IYO, are short scale Telecasters... worth it?

[arlum]

I've got guitars with both scale lengths but definitely prefer the shorter scale. I just plain play better on a 24 3/4" scale neck.

 

[Burn Yesterday]

Make a custom: set the neck pocket 3/4" further into the body. You now have a 25.5 scale Tele with the nut in the same location as a 24.75 scale Tele.

NO. This won't work. You'll end up with an untunable guitar.

Here's what you do: Get you a nice Squier Telecaster and a bolt-on neck from an Epiphone Junior, Special, or SG. They're all about the same.

Figure out how to bolt the Epi neck onto the Telecaster body.

Unscrew the bridge intonation screws 3/16". If they're not long enough to do this, get longer ones.

Now you have an intonatable Gibson-scale Telecaster. You'll lose a lot of the Teleness with the neck being mahogany but at least you'll have a cheap test specimen to mess with.


PS Yes I have done this. And vice versa too.

.

 

[schmee]

NO. This won't work. You'll end up with an untunable guitar.

Here's what you do: Get you a nice Squier Telecaster and a bolt-on neck from an Epiphone Junior, Special, or SG. They're all about the same.

Figure out how to bolt the Epi neck onto the Telecaster body.

Unscrew the bridge intonation screws 3/16". If they're not long enough to do this, get longer ones.

Now you have an intonatable Gibson-scale Telecaster. You'll lose a lot of the Teleness with the neck being mahogany but at least you'll have a cheap test specimen to mess with.


PS Yes I have done this. And vice versa too.

.

Yes it will work. I have set a Strat neck in a full 1.50". You are missing the part where you slide the bridge back the same amount. That's why it's still 25.5 scale as I mentioned.

 

[tfarny]

I do think the Luther Perkins stuff benefits from the long scale. Other than that I think the differences are small. I go back and forth between Gibson and fender scales, I also prefer 24.75 but I think you lose a little bit of the magic on the low strings.

 

[transmetro]

I certainly don't mind shorter scale length, one of those things for me like fretboard radius that seems to be less of a deal to me than it is to some.

It's a game of trade offs. I've got large hands and am happy enough with everything from a Jsg to a Strat/Tele.

I wonder how big of a difference it makes to sound vs all the other variables. It comes down to how you feel about the things that change I guess.

 

[985plowboy]

I would like to get one of those conversion necks put it on a Tele body with a P90 in the bridge.
Kind of like a Tele/Junior.

 

[Sax-son]

It boils down to whatever works best for you. We often get too hung up on a belief system that one size fits all. I try to think outside the box for better results, I Love all my vintage Teles, but I am open to any measurable improvements that will make you a better player.

 

[boris bubbanov]

I noticed that guitar was “Off” right away. Proportions were off… never thought I’d see that difference- even in person.

I remember, years ago, picking one up somehow and right away, it all felt wrong. Someone pointed out to me, Bubba, that's a short scale Fender guitar. All I knew at first was, something was clearly not right.

There are things you can get used to (switching from rosewood boards to maple or vice versa) but this wasn't that. The more I tried to like it, the less I liked it

Until.

Then I began to dislike most 24.75 scale guitars even when it was normal for them to be that way.

I had to sort of re-hab my ability to accept just basic guitars like an ES-335. So, not wanting to lose my affinity for these guitars that are supposed to be 24.75, I'm about as anti- short scale FMIC or bolt neck guitars are you are gonna find.

 

[Bob Womack]

This is very apropos to me. I play both scales but have short fingers so it makes a difference. I will often find myself playing short-deadline sessions where I am writing parts, playing them, and then doubling them between scales. If I write the part on 24.75 I may find it hard to quickly reproduce it on 25.5 to double it. Bends, vibrato, and stretched scales can require a different approach on 25.5 than they do on 24.74 because of my short fingers. I've never moved to a short-scale Tele or done a conversion because I really do use each of the guitars for the tone they bring to the table.

I need to get my hands and ears on a conversion because two of my most-used instruments are the ES-335 and the Tele.

Bob

 

[Si G X]

I would like to get one of those conversion necks put it on a Tele body with a P90 in the bridge.
Kind of like a Tele/Junior.

do it.... you'll love it.

 

[That Cal Webway]

Would like a 25-in scale T neck!!

 

[Jazzcaster21]

You can do a "short scale experiment" on your standard Tele.
1) tune down half a step
2) put a capo on the first fret
That leaves you a 24" scale Tele to play (with the dots in the wrong places!!). Give it a try...

I tried that the other day as a way to see if my action could stand to be any lower (it couldn't) and it was really weird. I think I prefer the Tele neck scale the way it is.