The rather detailed source narratives which I've cited earlier do not speak to this at all. Just that the necks were changed

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

I heard that at a local GC store someone returned an EJ Strat cuz when they got home they realized it only had 21 frets! say what?!

I have both and I dont really miss that extra fret, if I ever need to reach that very high E I can always bend another half a step...

Knowing what we do about the inception and design of that guitar, 22 frets was not a consideraton at all, for that 'i'-dotting,'t'-crossing, tone meister

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Doc,

I saw EC play a version of Old Love on DVD.. I think it was his Clapton and Friends benefit concert for the Crossroads Center. I am not 100% sure.. but somewhere in the high 90's that he bends the last note on the guitar. Unfortunately, I never bothered to count the frets and I don't remember what year it was, so I can't verify if it was the 21 or 22 fret neck. I'd post the link on youtube, but I am at work and consequently blocked from it. Definitely something to check out.. and if it ends up a bust.. it's an awesome solo, so atleast you get to watch that .

in regards to why a 22 fret over a 21.. I haven't the foggiest clue. But if all MIM's have 21 and the 22nd starts on the American.. can we call the 22nd fret the "Money Fret"?

[
This would have been the prototype Pewter guitar on which the 21fret neck remained for only a short period of time. Not likely the session you're referring to. Perhaps on an old Prince's Trust Concert. Something to check out on YouTube.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Doc,

Tracked down the video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3fSyKzlkRM

Looks like 22 frets, and he does in fact bend the money fret. That's the only time I've seen anyone do it.. with the exception of when I try to and make a horrific noise .

Im not refering to Eric Clapton here- but one could guess that the arguement would have been that the model was mixture of modern and vintage specs. Maybe he prefered it. Maybe he didnt. Perhaps he was recommended it but didnt care less either way.

But that is why strats have 22 fret necks anyway. Players were bending notes to high heaven in the late eighties, maybe it was feedback that it was a preverbial in the behind to bend a tone and a half to hit that 24th fret note... who knows. At best we can speculate- but the logical reason is there to complete an octave by bending the full tone.

_________________

This gig is years after the pewter guitar was retired, actually auctioned, in 1999. You'll find it on "Behind The Mask" Prince's Trust Concert 1988...the neck has 22 frets. The 1987 performance of the same song, same event does not yield video clear enough. I seem to recall that someone finds the 21 fret neck being used by him on a Budokan tour with Knopfler. I'll be looking that one up again.
The interesting part of this entire discussion centers on the fact that the original adverts by Fender on the launching of the instrument picture it with a 21 fret neck. This has been posted.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

[quote="hamms30"]Doc,Tracked down the video.

"Live at Montreux" 1986.."Let It Rain". He's playing the red prototype which has a 21 fret neck. Early on in this perfomance you get a really good closeup of the neck from 12-21. This was the time when the guitar was in development and they had done a red and pewter for him to work out with. The overdrive and sustain are incredible and are derived much from the fact that he solos 12th fret and above a good deal of the time. The guitar has to be exquisitely set up for that end of the neck in order for each note to be right on.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"