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  #16  
Old 07-21-2020, 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by ceciltguitar View Post
Good question to explore what different players do.

How many frets do you need? Do you need a cutaway?

The answer is up to you, different players have different preferences.

I use all 24 frets on the guitars that I have that have 24 frets. I use frets 12-24 a lot when accompanying my wife, while she covers the territory below the 12th fret.
Never seen an acoustic with 24 frets. Electric guitars are a different ballgame regarding using higher frets.
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  #17  
Old 07-21-2020, 12:43 PM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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I have to admit, I rarely get up past the Fifth fret (chord wise)

I'll probably get up to the 8th fret for finger picking arrangements.

After that, it's pretty much a barren wasteland, if i need a note that is higher in pitch, I usually go higher (lower) on the strings, switching from the 1 through 3 strings to the 4th through 6th strings.

Those playing solos and harmonizing, i can see why you'd need to go above the 12 fret, but not me.

Like they say, no money to be made above the third fret.



J
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  #18  
Old 07-21-2020, 02:24 PM
mercy mercy is offline
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The notes up there sound terrible. In fact it is my statement that the open strings sound the best and the farther you go up the worse incrementally the sound is. I have maybe 2 songs that go above the 12th. Not because I want to or decide to but the arrangement just goes there, thats what I hear in my head.
I have the last 3 frets left off my guitars but not because I finger up there but I often play with my right hand up there, its called dynamics. Sometimes I play right at the the bridge but most of the time I play just past the soundhole.
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  #19  
Old 07-21-2020, 02:32 PM
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cliff_the_stiff cliff_the_stiff is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly View Post
What do you play above the twelfth fret on acoustic guitar. Do you really need to play up there? How many tunes do you play where you utilize the 13th and 14th frets? I understand some specialized playing using the upper frets but I don't take it that that many people play specialized music. Explain to me my error in thinking.
I play the D triads above 14- I like the voicings.
Also- Going To California has some shapes up high that help double for the mandolin parts.
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  #20  
Old 07-21-2020, 02:49 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr. Jelly View Post
What do you play above the twelfth fret on acoustic guitar. Do you really need to play up there? How many tunes do you play where you utilize the 13th and 14th frets? I understand some specialized playing using the upper frets but I don't take it that that many people play specialized music. Explain to me my error in thinking.
Hi Mr J

I'm not sure which thinking you want us to call 'error'…that playing 'upper frets' is specialized, or that not many people play 'specialized music'.

If playing in ensemble (either electric or acoustic) I'm often playing above the 12th fret, though rarely above the 15th fret (I do play 17th fret depending on the key the song is in). I don't play up there to show off, but because playing in that range fits the arrangement/passage/song/music.

When playing solo acoustic, I'm still up around frets 15-17 on certain songs. The songs didn't demand it (songs are not living things), but my brain/ear did. Variety is a good thing and if I'm soloing or even simply outlining the melody, the proper note in a particular octave is the proper note.

It's not like my singing voice which is more limited, I can play higher, and use solid techniques so the notes still wound good, and are in tune.

Furthermore…if nobody else played above the 12th fret (and plenty of players do), I still would.




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  #21  
Old 07-21-2020, 03:03 PM
Silly Moustache Silly Moustache is online now
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All my flat tops and my resos are 12 fret to body.

Nothing more is necessary. The frets above, say, the 13th are merely for decoration.

The tonalquality of strings up high is ugly.

On my archtops Access to make chords giving room for my left hand is sometimes advantagious but not a lot.

I will not consider a cutaway on any guitar!
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  #22  
Old 07-21-2020, 03:23 PM
Earl49 Earl49 is offline
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Originally Posted by rick-slo View Post
Never seen an acoustic with 24 frets. Electric guitars are a different ballgame regarding using higher frets.
Emerald uses 24 frets as a standard, because they can. My X20, X30 and X7's have 24 frets, and nothing above 19 will ever be used. That is why my custom X20 will only be 20 frets. How my arm drapes over the comfort bevel means that the longer fretboard can sometimes interfere with my strumming stroke.
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  #23  
Old 07-21-2020, 03:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Earl49 View Post
Emerald uses 24 frets as a standard, because they can. My X20, X30 and X7's have 24 frets, and nothing above 19 will ever be used. That is why my custom X20 will only be 20 frets. How my arm drapes over the comfort bevel means that the longer fretboard can sometimes interfere with my strumming stroke.
Thanks for the info. Yes, with the soundhole where it is off to the side you can extend the fretboard (for looks if nothing else).
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  #24  
Old 07-21-2020, 05:41 PM
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I'll go to the 12th for a few things but seldom above.
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  #25  
Old 07-21-2020, 06:31 PM
whvick whvick is offline
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I get by mostly with cowboy cords, although I can barre and do runs if needed. If I get another guitar it will be a 12 fret.
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  #26  
Old 07-22-2020, 02:45 AM
Nama Ensou Nama Ensou is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mercy View Post
The notes up there sound terrible. In fact it is my statement that the open strings sound the best and the farther you go up the worse incrementally the sound is.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Silly Moustache View Post
The frets above, say, the 13th are merely for decoration.

The tonal quality of strings up high is ugly.
Hmmmm, not true unless user error or poor quality guitar. What is undeniable is that you two don't like playing up there, but there are lots of guitar players in the world who do very well in utilizing the whole guitar.
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  #27  
Old 07-22-2020, 10:24 AM
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I will only ever own a cut-away, because I use every fret available at one time or another. I play the leads in our classic rock duo, and there are some songs that simply require those (mostly) single soaring notes or double-stops up there to make it right by my ears. They sound great and my playing gets compliments. So you see variety is the spice of life and each person needs to decide for themselves what they like or need. It disappoints me to read statements that disparage other peoples points of view.
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  #28  
Old 07-22-2020, 11:07 AM
MartinGibsonFan MartinGibsonFan is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nama Ensou View Post
Hmmmm, not true unless user error or poor quality guitar. What is undeniable is that you two don't like playing up there, but there are lots of guitar players in the world who do very well in utilizing the whole guitar.
We are talking Acoustic Guitar

Not Electric Guitar

Playing above the 12th fret for Electric Guitar? That's fine and there is no loss in quality of tone.

Playing above the 12th fret for Acoustic Guitar? There is definitely some loss of quality of tone.

J
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  #29  
Old 07-22-2020, 11:25 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MartinGibsonFan View Post
We are talking Acoustic Guitar

Playing above the 12th fret for Acoustic Guitar? There is definitely some loss of quality of tone.

J
Hi J

Yes, but there are actual notes up there, and they count too. The audience (unless a group of all acoustic guitar players) do not note loss of quality or tone.

There are many acoustic players who visit the realm above fret 15 often.

And while I enjoy my cutaway, I can still dig out notes without it. Just takes a slightly different positioning technique. When I'm sitting in a chair, the guitar is not welded to the chair. If standing, the strap moves a lot to make it easily possible to reach around or over and play all the strings in the high positions.



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  #30  
Old 07-22-2020, 11:25 AM
jseth jseth is offline
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I do play above the 12th fret frequently, but only when I'm playing single-note lines or "lead" guitar... depends upon the key and the song how "high" I will go... although the tone does change, I don't feel there's a "loss of quality of tone" at all, leastwise not with my guitars (Mark Angus and James Goodall builds).

Playing a song as a solo guitar and voice? Not much, if ever, will I venture "up there".

I prefer a cutaway on my guitars, solely for those times when access to the upper registers is needed.
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