my new SX short scale strat

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:30 am

Here are some pics of my new SX strat (SX SST57 short scale). I got it about 1 week ago. Trying to figure out what pickups I want to put into it. Thinking of lil killer's from GFS. I want this to be a noise making machine.

Compared to other guitars. A little smaller body than a regular strat, but not out of proportion.

neck and fret ends

The color of butter.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:32 am

had a peek under the guard yet?

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:38 am

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 3:47 am

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:10 am

<3 Danos too

It looks like they scaled it nicely - how does it fit?

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 4:19 am

" how does it fit?"

What do you mean? It feels normal to hold and play. Not like it is out of proportion. I am still getting used to the very jumbo frets.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 5:22 pm

Lo, I just posted in the other thread

Did they make the body smaller or is a standard-sized Strat body?

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:34 pm

It is smaller in size. Not a problem, but I can not do an easy pickgaurd swap.

I did not realize I double posted, but then I could not figure out how to delete the other one.

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 7:36 pm

They sized it down a lot - normally a strat's upper bout is around 2" wider then a U2's. The SST57's looks maybe half an inch narrower. It'd probably be just the right size for me.

cur · Post by **cur** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 8:23 pm

Tomorrow I can put it up against my daughters Fernandes strat. and take a pic.

From Rondo's web site SX SST57 Short scale 11.5" at widest point. The SX SST57 25.5" is 13" at widest point.
Not sure if they are the same thickness.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:50 pm

I'd love one of those, I did not realise that the body was smaller. I only have small hands and I'm 5'9", I find 25.5" guitars a little too big for comfort.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 10:38 pm

TheBurbz wrote:I'd love one of those, I did not realise that the body was smaller. I only have small hands and I'm 5'9", I find 25.5" guitars a little too big for comfort.

Is the SX a 24" scale? I've played a strat for over a decade (a 50's reissue with huge C-shape) and a few years back I started getting joint and tendon pain. I've genuinely tiny hands and it came from too much one-finger drop-D and over extension on the bottom two strings and is unfortunately a permanent problem (I nearly quit guitar two years ago it got so bad). This is the reason I came across shortscales and A-width necks...but I still love (some) strats and would like to have one that is comfortable... Do you know how this compares with other shrunkenstrats out there?

MaMo · Post by **MaMo** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:02 pm

Black Cat Bone wrote:
TheBurbz wrote:I'd love one of those, I did not realise that the body was smaller. I only have small hands and I'm 5'9", I find 25.5" guitars a little too big for comfort.
Is the SX a 24" scale? I've played a strat for over a decade (a 50's reissue with huge C-shape) and a few years back I started getting joint and tendon pain. I've genuinely tiny hands and it came from too much one-finger drop-D and over extension on the bottom two strings and is unfortunately a permanent problem (I nearly quit guitar two years ago it got so bad). This is the reason I came across shortscales and A-width necks...but I still love (some) strats and would like to have one that is comfortable... Do you know how this compares with other shrunkenstrats out there?

Be careful, your problem might be more serious than just a scale-length issue. Read up on focal dystonia - think carpal tunnel for guitarists.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:26 pm

MaMo wrote:Be careful, your problem might be more serious than just a scale-length issue. Read up on focal dystonia - think carpal tunnel for guitarists.

Good call and very much appreciated! I'm pretty sure this is not the case at the moment as the impact is very much a physical one - I need to explain a bit so forgive the exposition:

Way back in the day i discovered Drop D and had stopped playing in bands for some 8 years in which I kinda habitually used to play riffs with my index finger over and over and over again and a lot of bending. This was when I used 11 gauge strings on the aforementioned huge strat neck and had it hanging round my knees like the punk rock pseud I am. To give some context I am 5'11". My first girl was barely 5' and we had nearly the same hand size. Yup. Anyhoo some years back in my drop d phase I started to notice the top knuckle of my index finger A) hurt sometimes, B) moved more from side-to-side than that on the right hand, and C) could bend backwards a LOT more... It didn't help that i almost always played unplugged and therefore hit and held the strings very hard to compensate.

Cut forward a bit and I got back in bands and well the trouble really took off then. My band broke up and basicly i got so much shit from that top finger joint and knuckle that i got really down and literally nearly gave up guitar because it just seemed hopeless. Anyhoo a little later i, and I am aware of how twatty this will sound, I saw a dragonforce solo and found Buckethead which, whilst far from my style, was just so nutso that i got reinvigorated. The finger held up and was better for the rest of some months. unfortunately when i put together my new Mustang project it was so nice I hammered it for days on end ignoring the warning signs and now I've got the same level of trouble. Being 32 might be a factor. Ah anyway boofuckinhoo and that - will get back in the saddle soon enough.

So TL:DR = small hands +drop D + Low Slung strap + Wide and thick neck = painage. Noob kids - learn from these mistakes!

