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Were 24 fret necks common at one point?
I just realised I've been playing this wrong for a really long time... playing top C instead of a hypothetical 24th fret D! (I just dismissed it as "that note way up there")
This arrangement was published by JAT (I think) in one of their album series... was it normal to expect that Joe Public would have a 24-fret neck? Or am I missing something? (A harmonic on the 24th?)
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joel Hooks on
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No, not common. FVE put a little german silver extension with two frets stamped or cast in on his later banjos. There were some cantilever fingerboards, but that raised the bridge height.
The currently famous "Dobson" patent has the metal plate extending the range, but at that time necks had been shortened to 17-20 frets, so no help there.
The layout for making your own banjo in the Frank Converse "Green" 65 book goes to 24-- but puts you on the banjo head.
Fake it and press the string to the head like a smooth arm. you could also glue on bits of match stick or square tooth pick to the head.
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Permalink Reply by Mike Moss on
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Interesting; thanks! I remember seeing the FVE extension on the one owned by Pat Doyle. I'll try the match stick fret idea. Unfortunately the theoretical 24th falls on a very awkward spot on the bezel so pressing it a la smooth arm is difficult. I'll try it out on my Weaver when it arrives in January.
C doesn't actually sound bad, but the different chord does seem to create some tension which the following passage doesn't resolve.
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