24th fret and neck pickup

[vtpcnk]

how much truth is there in the claim that the ideal spot for the neck pickup is exactly where the 24th fret would be and so 24 fret guitars are lacking on that front - ie the pickup is further down and so not in the ideal position.

also on a 24 3/4 scale gibson, if the neck has 24 frets does it mean that the neck is longer than the usual gibson neck (with 22 frets) or do they squeeze in the 24 in the space of the 22 - and so the frets are smaller?

appreciate the feedback.

 

[rockskate4x]

Warmoth created optional mods on their bodies and necks just for this purpose. 24 frets will indeed push the neck pickup out of the ideal spot, but if you want that many frets you can still at least have a neck pickup cause Warmoth can route for it in another location. When that pickup moves closer to the bridge it becomes out of reach of some of the natural warmth it could get from that spot in the strings. Some people can't hear the difference, but just to be on the safe side, i recommend getting an extra warm pickup to try to get back what you lost. If I was interested in getting 24 frets I would (on a humbucker guitar) probably choose a Seymour Duncan Alnico II Pro. Others here can recommend different pickups.

24and3/4 inch necks with 24 frets will have an overhang onto the body just like the 25and1/2 inch necks. You will still have to move the neck pickup.

 

[Wyliee]

The first question in my mind is how do we define 'The Ideal Spot for a Neck Pickup?'  Further, what is this definition based on?  Harmonics? Scale length? Open string vs. fretted note?  If you cannot clearly define the goal, how do you know when you've reached it?

 

[rgjmce]

well i think most ppl who use 24 frets aren't gonna use the neck all that much imo

 

[vtpcnk]

>24 frets will indeed push the neck pickup out of the ideal spot

even if the 24 frets are spaced on a fretboard the same length as a 22 fret one (or is that not possible)?

 

[tfarny]

IF it were a good idea to have a pickup right at a natural harmonic, THEN that pickup should sound better (still undefined) when playing open strings than the middle pickup would on the same open string note. And any other non-open string notes played, it would have no effect. Is that the case? Absolutely not. To me, this whole thing sounds like another half-baked (or fully?) guitarist's tone idea. The physics of it make no sense to me.

 

[stubhead]

The frets have to be spaced relative to the bridge - a 24 fret neck will always have a longer fingerboard than a 22 fret neck with equal scale lengths. The idea that there is some sort of magic harmonic at the 24th fret location is nutty. That's actually a node of the string, where it is vibrating least. And of course, as soon as you fret any notes, it's all out the window.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Node_%28physics%29

However, a pickup further from the bridge will be warmer, as it samples more of the fundamental and proportionately less of the higher harmonics. It's the same as picking closer or further from the bridge, what part of the sting is more "excited." The science of sound is a huge subject. I personally thing that the strong preferences for 21-and-22 fret necks has more to do with the adjustments you can make, the (twanky)  tone of a very short string, and, the actually amount of finger space you have between frets. If you have any 24 fret necks you know that the setup is critical to get the strings at the best possible playing height along all the frets, for some reason those last few frets make getting the neck bow right much more finicky. Truss rods generally only come in certain set lengths, so I don't think that they affect the last few frets properly if it's not a truss rod designed for 24 frets and an exact scale length.

Really short strings just don't sound as good, so when you play way up high it only sounds decent if you're in the overdrive category of tone to start with. The 31-fret necks are kind of a gimmick.