Also - small strat = want.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:34 pm

Well those SX Strats (the 24" ones) are bigger than a kids-sized guitar but slightly smaller than a full size, I think. Probably about the size of a Mustang I'm guessing. Cur said he will take pics of it next to a real Strat so we can see how it compares...I think I may end up importing the Ash Strat, it looks great apart from the comp orange neck.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Thu Mar 26, 2009 11:46 pm

Black Cat Bone wrote:
MaMo wrote:Be careful, your problem might be more serious than just a scale-length issue. Read up on focal dystonia - think carpal tunnel for guitarists.
Good call and very much appreciated! I'm pretty sure this is not the case at the moment as the impact is very much a physical one - I need to explain a bit so forgive the exposition:

Way back in the day i discovered Drop D and had stopped playing in bands for some 8 years in which I kinda habitually used to play riffs with my index finger over and over and over again and a lot of bending. This was when I used 11 gauge strings on the aforementioned huge strat neck and had it hanging round my knees like the punk rock pseud I am. To give some context I am 5'11". My first girl was barely 5' and we had nearly the same hand size. Yup. Anyhoo some years back in my drop d phase I started to notice the top knuckle of my index finger A) hurt sometimes, B) moved more from side-to-side than that on the right hand, and C) could bend backwards a LOT more... It didn't help that i almost always played unplugged and therefore hit and held the strings very hard to compensate.

Cut forward a bit and I got back in bands and well the trouble really took off then. My band broke up and basicly i got so much shit from that top finger joint and knuckle that i got really down and literally nearly gave up guitar because it just seemed hopeless. Anyhoo a little later i, and I am aware of how twatty this will sound, I saw a dragonforce solo and found Buckethead which, whilst far from my style, was just so nutso that i got reinvigorated. The finger held up and was better for the rest of some months. unfortunately when i put together my new Mustang project it was so nice I hammered it for days on end ignoring the warning signs and now I've got the same level of trouble. Being 32 might be a factor. Ah anyway boofuckinhoo and that - will get back in the saddle soon enough.

So TL:DR = small hands +drop D + Low Slung strap + Wide and thick neck = painage. Noob kids - learn from these mistakes!

Also - small strat = want.

this story makes me glad that my first real guitar back in 94 was a jagstang, because i got the same size hands as my wife.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Fri Mar 27, 2009 12:13 am

TheBurbz wrote:Well those SX Strats (the 24" ones) are bigger than a kids-sized guitar but slightly smaller than a full size, I think. Probably about the size of a Mustang I'm guessing. Cur said he will take pics of it next to a real Strat so we can see how it compares...I think I may end up importing the Ash Strat, it looks great apart from the comp orange neck.

I've been googling SX and oddly for a spanish company I can't find a viable outlet in the UK - their own site is only partially working and lacks both specs and prices. Any UKers/ Europeans point me to a workable source?

As an aside the first time I researched shortscales I came across a jagstang.com thread about a warmoth 7/8 size strat body on a mustang neck which seems awesome. Shame Warmoth don't make 'em any longer! I'd love a quality 24" strat - preferably unfinished so i can do that myself...

cur · Post by **cur** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 3:59 am

Got some parts from GFS for the 24" strat and put it together.

I ordered the tremolo with bent saddles and and big hardened steel block, the wilkinson EZ locking turners, the clearance overwound single coils and an complete electronic kit for strats.

I am very happy with the upgrades, I would have to say the big steel block tremolo was a huge difference. I love the wilkinson tuners. THe tuners that were on the guitar held tune, but these are way better and I like the ez lock. I can change strings in a couple of minutes now. I like the new single coils and overdrive nicely.

Guitar with original parts/ pick guard off

THis was not just as easy as a simple parts swap, and I did it over a period of a couple of weeks. THe first problem was that the screw holes in the single coils were too big for the screws I had. I went out and got some #4 machine screws and epoxied the bolts onto the back of the pickups (had to scratch off wax for epoxie to stick).

The seel block of the tremolo was a tight fit and the block needed mods to fit into the 7/8 ths sized strat.

I had to take the dremel tool to open up some room for it to move smoothly.

Then, it protruded out the back of the guitar by a bout an 1/8 of an inch. So I drilled the depth of the spring holes and string stops about 1/8 of an inch deeper (note the 7 degree tilt on the 1/16 th of an inch spring holes).

Then I ground it down to the the blue tape line.

I spent the last hour or so setting it up with the new saddles and strings.

I spent about $100 us for the stuff and it was well worth it. The tremolo with the steel block was worth all the effort.

Not sure I like the cream pickup covers and knobs. I am thinking white.

damienblair17 · Post by **damienblair17** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:16 am

cur wrote:Not sure I like the cream pickup covers and knobs. I am thinking white.

Black knobs, Black Robroe covers. Problem solved.

cur · Post by **cur** » Sun Apr 19, 2009 4:44 am

Ya thinK? I am not good at imagining what the color combo's would look like. I usually need an example.

One problem is that it is a weird sized pick guard. So it is going to be cream with a white pick guard. Also, the cream pickup covers are slightly off from the knobs. But I do not what to spend much more money on my cheap guitar...... except if I go with a change of pickups in the future. Still thinking of lil killers or something like that.