Clean end or dusty end?

Tannin

How far up the neck do you go?

* EVER: the highest fret you *ever* use in normal play?

* SOMETIMES: the highest fret you *regularly* use  in normal play? (More than just one or two songs even if you don't go there all the time)
* OFTEN: the highest fret you frequently use in normal play? (Most songs take you this far up)
* ROOT: how much of your time do you spend in the root position? (Open strings and traditional first-three-fret chords)

(Acoustics only, obviously. Electrics is a different instrument, and you'll have different answers.)

Tannin

EVER: 14th, and that seldom
SOMETIMES: about the 10 or 11th, give or take
OFTEN: 9th
ROOT: depends on what I'm playing, but probably 50-60%

DavidR

Hardly ever above 12th. Usually below 5th

 In mathematical terms, I would imagine the percentage chance of finding my left hand a specific distance from the nut is roughly 100 divided by the distance in cm, squared!

So % chance = ~100/(distance in cm)squared.

:-)

 

munckee

As far as I can although I'm more a strummer so mostly open/barre chords.

deejayen

I kind of just noodle around at home, but often hit the 17th fret with a double-stop.  

Full chords are harder, and I've had to truncate one I play on the electric with four strings to three strings on the acoustic.

Last night I found myself at the 20th (another double-stop), but it's hard to hit it first time as it needs a change of arm/hand position, and I'm not always anticipating landing there! 

So, I suppose:

EVER: 20th

SOMETIMES: 17th

OFTEN: 12th/13th

ROOT: Probably 60%

I should say that this is on a Gibson LG-2 with a 14th fret neck joint and no cutaway.  I've been thinking about guitars with a 12th fret neck joint - presumably these would limit things, but it might be okay with a change of technique!   One 12th fret guitar I considered does have a cutaway, but as I can't remember playing an acoustic with a cutaway I'm not sure if they help much, as presumably there's still a big lump of something which could get in the way.

thomasross20

I go past the fretboard. 
Lol

sev112

I’m playing a load of fingerstyle Xmas solos at the moment that use harmonics at 19th quite a bit

Simpler solos I play around root a lot, but in DADGAD I’m always “based” between 2 and 5.

more of my more complex solos seem to base me at 7 and 9 with pinky going to 12 or 12 harmonics, with a occasional 14/15 on the high E

theatreanchor

SOMETIMES: 14th
* OFTEN: 12th
* ROOT: Not a lot

stickyfiddle

On acoustic I'm fairly evenly spread across the first 12. Occasionally 14 or 15 but basically never higher. Cutaways are the devil's work.

bertie

stickyfiddle said:

 Cutaways are the devil's work.

Wins the interwebz  today

I play all over the shop all the time  - there is no "regular",  often use a capo (as in every time I play, but not for every tune)  sometimes two (for those "pseudo drop Ds").   
so probably 15 is the highest Id ever go, but not often - and purely based on physical restriction 

Kilgore

Ever: 14

I favour 12 fret guitars so a fairly even spread up to 12.

Ungulate

stickyfiddle said:

Cutaways are the devil's work.

Not a Taylor fan then 

drofluf

EVER: 14th, but very rarely. 
SOMETIMES: 12th, but mainly for harmonics 
OFTEN: 7th - 9th
ROOT: rarely, more often 2nd-5th - which may be in your definition of root?

That’s fingerstyle, mainly in DADGAD 

bertie

Ungulate said:

stickyfiddle said:

Cutaways are the devil's work.

Not a Taylor fan then 

Ive owned two,  me neither - ish   - tho the original babys (rough frets aside) /big babys are great fun as a couch guitar

Kurtis

I probably don't go above the 8th much, maybe 10 or 12 at most generally.
A large chunk of my acoustic playing is open chord strumming. At least 50%.

EDIT - I'm not really a fan of cutaways either. 

ICBM

Ever - 17th I think. I can’t remember playing anything above that in a song, although I play right up to whatever the last fret is when I’m just doodling around.

Sometimes - 15th. I like the open G shape an octave up.

Often - probably 9th-10th, depends on the key.

Root - probably 50%. The open chords are a foundation, the high stuff is for contrast.

GTC

Ever - 20th
Sometimes - 14th
Often - 10th
Root - 40% - 60% (dependent on piece)

I haven't considered artificial harmonics in the above answers

Tannin

ICBM said:

Sometimes - 15th. I like the open G shape an octave up.

That is similar to me. I like the open E shape played on the 13th & 14th frets and use it reasonably often. Never tried open G shape up there, might be a bit hard to reach without a cutaway.

I slide that same shape down two frets for a D (with a 7th (E) in the bass) and the C#m7/E a fret further down (0 11 11 9 0 0)  

PS: I just tried the open G you like. Tricky to reach and not a sound I care for on first impression - but sometimes these things grow on one.

ESBlonde

EVER - probably 15th and then only top three strings
SOMETIMES - again 15th, top G etc. and D shape
OFTEN - 10th across all strings
ROOT - in singer guitarist mode probably 40% but a lot of moveable chords and barre chords to get the voicings nice and lots of songs in keys like Eb or Bb.

Tannin

ESBlonde said:

in singer guitarist mode ...  lots of songs in keys like Eb or Bb.

Masochist!

ESBlonde

Tannin said:

ESBlonde said:

in singer guitarist mode ...  lots of songs in keys like Eb or Bb.

Masochist!

Ha! If I ever introduce these songs to the band the basserer rolls his eyes and utter things like “Oh no”.   ;-)