Number of Frets

  • Number of Frets

Number of Frets

21 vs. 22 Frets

Fender's® original Strat® and Tele® necks had 21 frets, while Gibson® necks had 22. In order to bring this extra range to Fender®-style models, we created replacement necks with a 22nd fret on a short fretboard extension.

Standard 22 Fret
Standard 22 Frets
  • Fretboard extends 1/4" beyond neck heel.
  • A 1/8"(3mm) space between the fretboard overhang and the top of the body leaves enough room for a standard thickness pickguard.
  • Switching from a 21 to 22 fret neck usually requires no modification to the guitar.
21 Fret Option
21 Fret Option
  • Fretboard ends flush with neck heel.
  • No fretboard overhang makes pickguard installation and removal easier.

24 Fret Extension

Warmoth offers a 24 Fret Extension fretboard to create a full two-octave neck. This custom option is only available on our Modern Construction Necks.

24 Fret Extension with overhang
24 Fret Extension
  • Fretboard extends 1.062" beyond neck heel.
  • A 1/8"(3mm) space between the fretboard overhang and the top of the body leaves enough room for a standard thickness pickguard.
  • 24 Fret Extension necks interfere with standard neck pickup placement, making it necessary to relocate the pickup rout on the body, as shown below.
24 Fret Reposition of Neck Pickup Rout
24 Fret Reposition

We can reposition the neck pickup rout towards the bridge just beyond the 24 fret fretboard extension.

Incompatibilities

Our fretboard extensions hang over the top of the body with a gap of about 1/8"(3mm) between the fretboard and the guitar body. Most pickguards do not exceed .090"(2.3mm) in thickness. After installing a pickguard the gap is reduced to about .035"(0.8mm), or about 1/32".

Fretboard overhang
  • When installing a neck with a fretboard overhang it is critical to ensure the overhang has enough clearance to accommodate your pickguard. Failure to do so could result in separation of the fretboard from the neck and is not covered under warranty. Use the info above to assist you in choosing the correct parts.
  • Some Strat® models with thick pickguards, specifically the Strat Plus®, can have problems with fretboard extensions. On these guitars, either the pickguard must be modified or the bottom of the fretboard shaved down.