ShortScale.org

hey guys, so this is my first post after lurking for a long time. i am on the verge of pulling the trigger on short scale guitar. i've had a couple in the past, a peavey t-15 and now i have a very nice handmade travel/kids guitar that is just over 20 inch scale but the body is too small.

my question really stems from reading and playing 24 inch conversion necks. i've picked up a few CV duo's and a the new fender blacktop series (?) and the first 5 frets pretty much FELT the same as a regular scale guitar. this was seat of the pants, i didn't have a tape measure with me.

so i ask: are these conversion necks pretty much the same fret spacing as a full 25.5 inch scale guitar at the lower end of the scale (bridge to 12th)?


i took a tape measure to my strat and my les paul from the bridge to the 5th fret.

strat 5.25'ish - maybe just a hair under
les paul 5.0'ish

how do say mustangs stack up against those measurements?

i also wonder where the ORM1 comes in at?

ok thanks in advance, i hope you see my concerns. because if the fret spacing is the same on these 24 inch conversion as a regular neck then i am going to go shorter, like another t-15 but probably a MIM duo first.

thanks guys and girls, love the site.

BL

atlanta, ga

I think you were measuring the 4th fret...

Nut-5th on a Strat (25.5" scale) is 6.397"
Gibson (assuming 24.75") is 6.208"
Jag, Duo, Mustang etc (24") is 6.02"

The scale length of a neck is 2x the nut-12th fret distance, regardless of whether it's conversion or whatever. A conversion neck is just one designed to fit a 'wrong' scale onto a certain body, like 24.75" onto a strat; the only difference between a conversion neck and a standard one is the location of the heel, which determines the number of frets.

So the fret spacing on a 24" conversion neck (19 frets?) is exactly the same as on a 21-fret 24" Mustang neck.

Hope that helps a bit.

No..The shorter the scale..the closer the frets..

thanks guys, i was confused.

it all came down to i needed to get out and play a good one and i did that today. so i own one now

she is perfect, not a scratch and came with a perfect setup and a great hard case.

nice!