Short Scales - What’s The Word?

[ezbass]

Morning players of the thin stringed thing. I’ve recently been lured into the genre within a genre of the Fender Offset guitar, mainly by YouTuber, Mike Adams also know as Puisheen https://youtube.com/c/Puisheen His style isn’t to everyone’s taste, but he knows his stuff when it comes to offsets and he’s grown on me to the point where I now follow him on YT and Instagram. Couple this with the purchase of a Mustang bass earlier in the year (yeah, sorry, I used the B word) and I’m now interested in trying out (which might lead to acquiring ) a Mustang guitar. I’ve never played a short scale guitar (at least that I know of and certainly not in the last 40 years) and wondered if the GC collective has had any experience with them. Are they really that different, are they comfortable, what’s your opinion of the sound? Regale me with your stories of these quirky, ‘student’ guitars, if you have any stories of course. The sharing of any short scale experiences would also be most welcome. I wait with bated breath.

[Skinnyman]

Interesting.

 

Beyond the fact that Gibsons are shorter scale than Fenders (usually), I had no idea that short scale guitars were a thing. I’ll be intrigued to find out more (another YT rabbit hole for me to disappear down!)

[ezbass]

  On 12/08/2021 at 08:31, Skinnyman said:

Interesting.

 

Beyond the fact that Gibsons are shorter scale than Fenders (usually), I had no idea that short scale guitars were a thing. I’ll be intrigued to find out more (another YT rabbit hole for me to disappear down!)

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And PRS are (mostly) in the middle with their 25” scale. IIRC Jags and ‘Stangs are 24” although the latter used to be 22”.

[EdwardMarlowe]

For most things, I don't honestly notice a huge differenced in 'feel' switching between Gibson and Fender lengths. That said, I remember when the Squier Supersonic first came out (in the Vista Series, made in Japan), I did consider Hendrixing one (I just LOVED that blue sparkle!), but I took fright at the much shorter scale length than I was used to. Felt somehow too small. Would like to try it again now, though I suspect what I'd really prefer I suspect would be a 68 spec Strat neck on that body style... 

For me, nut width seems to make a bigger difference fast than scale length; I'm so much more comfortable on a 42mm than a 43mm nut, it's ridiculous... 

[ezbass]

  On 12/08/2021 at 15:46, EdwardMarlowe said:

For most things, I don't honestly notice a huge differenced in 'feel' switching between Gibson and Fender lengths. That said, I remember when the Squier Supersonic first came out (in the Vista Series, made in Japan), I did consider Hendrixing one (I just LOVED that blue sparkle!), but I took fright at the much shorter scale length than I was used to. Felt somehow too small. Would like to try it again now, though I suspect what I'd really prefer I suspect would be a 68 spec Strat neck on that body style... 

For me, nut width seems to make a bigger difference fast than scale length; I'm so much more comfortable on a 42mm than a 43mm nut, it's ridiculous... 

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We’re certainly on the same page when it comes to nut widths. I have very ‘Goldilocks’ tastes when it comes to nut widths, especially with the 4 string beast, J bass widths are just too narrow for me, but some fivers feel like the deck of an aircraft carrier.

[police squad]

I currently gig with a Brian May guitar. 24 inch scale and I love it. No idea why, it's just great

[Stub Mandrel]

  On 12/08/2021 at 08:25, ezbass said:

I’ve never played a short scale guitar (at least that I know of and certainly not in the last 40 years) and wondered if the GC collective has had any experience with them.

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Only yesterday I was playing a Washburn Rover, OK it's acoustic but just like an SS bass it's incredibly fun to play because you don't have to work as hard. Ditto with the Gretsch Jim Dandy (they've just brought out a new version the 'Gin Rickey' which has a delightful pre-war style pickup across the soundhole.

[ezbass]

  On 17/08/2021 at 19:26, Stub Mandrel said:

 

Only yesterday I was playing a Washburn Rover, OK it's acoustic but just like an SS bass it's incredibly fun to play because you don't have to work as hard. Ditto with the Gretsch Jim Dandy (they've just brought out a new version the 'Gin Rickey' which has a delightful pre-war style pickup across the soundhole.

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Jim Dandy, there’s a name I haven’t heard in decades. I vaguely remember Black Oak Arkansas being on the OGWT.