Scale length

Hey, i'm in the proccess of building a mahogany strat/tele hybrid, and have a question on scale length.

The scale length should be 25 1/2 inch, however when I measure up it is more like 26 inch.

I used a body template from these forums to start building the body, while the neck was bought online.

Am I right to think the neck bought isn't perfectly in scale? Or is there another fault i'm overlooking?

Thanks guys :)

Where are you measuring from and to??

I'm measuring from the side of the nut closest to the fretboard, to the point of touch on the saddles when at halfway

Measure from the nut to the 12th fret and double ; should be 25.5" if so, the neck is ok. Is the neck seated all the way in the pocket? Is this a tele neck on a strat body or what? If the neck is 25.5" in scale, you'll have to get the nut-bridge distance to spec by lengthening the saddle screws or seating the neck further into the body methinks.

Yup, check the neck first, should be 12.75 to the 12th fret from the nut. Then use this (http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html)to check your bridge location

We're getting one of these a week it seems. A quick search got me 10 pages, just on scale length :confused:. Seems to be a most misunderstood concept. Hope this one gets read :smile:.

You've left out a lot of information. You say you're building a Strat/Tele hybrid but that doesn't say a lot.

What type of body? What type of neck? What bridge? What is the distance from the nut to the end of the neck? How many frets? Fingerboard overhang or not?

To make things clear, it is a tele neck on a strat inspired body. However it has the tele neck heel.

To answer Jack Wells:
Strat type body with tele heel, 21 fret tele neck. The neck is approximately 18.75 inch from fretboard side of nut to the actual end of the neck, with a slight fretboard overhang.

I think my problem is trying to position a hardtail strat bridge on plans that use a tremelo. Where would this go relative to tremelo plans?

To make things clear, it is a tele neck on a strat inspired body. However it has the tele neck heel.

To answer Jack Wells:
Strat type body with tele heel, 21 fret tele neck. The neck is approximately 18.75 inch from fretboard side of nut to the actual end of the neck, with a slight fretboard overhang.

I think my problem is trying to position a hardtail strat bridge on plans that use a tremelo. Where would this go relative to tremelo plans?

No 21 fret tele neck I've seen has an overhang; where did you get this neck from?

The bridge goes where the distance from the nut to the 12th fret would be if this were doubled.. if this interferes w pickup routing then the neck should be seated further in or a new neck found.. jmo

Where did you get this neck from? How far is the nut to 12th fret?

The overhang isn't the cause :) it's not a fret overhang, just wood overhang that I can sand down flush with the heel, giving me standard tele specs. Nut to 12th fret is correct i assume: 12.75 inch.

Ok yep, there's no interference, i'll just double the 12th fret distance :) Thanks :)

I have built 2 guitars beforehand, this is just the first time not actually making the neck haha! Try explain that method :P

put your saddles at 1/2 their travel length, put a piece of string through both E string tuners and through their respective saddles on the bridge, line up the strings roughly on the fretboard and pull the strings taunt and tape down on the body. Measure from the leading edge of the nut to the leading edge of the saddles to your scale length. Readjust your bridge location to align the strings along the neck at the scale length position as necessary and mark the bridge/body where to drill your holes. Easy peasy.

On a typical Telecaster 21 fret neck the distance from the nut to the end of the neck heel is 18 3/8 in. ....... not 18 3/4 in.