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

[AP515]

The real question IMO is whether or not you have "headroom" on your tone pot. If you always play with the tone on 10, you will hear the difference in neck pickup tone. If you play with your tone at 5 - 8, the difference is only a small adjustment.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

This is the best explanation I've ever seen, thanks for posting this.

 

[juka]

The biggest difference for me is that you cannot get a stoptail on a current Cu24/P24 without going Private Stock :bawling:

 

[Luminandy]

I always thought 24 fret would make more sense for me, along with the neck through with no heel. I tried out that route, and went back to 22. I just seems to play faster and more accurate on the 22. The only difference I care about is comfort, and that is purely subjective. Anything else is of minimal importance to me. I used to read about, and listen to people about what was "better", but, to me, whichever one is best for your brain to fingers is all that matters.

 

[GADonis]

I've never really noticed a difference. However I do tend to stare at my left hand while playing so position and muscle memory aren't something I rely on. I wish I did because dark stages screw me up.

Now if you put a seventh string on a guitar I get totally confused.

 

[Michael DiGregorio]

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.

I've heard the neck pickup is better positioned with 22, I've heard there is more string vibration over the body making for better tone, and I've heard people say they have trouble with the extra frets and the size of the fretboard.
I find none of that. In my head I just like the way it looks. And that's all! I don't detect a difference in sound or playability. I can pick up ANY guitar and play it ( more familiar with my own, and I have both 22 & 24 fret models) but I just like the look of 24 frets....(especially with a PRS..... More birds!)

 

[Mozzi]

The difference in sound between a Custom 22 and Custom 24 is more down to the difference in the position of the Neck pick-up. On a 22, they are further apart so get a wider separation. Not better, just different. The Custom 24 is the more 'iconic' PRS sound where as a 22 is more 'general' because its more like other twin humbucker guitars in the spacing between the PU's - again not a criticism of either but an explanation of the different sounds available with each.

Some say the pick-up placement on a 22 mean that they are under the harmonics where the 24th fret harmonics are at but the string vibration doesn't make any difference. The only thing that affects the vibration is the bridge and nut - assuming the strings aren't touching a fret or something to stop or slow vibration.

 

[gilbertpsk]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread....question about down tuning with a 22 fret. I tend to switch between standard E tuning and Eb tuning. When I downtune to Eb on my CE24, the playability is still there, no complaints or need to re-setup. Anyone have experience with this on a 22 fret?

 

[JasonE]

Sorry to resurrect this old thread....question about down tuning with a 22 fret. I tend to switch between standard E tuning and Eb tuning. When I downtune to Eb on my CE24, the playability is still there, no complaints or need to re-setup. Anyone have experience with this on a 22 fret?

I have used many of my guitars tuned in Eb. Most of the bands in my area play a half step down. I don't have to make any changes to my setup when I do that. The setup still works with the half step down tuning. Part of that depends on the gage of strings you are using. If you are using heavier strings you may need to tweak the truss rod a tiny bit. It would be a very minor tweak.

 

[DISTORT6]

1/2 step down is barely noticeable feel wise on a 22. You’ll be fine.
It’s all about string size and intonation the lower you go. My one 00 Singlecut is tuned down to B Standard with a Mann Made adjustable bridge and strung up with a D’Addario EJ22 13-56 set.

 

[JasonE]

1/2 step down is barely noticeable feel wise on a 22. You’ll be fine.
It’s all about string size and intonation the lower you go. My one 00 Singlecut is tuned down to B Standard with a Mann Made adjustable bridge and strung up with a D’Addario EJ22 13-56 set.

I definitely feel a difference in string tension at a half step down, regardless of the number of frets. The difference is just not enough to mess up my setup. I can go back and forth between the two tunings without adjusting anything.

 

[DISTORT6]

I definitely feel a difference in string tension at a half step down, regardless of the number of frets. The difference is just not enough to mess up my setup. I can go back and forth between the two tunings without adjusting anything.

I guess I‘m just use to lower tunings and heavier strings to even notice a big difference going just a 1/2 step down.

 

[ViperDoc]

I skipped the thread, but the biggest difference to me is the relocation of the neck pickup as you move the entire scale to accommodate the two extra frets. It loses some of the 22’s scoopiness. I’m a 22 guy all the way.

 

[AZGiant]

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.

Amen man, that dude made me crazy

 

[darkbluemurder]

Here are my 2 cents on it.

24 frets
Pro
- two more frets
- easier access to the upper frets
- tighter bass response from the neck pickup
- inside coils of each humbucker will give a strat type sound
Con
- neck pickup sound is further away from the typical Les Paul neck pickup tone

22 frets
Pro
- neck pickup sound is closer to the typical Les Paul neck pickup tone
- outside coils of each humbucker will give a tele type sound
Con
- inside coils of each humbucker will not give the strat type sound that the 24 fret models can give (in fact they are closer in tone to the outside coils)

Both are very nice and worth having. Everything else is personal preference.

Cheers Stephan