Short-Scale Tele or Strat Conversion Necks

Zaphod B

Zaphod B

Raccoons-Be-Gone, Inc.
Has any of you guys had any experience with short-scale (24-3/4") Teles or Strats (or reasonable facsimiles of these guitars)?

I've finally come around to realizing that I really, really, really like playing the shorter Gibson-type scale rather than the longer scale. My teeny hands just have a hard time on Teles and Strats.

Any stories? Comments on playability and tone?
 
TelePaul said:
I've never even seen one, this sounds interesting.
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Warmoth sells short-scale "conversion" necks for their Strat and Tele bodies. So you can build a short-scale version of either model from their parts by simply using a short-scale neck. It's intriguing to me.
 
Muttley and Light, if you guys are reading this thread.....

I think I understand from past threads that with shorter scale necks, less effort is required for string bends because of reduced tension on the strings (everything else being equal). Do you think that the shorter scale would have a significant difference in tone, attack, etc.?
 
my first guitar was a 24 3/4 Peavey T-15....had a nice tone but the bridge sucked....intonation could only be adjusted at the high and low side, not string by string....never really being in tune got old quickly......

other than that it was a good little guitar....if I had it now, Id swap the bridge and probably play it quite a bit....
 
Hey Zaphod,

Have you checked the Squier Thinline Tele? It has a short scale neck, and is, by all accounts, a great guitar.

I don't know how you feel about Squiers (personally, i think some of them are perfect), but it's easily modded if you want to change something.

In my personal experience, yes, a short scale guitar feels significantly different.

Edit: Here's the link - http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0301240544
 
Zaphod B said:
Muttley and Light, if you guys are reading this thread.....

I think I understand from past threads that with shorter scale necks, less effort is required for string bends because of reduced tension on the strings (everything else being equal). Do you think that the shorter scale would have a significant difference in tone, attack, etc.?
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Tone and attack not so as it make a significant difference. Unless your playing is better as a result. The physics of it are relatively insignificant Any difference would be more likely down to the change of neck materials rather than the scale length. The biggest difference you may notice would be using drop tunings. I make everything these days with a 25" scale unless asked otherwise and it seems to suit most players.
 
32-20-Blues said:
Hey Zaphod,

Have you checked the Squier Thinline Tele? It has a short scale neck, and is, by all accounts, a great guitar.
Edit: Here's the link - http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0301240544
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Ah - I didn't know that Fender made a short-scale Tele, even as a Squier. Thanks. :)
muttley600 said:
Tone and attack not so as it make a significant difference. Unless your playing is better as a result. The physics of it are relatively insignificant Any difference would be more likely down to the change of neck materials rather than the scale length. The biggest difference you may notice would be using drop tunings. I make everything these days with a 25" scale unless asked otherwise and it seems to suit most players.
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Thanks, Muttley. I think I could handle a 25" scale no problem, but 25-1/2" is a bit of a reach for me at times. In truth I don't really notice it until I switch back and forth between my Fenders and Gibsons, and the Gibson scale length is just so much more comfortable to me.
 
muttley600 said:
Tone and attack not so as it make a significant difference. Unless your playing is better as a result. The physics of it are relatively insignificant Any difference would be more likely down to the change of neck materials rather than the scale length. The biggest difference you may notice would be using drop tunings. I make everything these days with a 25" scale unless asked otherwise and it seems to suit most players.
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25" is what PRS originally offered, right?

Have you seen Jim Soloway's stuff? He only makes guitars with a 27" scale, but they're designed to be played at standard pitch. More "clarity, presence and articulation", apparently. :confused:
 
A quick glance at PRS' web site shows that they offer guitars in scale lengths of 24-1/2", 25", and 25-1/4".
 
32-20-Blues said:
25" is what PRS originally offered, right?

Have you seen Jim Soloway's stuff? He only makes guitars with a 27" scale, but they're designed to be played at standard pitch. More "clarity, presence and articulation", apparently. :confused:
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Yeh, PRS has been 25" since around the start. I kind of settled on it because it suited me and I had jigs and stuff for it. I do other scales by request no problem however, I think in reality it is player preference more than anything.

27" is getting a bit long for my fingers but I have played on a few around that. I wouldn't support the more clarity, presence, articulation claim though. There is more to it. Would definitely be good for drop tunings though.

IMO one thing that makes as much difference as scale length to the feel of a neck is the f/b radius and the back profile.
 
muttley600 said:
Tone and attack not so as it make a significant difference. Unless your playing is better as a result. The physics of it are relatively insignificant Any difference would be more likely down to the change of neck materials rather than the scale length. The biggest difference you may notice would be using drop tunings. I make everything these days with a 25" scale unless asked otherwise and it seems to suit most players.
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Gotta disagree on this one.

Clearly, it is easier to play a short scale neck. It lowers the tension and that makes it easier to play. No disagreement there.

But on tone and attack, yes it makes a difference, and to my ear it is a quite noticeable one. The biggest thing is the articulation. Well, the way my dad describes it, a short scale guitar is like a choir singing together; a long scale guitar is like a group of soloists singing together. The notes of a short scale guitar blend together a bit more, and the attack always seems "softer" to me. In AE terms, the long scale is kind of like putting a compressor with a long attack time on a kick drum...it emphasizes the attack.

That's to my ear, though, ad of course this shit is all pretty subjective. But I think you would notice a difference, and I think it won't sound like a Strat with a shorter scale.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
Gotta disagree on this one.

Clearly, it is easier to play a short scale neck. It lowers the tension and that makes it easier to play. No disagreement there.

But on tone and attack, yes it makes a difference, and to my ear it is a quite noticeable one. The biggest thing is the articulation. Well, the way my dad describes it, a short scale guitar is like a choir singing together; a long scale guitar is like a group of soloists singing together. The notes of a short scale guitar blend together a bit more, and the attack always seems "softer" to me. In AE terms, the long scale is kind of like putting a compressor with a long attack time on a kick drum...it emphasizes the attack.

That's to my ear, though, ad of course this shit is all pretty subjective. But I think you would notice a difference, and I think it won't sound like a Strat with a shorter scale.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
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There is a reasonable argument for acoustics I'd grant you. I still have never really established a clear appreciation of a difference with that extra 3/4" with electrics. The physics aside, I think the way the player approaches it has more to do with it on electrics. There really is no demonstrable "acoustics" to back it up either way on this one, at least not that I know of. Acoustic guitars are a different beast. I'm sittin on the fence on this one untill some one can show me some hard and fast..:D
 
Actually, I find the longer Fender scale easier to play. That 24 3/4 scale makes the strings feel all mushy and loose like rubber bands to me. And I feel like I hear a definite snappier sound to the longer scale.
 
Lt. Bob said:
Actually, I find the longer Fender scale easier to play. That 24 3/4 scale makes the strings feel all mushy and loose like rubber bands to me. And I feel like I hear a definite snappier sound to the longer scale.
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I guess it depends on whether that long-scale Fender has a vibrato in it or not. My Strat does, and even though it has a Hipshot Tremsetter in it, it still feels like the loosest to me. Both my LPs feel tight, and the Tele does, too, but but the Tele requires a bit more real estate on bends and there's the additional reach.
 
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