neck scale question.

can anyone explain tele neck scales to me??

i play a 96 american tele with 22 frets, and i'm wondering if anyone knows what scale those happen to be. also, if anyone can tell me significant differences in playing between long and short scale necks.

and finally, does anyone know if usacg drills holes in their necks b4 sending them to erase guess work? and if not, how would i go about drilling holes in the neck for attatchment?

thanks

25 1/2 on all tele's regardless of 22 or 21 frets

and finally, does anyone know if usacg drills holes in their necks b4 sending them to erase guess work? and if not, how would i go about drilling holes in the neck for attatchment?

thanks

By default, they don't. If you are using one of their bodies, Tommy will be more than happy to drill the holes for you. If you're using a different body, however, you may be better advised to do it yourself; they may not even offer it if it's not one of their bodies. They're all supposed to be the same, I know, but I guess the tolerances are pretty tight and some slight variations exist.

Best to do it yourself with a drillpress, but it can be done without one, as I have. Get the right sized bit, use a piece of tape to serve as a stop guide, and drill.

It was easily the most nerve-wracking part of my first build, but it came out fine.

The neck scale refers to the distance between the leading edge of the nut and the saddle. It ends up actually being a median measurement since the saddles are moved forward and backwards to correct the intonation. Generally the D and G string are the closest to the actual measurement. The differences are subjective but USAG and most all neck companies offer "conversion" necks that will reduce the scale. Higher string tensions and tightness of tone are a couple differences between the two standard Fender lengths. I think 24-1/4" is the short scale number.