Short scale strat neck question? Anyone tried one?

[ThrowBackMan]

Hey guys..


I'm thinking of building a Strat that I've always wanted as far as functionality, etc, and I thought about getting a short scale neck for ease of playing. I've always thought that for rhythm, Gibson scale guitars can get lost in the mix easier than fender strat scale guitars. I know that's a bold statement, but to me in my experience with the little equipment I"ve played and owned, this seemed to be the case, or maybe I just like the sound of a Strat scale guitar better when playing rhythm.

Anyway, I'm thinking of building one with a short scale maple neck and rosewood neck with stainless medium tall frets. Anyone think this would so much different or bad or good?

This really will be more like a Charvel guitar and will have either a grahite reinforced neck or quarter sawn, etc, and the short scale. I think they play easier usually on a Gibbie and I thought maybe it would still have the bite of a Strat with the shorter neck all things being equal? Anyone have any experience with the same?

Here are specs I'm considering really hard.

Rear routed Basswood bodied guitar with Hum in bridge and Single coil in neck, quilted maple top probably, maybe flamed, one volume knob and three way switch. OFR dive only sitting on top of the body.. 4 bolt on maple neck with 24 3/4" scale, 22 stainless medium tall frets, reverse headstock, rosewood fretboard, floyd locking nut, etc, etc,..

I've not decided on pickups, but I'm thinking I'll get a Dimarzio Super 3 for the bridge and that rail pup that sounds like a PAF Pro for the neck, or I'll do EMG's.. but I'm leaning toward Dimarzio's..

Thanks in advance..

 

[stevemorse]

I had something similar put together. Charvel San Dimas body, dual hum, short-scale musikraft neck. It played wonderfully, but, in my opinion, it didn't sound like a 25.5 superstrat. Every case is different, but I found that the 24.75 scale length led to a bigger tonal difference than what I had anticipated.

 

[stratotone]

I'm totally spoiled by my Tom Anderson shorty 24.75" strats that I really don't like playing a 25.5" strat in standard tuning anymore. I've purchased a warmoth tele neck with the 24.75" scale and stainless frets and while it isn't as nice as the Andersons, it's certainly useable and much much much cheaper.

 

[cardinal]

If you're near a Tom Anderson dealer, you could try to find a "short" Anderson with that scale length.

 

[sytharnia1560]

pretty sure the jake e lee ESP's had the short scale

 

[ThrowBackMan]

I had something similar put together. Charvel San Dimas body, dual hum, short-scale musikraft neck. It played wonderfully, but, in my opinion, it didn't sound like a 25.5 superstrat. Every case is different, but I found that the 24.75 scale length led to a bigger tonal difference than what I had anticipated.

Thank you Steve.

 

[ThrowBackMan]

I'm totally spoiled by my Tom Anderson shorty 24.75" strats that I really don't like playing a 25.5" strat in standard tuning anymore. I've purchased a warmoth tele neck with the 24.75" scale and stainless frets and while it isn't as nice as the Andersons, it's certainly useable and much much much cheaper.

Thank you. I've never played a Tom Anderson, but a friend of mine that is from my hometown owns a music store in Nashville TN and he has one and loves it. I thought it was a Charvel when I first saw it online, but he told me it was a Tom Anderson. I'll have to ask him if it's a short scale and how much he likes it. I think out of all the guitars I see him play with he uses it the most and a Marshall Plexi.
Thanks so much
T

 

[XSSIVE]

Funny, something similar is actually on my "to build" list. I had played a short scale super strat years ago and loved it as a change of pace and knew I wanted to build one eventually. Much slinkier feel and fatter sounding than a typical 25.5" scale super strat. It gets you closer to the Les Paul sounding super strat lots of people look for when you shorten the scale up.

 

[stratotone]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

 

[thegame]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

Even if the neck fits into the neck pocket perfectly, the pickups will be under the wrong harmonic node locations when swapping in a different scale neck.

 

[Doughboy]

I have many short scale Warmoth strats. I like the feel & tone much better. Slightly warmer & easier to play. I don't think I'll ever go back to a strat scale again if I can help it.

 

[ThrowBackMan]

Thanks guys. Yeah, one of the reasons I was thinking about the shorter neck is that I like the scale of a Les Paul, but the feel of a strat hanging on my body so to speak because it's not so bulky in long hours of playing sometimes.. (Not often in this old age I might add..hehe) but, it's just more comfortable to me to play a shorter scale.
T

 

[ThrowBackMan]

Funny, something similar is actually on my "to build" list. I had played a short scale super strat years ago and loved it as a change of pace and knew I wanted to build one eventually. Much slinkier feel and fatter sounding than a typical 25.5" scale super strat. It gets you closer to the Les Paul sounding super strat lots of people look for when you shorten the scale up.

