21 or 22 Fret

Hi , i'm on the lookout for a second hand neck for a new project and i've noticed quite a few necks on ebay are 22 fret and not the usual 21 frets ?

So did only certain models have 22 frets or are these Squire's or copy's ?

I think higher-end Fenders have 22 frets. I'm so lousy on that end of the neck that it doesn't matter to me. Both my Tele and Strat have 21 frets and I don't miss the extra one.

If you ever decide to remove the pickguard on a 22-fret Tele (not so sure about a Strat), you'll have to at least loosen the neck in order to get the pg out from under the overhang upon which the 22nd fret lives. That may or may not be a consideration for you and your project.

usa standards have had 22 frets on plenty o necks, american specials and some hgwy ones have 22 as well. i have never had to loosen the neck to swap guards on a 22 fret neck

Hi , i'm on the lookout for a second hand neck for a new project and i've noticed quite a few necks on ebay are 22 fret and not the usual 21 frets ?

So did only certain models have 22 frets or are these Squire's or copy's ?

The rule of thumb is that "modern" design Fender Teles use 22 fret necks, while "vintage and classic" designs use 21 frets.

As stated, 22 fret necks have an overhanging fretboard that carries the 22nd fret.

Thanks for the reply's

So guitars with the extra fret still used the standard pickguard ? , with the neck being longer does'nt the overhang touch the neck pickup , can't seem to find any measurements for this neck only the scale which is the same and the radius which is 7.25 , but nothing for overall lengh or size of overhang , anyone help .

The necks from a Squire Custom made in china .

The overhang won't quite reach the neck pickup.

I went from a 24-fret neck to a 21-fret tele, which was strange. So on my next guitar - a build - I used a 22 with an overhang. Doesn't bother me at all.

Just got email from the seller he's saying the neck was NO overhang , that's a bummer because it means the body for the project allready has the bridge screws and string through holes all ready drilled , so with no overhang the neck is 10mm longer so to get the scale i'll have to move the bridge forward or get longer saddle screws ?

Or route the neck pocket further into the body.

Or route the neck pocket further into the body.

Don't want to change the neck rout in case i want to change the neck for a better one , i think i'll wait till i get it and check the scale and cut the overhang my self , also it means i don't have to cut the nice new white pearl pickguard .

No overhang on a 22 fret neck? I doubt it's a Fender.

No overhang on a 22 fret neck? I doubt it's a Fender.

I'ts a Squier made in Indonesia s/n IC090xxxxxx , so it's a 2009 build , says Telecaster Custom on headstock , so i'm wondering now if they used a different neck and bridge on the Squier Custom ?

Here's the guitar the neck came from , neck swopped with a Fender 21 fret , also a black Squier Custom with the same neck i checked with the seller of the black one and it does have the overhang .

if possible I'd have always 24. two octaves and the fingerboard division seems to "lighten" up. in absence of that, at least 22 frets, so you end your E strings on a natural D note.


....maybe this goes under the same "dementia" diagnosis as counting steps on the sidewalk, but to me at least it makes a diference :)

Can anyone with a 22 fret neck give me a measurement ? ASAP .

I need the overall length from nut to end of neck and how much overhang there is

The neck is not dispatched for another 2 days so i have some time to cancel the sale

Redevo- I work on a heck of a lot of Teles and Strats for p/úps, rewiring etc. Definitely 21 [/B[B]]IMHO as you sometimes have to loosen the neck bolts to take the pickguard out, THEN get on with the job and hope you haven't sc.....d up the neck body pocket alignment.
Also, how often do you use that top D as opposed to a C#? If you are using that very top end, chances are you will need a 24 fret neck. Ease vs. reliable repairs- your choice.

Thanks for the reply Tonetele

But it's not about if i use the top frets it's about if this neck is a genuine Squier neck , i bought a 22fret neck as i've said above , i emailed the seller 3 days before the end of the sale about the fact that you can't see the overhang in the photo's but he did'nt reply till minutes before the sale ended saying there was no overhang on the neck so i had no time to cancel the sale .

I just transplanted a 22 fret Rosewood Fender blactop neck onto an MIM artic white tele That had a 21 fret maple neck....NO issues at all....