Why 13

[skinnerb]

I recently had a chance to play several fine guitars and in the mix were two with 13 frets. I suppose a person could get used to it visually, but as to the sound quality, I could not tell an iota of difference or improvement over 12 or 14 . Anyone else have an opinion or experience with this?

[fitness1]

Originally Posted by skinnerb

I recently had a chance to play several fine guitars and in the mix were two with 13 frets. I suppose a person could get used to it visually, but as to the sound quality, I could not tell an iota of difference or improvement over 12 or 14 . Anyone else have an opinion or experience with this?

I'm assuming the 12 and 14 fret guitars weren't the same body/woods/builder?

Hard to tell if they aren't.

A good friend of mine built a few 13 fret guitars, when I played them, they had just been strung up, but the premise is to get some of the added warmth a 12 offers, with the obvious added playability up the neck.

[Rudy4]

Originally Posted by skinnerb

I recently had a chance to play several fine guitars and in the mix were two with 13 frets. I suppose a person could get used to it visually, but as to the sound quality, I could not tell an iota of difference or improvement over 12 or 14 . Anyone else have an opinion or experience with this?

So players that think 12 isn't enough and 14 are too many can be happy?

[Osage]

I actually love a good 13 fretter. The guitar I've been playing the most over the past few months is 13 fret. It's kind of the best of both world for me.

[birdsong]

SCGC former luthier Paul Hostetter wrote about this years ago. He was the designer of the H13 as I recall. Unfortunately it appears his website is no longer active in that I can’t move beyond the home page. This is where I had read his in-depth thoughts about 13 frets.

And nothing superstitious I assure you.

[Wade Hampton]

The original 13 fret guitars were transitional models for a couple of years with the Gibson Nick Lucas model. It had started as a 12 fret model and ended as a 14 fretter, but for two years Gibson made them with a 13 fret body join.

Modern player interest in these instruments compelled the Santa Cruz Guitar Company to start making them.

My apologies to those who already knew this, I just wanted to inform those who didn’t.


whm

[jklotz]

My Edwinson is 13 frets. Steve builds them like that because he believes it is the perfect balance for his design. I really like mine. I wouln't want to change a thing. That being said, if it has anything less than 14, for me, it needs to have a cut away, as I capo up for quite a few pieces.

[The Bard Rocks]

I have 3 with 13 frets. It is a compromise. They say the 12 fretters are sweeter-sounding, but you gain that at a slight expense of volume and fretboard real estate. I am certainly happy with them, but still like 14's a bit better.

[BrunoBlack]

There’s an interesting Fretboard Journal article in which Richard Hoover discusses a variety of models he built. https://www.fretboardjournal.com/fea...-cruz-guitars/

In the article he discusses the creation of the H13. “The H had a rich tone, lots of volume and an overall sweet tone,” Hoover says. “We always felt that the 13-fret-neck configuration on that body shape put the bridge in exactly the right place on the top, and there’s no denying that those guitars sound magical. But it was also a crashing failure in the marketplace. It was too small for the time – men just wouldn’t buy smaller guitars, which were perceived as “girly” – and the 13-fret neck was too confusing for most players.” Eventually the series was so well-received that in 2004 the model was reintroduced under the designation h-13 and it is now part of the standard line.

[warfrat73]

I mean, the short answer is that that's what Nick Lucas wanted, and people liked them enough to keep making them.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

The original 13 fret guitars were transitional models for a couple of years with the Gibson Nick Lucas model. It had started as a 12 fret model and ended as a 14 fretter, but for two years Gibson made them with a 13 fret body join.

Modern player interest in these instruments compelled the Santa Cruz Guitar Company to start making them.

My apologies to those who already knew this, I just wanted to inform those who didn’t.


whm

The Epiphone Model series 13 fret models pre date the Nick Lucas switch to 13 frets by 2 years. I had a 1928 Model 0 Epiphone 13 fretter that I loved the sound of but ended up selling because the neck just wasn't for me.

[THart]

Originally Posted by Osage

The Epiphone Model series 13 fret models pre date the Nick Lucas switch to 13 frets by 2 years. I had a 1928 Model 0 Epiphone 13 fretter that I loved the sound of but ended up selling because the neck just wasn't for me.

From even earlier, my '24 Gibson L2 is a 13 fretter. No idea why it was built that way really. I just assumed that's the way it worked out when all the design elements came together to produce a good sound. & it does sound good to me.

[Osage]

Originally Posted by THart

From even earlier, my '24 Gibson L2 is a 13 fretter. No idea why it was built that way really. I just assumed that's the way it worked out when all the design elements came together to produce a good sound. & it does sound good to me.

Super cool! I've never seen one of those! '24 was really still solidly in the 12 fret world. So cool that they were experimenting with 13 that early! One of the things I love about old guitars is that once you think you know when something started, an earlier example comes along!