Hi, Yes, I'd love to try one for sure. I think a super strat with a set neck or neck thru would be really cool..
T

 

[stevemorse]

As others have said, a Short Anderson Drop Top, Classic, or Pro Am is the best option (if budget allows).

 

[Drew]

I ordered a short scale neck and strat body from USA Custom Guitars and had it assembled by some-time Anderson assembler/repair guy and all around great guitar tech, Bruce Nelson and I like it so much I'm having a hard time going back to my trusty old 25.5" scale Anderson Classic that was my main guitar for 12 years.

 

[stratotone]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

Even if the neck fits into the neck pocket perfectly, the pickups will be under the wrong harmonic node locations when swapping in a different scale neck.

I disagree. the 22nd fret is going to be in nearly the same spot on either neck relative to the pickup, so the harmonic or 24th fret location you're worried about is going to be incredibly close. And the 'harmonic nodes' just get closer as you go up the neck/closer to the bridge pickup. So the other pickups aren't going to matter either.

I can post clips of a 24.75" scale guitar and a 25.5" scale guitar on neck pickups. I really don't think people are going to be able to tell which guitar is which every time just from the harmonic nodes.

 

[thegame]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

Even if the neck fits into the neck pocket perfectly, the pickups will be under the wrong harmonic node locations when swapping in a different scale neck.

I disagree. the 22nd fret is going to be in nearly the same spot on either neck relative to the pickup, so the harmonic or 24th fret location you're worried about is going to be incredibly close. And the 'harmonic nodes' just get closer as you go up the neck/closer to the bridge pickup. So the other pickups aren't going to matter either.

I can post clips of a 24.75" scale guitar and a 25.5" scale guitar on neck pickups. I really don't think people are going to be able to tell which guitar is which every time just from the harmonic nodes.

Please don't ever build a guitar. Thank you.

 

[stratotone]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

Even if the neck fits into the neck pocket perfectly, the pickups will be under the wrong harmonic node locations when swapping in a different scale neck.

I disagree. the 22nd fret is going to be in nearly the same spot on either neck relative to the pickup, so the harmonic or 24th fret location you're worried about is going to be incredibly close. And the 'harmonic nodes' just get closer as you go up the neck/closer to the bridge pickup. So the other pickups aren't going to matter either.

I can post clips of a 24.75" scale guitar and a 25.5" scale guitar on neck pickups. I really don't think people are going to be able to tell which guitar is which every time just from the harmonic nodes.

Please don't ever build a guitar. Thank you.

Now that you've made one insightful, meaningful post on the topic, why not address what I said? That would be awesome. Enlighten me.

 

[stratotone]

Go to this page, look at guitar #4 - it's a short scale. (yes, link is safe for work)

http://docteurseb.com/2009/07/21/guitar-porn/

Look where the 22nd fret is on the short scale neck - the distance from it to the pickup. Now look at the guitar pictured above it - it's a regular scale. Look how close the 22nd fret is to the pickup. Pretty damned close to the same distance.

Why is this relevant? Because the frets give you a clue to where the harmonics are. Yeah there are going to be minute differences but if you're going to bitch about harmonic nodes and pickup placement, the biggest offender/problem is going to be the neck pickup which in both guitars on the website are so close to each other regarding placement under the 24th fret harmonic I don't see what the fuss is.

 

[thegame]

The Warmoth 24.75" necks are a replacement for 25.5" necks, so for a couple hundred bucks you could try it out. If you didn't like it, flip the neck and you're not out much $ at all. If you did like it, flip the neck you replaced. Easy peasy.

Pete

Even if the neck fits into the neck pocket perfectly, the pickups will be under the wrong harmonic node locations when swapping in a different scale neck.

I disagree. the 22nd fret is going to be in nearly the same spot on either neck relative to the pickup, so the harmonic or 24th fret location you're worried about is going to be incredibly close. And the 'harmonic nodes' just get closer as you go up the neck/closer to the bridge pickup. So the other pickups aren't going to matter either.

I can post clips of a 24.75" scale guitar and a 25.5" scale guitar on neck pickups. I really don't think people are going to be able to tell which guitar is which every time just from the harmonic nodes.

This is actually a deep subject. Most luthiers who know what they are doing derive pickup positioning from precise mathematically derived measurements for a given scale length. Substituting an alternate scale length fretboard on a guitar where all 2 or 3 pickups and bridge unit are 'locked in place' throws the harmonic series off, in terms of what the pickups 'hear'. We seem to agree on this, but differ in the sense that you state the difference is negligable. I think there is a very audible difference and thats where I think we should agree to disagree.

FWIW one time I took an old beater guitar, and bent the pickup ears up so I could slide the pickup back towards the bridge or closer to the nut. Just moving it 1 or 2 mm resulted in huge tonal differences. In that test I did not alter the scale length of the instrument, but my point here is that the bridge pickup will be mounted closer to the bridge itself on a shorter scale instrument and further away on a longer scale instrument.