitars are 24 fret... I just can't live without the 24 frets without feeling restricted... I know it's just two notes.

[CHARISMAFIRE]

I am clarifying the matter once and for all. The scale of a custom 22 and 24 is the same 25". The neck pickup is in the same spot on both gtrs, but the bridge and bridge pickup is closer to the neck pickup and the neck is longer on a 24fretter. The distance from the nut to the bridge is the same 25" for both gtrs. On a 22 fretter, the neck pickup is farther from the bridge because the bridge is in a different spot. Thus the neck pickup is "picking up" the strings vibrations in a less trebled, warmer spot. When a string is plucked closer to the bridge, the result is a brighter, more trebled sound. when you pluck it further from the bridge, the sound is bassier, warmer, dull and rounder, with less treble. The neck pickup on a 22fret sounds warmer because it is farther from the bridge, underneath a less trebled spot. This is not because the neck pickup moved, the entire bridge is moved farther from it. If you take a ruler and measure the distance between the bridge and neck pickup on a 22 and a 24, you will notice they are closer together on a 24, and farther apart on a 22. The distance between the frets on both gtrs is exactly the same, exept for the last two on a 24 which make the fretboard longer, not sqeezed together. 22 fret= shorter neck with bridge farther from the neck pickup. 24 fret= longer neck with the bridge closer to the neck pickup. The bridge pickup is the same distance from the bridge on both gtrs. The neck pickup is not, and sounds fatter on a 22fret gtr. Apart from this tonal differnce of the neck pickup, the difference in bridge placement and neck length is why the two feel completely different as far as playability goes. In my opinion, neither is better as to playability, its just what you are comfortable with. Other than this comfort issue, the advantage of the 22 is the sweeter sounding neck pickup, and for the 24 it is the two extra notes. ( and the owl )......Now to briefly addess the Roman arguement: It only makes sense for the open string. Once a string is fretted, the harmonic moves to a different location. Thus, the neck pickup placement error arguement due to harmonic overtones is a dead one. If every note had its own string and its own pickup, then maybe I could be convinced, but we are talking gtrs, not pianos. Thats just my opinion, and Ed had his too. May he, and this topic rest in peace......and for what its worth, I think the 24fret 25" scale length is worthy of a nobel prize, I love it!.......I think I need an aspirin, thankyou.

[vchizzle]

I want an owl.
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8026/7677231040_8257ab962e_z.jpg

I forget who's pic this was from BaM, but I always loved it and had to save it. Hopefully someone can give him credit.

[sergiodeblanc]

I kinda "grew up" with my CE24, and having a full two octaves helped me visualize the repeated patterns of scales on the fretboard a little easier,... and it just feels "right" to me.

[Eric Thomas]

A (moving) picture is worth a thousand words....

As others have said, the position of the neck pickup in relation to the bridge is closer on the 24 fret guitars which is easy to see in this gif. As such, many players say that the neck pickup is out of the "sweet spot" and that neck position tones do not sound as good on the 24 fret instruments. I have never owned a 24 fret instrument so I cannot comment on that.

http://home.roadrunner.com/~ethomas/prs22vs24.gif

[CHARISMAFIRE]

THANKYOU ERIC T!!!! That pic should clear this all up way better than all my over-explaining.......I need to get a refund on my aspirin..... you ROCK, a million thanks man!

[Eric Thomas]

That GIF has been floating around for years. I think it originated back in the old PRS Forum days, before the Birds and Moons forum.

Your explanation made perfect sense to me. It's just easier to see it than describe it.

[Lewguitar]

I had both 24 and 22 fret guitars. I prefer 22 frets because of the way the neck pickup sounds. To me, it sounds more "vintagey", more pleasant to the ear. True, the neck pickup will sometimes sound muddier on the 22 fret guitar, but if you have a decent pickup adjusted to the right height it should be fine.


Hello everyone - this is my first post here. :D Just wanted to say that I agree about the neck pickup sounding like what I'm used to hearing on a 22 fret PRS, but not on a PRS 24 fret. On my CE 24 the neck pickup doesn't sound as full and the polepieces are not directly under the second octave like they are on my ES-335.

I'm looking for a nice CE 22 because of this.

[LJD]

If it was up to me all guitars would have 24 frets.

[Neeeyo]

It's been my experience that 24 fret guitars sound smoother on the bridge pickup than 22 fretters. Most 22 fret guitars have this harsh, buzzy, high end fizz that can't be dialed down. That trebly bite on the 22 definitely cuts through a band mix better than most 24 fret guitars from what I've heard.

[Gtrlarry]

If you have ever met Ed Roman, he is a grumpy dwarf...

[DirtyMoonsRJT]

If you have ever met Ed Roman, he is a grumpy dwarf...

Ed is now deceased.

[]-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©]

Ed is now deceased.

Or is he...

[tdarian]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BgzrfUA8lo

[John]

I prefer the extra 2 frets, seeing how I actually use them on some stuff I play/wrote. I don't give a crap about the whole "ooh, the extra 2 frets and the different scale won't be the same as a 22 fret guitar" argument and stuff. Apart from the fact that PRS makes them both on the same scale (save for the Mardsen, Mushok, and prob. the Torero), I can adjust my playing accordingly.
That aside, given the extra fret marker on the 24th, I find it easier to relate everything I do on the first 12 frets to the next 12 as well. Plus, the owl inlay on the last fret is where it's at for PRS guitars. :P

[John]

-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©;56790']Or is he...

Yep http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBFhvEQMPME

[yankeebulldog]

-[ @ n $ 0 |v| a T ! ©;56790']Or is he...
"What will happen if you kill a leprechaun?

Killing a Leprechaun will undo whatever evil magic the offending leprechaun has afflicted upon you or your loved ones. There is a time limit to reverse the spell so act quickly. Rember the only way to kill a Leprechaun is to stab its brain(which is located in the foot, may be left or right, Stab both!)
This is the only reason to kill a leprechaun. You should never steal a Leprechauns gold or booze! Get your own! "

[rschleicher]

It's a small little owl, but an owl, nonetheless....

I'd like to think that this is how Nigel Tufnel would explain the advantages of a CU24:

Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's an owl, isn't it? It's not the usual bird. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing a guitar with just birds. You're using as many birds as you have, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on the last bird on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Go for the owl.
Nigel Tufnel: The owl. Exactly. One more bird.

[jfb]

I'm rocking all 22's. I like the look. But I do like owls so maybe a 24 is in my future for variety.

[Pfloyd57]

Interesting... I guess it's different for different people... what really screws me up is the size of the neck... if it is too thin or too thick I will get lost... or if I have been playing a Strat and then switch to a Gibson the shorter scale will mess me up... but having 2 more frets with a Cu24, or one less with a Strat doesn't seem to matter

I'll tell you about getting lost or screwed up. Try playing a Steinberger GL; no headstock and the body joins the neck at the 23rd fret. Definately a challenge to switch to in the middle of a set immediately after playing a CU24, Stratocaster or Les Paul. It's difficult not to find yourself starting 2 frets higher due to the nut being the end of the neck.