American Strats 22 frets vs non am 21???

[NY Chief]

A buddy just pointed this out in an email. I never caught it....

"No, oddly enough all the mexican strats, and all the Asian Strats, like Japan, Korea, have 21 frets! I think it must have been a marketing ploy by Fender USA, that says, "Hey BTW we are the only ones allowed to produce 22 fretters" so go ahead, and have at it....Actually they were smart if you think about it? I never noticed until i was doing a song just recently and I'm in the key of "D" so I was trying to do some box stuff for "D" on my korean strat and said "Hey what is this???" I can't do these riffs in this key,,,hey I only got 21 frets!!!! BaStArDs!!"

[electricskychurch]

try to do the communication breakdown / led zep solo with a 21 frets neck, i think it's not as nice to play the last bend as with a 22 frets neck (you can't play it as high as it would appear natural to play it , to my taste at least ) ! LOL
in another hand that's how it was recorded , with a 21 fret tele !
i always wondered where he played the last bend although i never really tried to find it ( lol) !
i suppose he bends the upper note higher as i don't see how to do it another way with 21 frets .
cause on the TAB it's written 22th fret , so i suppose the guy that made the TAB didn't know he played a tele ! LOL

[Zoso]

Kinda funny when you consider that makes the MIM Strats more "vintage" spec, since old Strats and Teles had just 21 frets. I know that the EJ strat has 21, as do all the reissue/custom shop relic stuff.

[philmanatee]

I've got some sort of a bias, when I see a fender it doesn't look right with 22 frets unless it's a jaguar. Phil

[vanhalen5150]

I've got some sort of a bias, when I see a fender it doesn't look right with 22 frets unless it's a jaguar. Phil

I agree, there is something about 21 frets that catch my eye. Looks more natural.

[basile865]

Its just the fact that mexican/japanese strats are all more of a vintage repro style. They always have the standard vintage saddles, and in most cases a 6 point bridge, full size block, and vintage style tuners. American standards tried to be a little bit of something to everybody so they've got that more modern 2 point bridge/saddles and tuners.

It really doesn't matter to me personally at all, as I almost never need the 22nd fret or even the 21st on my american standard. The tone is never as juicy up there. To me the sweet spot is usually around the 10th-12th fret.

I highly doubt its a selling point or atleast wasn't designed to be one.

Most people who want more frets than normal are always playing in the really high register and chances are a strat is an old dog to them, and they go for a flatter radius and bigger fret guitar like a jackson or ibanez.

[fillmore nyc]

I've got some sort of a bias, when I see a fender it doesn't look right with 22 frets unless it's a jaguar. Phil

I agree, there is something about 21 frets that catch my eye. Looks more natural.

+1.
Maybe its being old school, but Im used to the look of old Strats and Teles, so 22 frets just looks... new.