One of the reasons I joined the forum was a need to find inspiration and a bit of support since I returned to playing a few months ago. I hadn't really picked up a guitar in anger for several years following a RTA which made a mess of my left hand. When I started "practicing" again earlier this year I noticed that certain things I used to be able to do are quite impossible now, and despite my best efforts I don't seem to be making much progress. It's basically a combination of fractured bones and damaged tendons and I simply can't stretch my fingers over the lower frets. It was so bad to begin with I even considered relearning to play left handed.
The best I can do these days is with a "fender scale" guitar capo'd at the second fret which I think makes the scale length about 23.75". (I detune it to D so when it's capo'd it's in concert tuning.) But it's not ideal in several respects.
I'm thinking 24" might be doable, so my question is do members have any experience/suggestions of short scale rigs - or any other comments really.
Comments
There's also the Rickenbacker 325 'John Lennon' model which has a similar short scale and a slightly wider neck, although still narrow compared to a typical Gibson or Fender.
Or if you're feeling very flush, there's always the Gibson Byrdland with its 23.5" scale...
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
Alternatively the Duosonics are also 22.5 inch whereas the Jaguar has the 24 inch scale length, if that's what you're looking for.
I know a few years ago Fender released a range of Modern Players which were all short scale, including the tele, so you may be able to find one of those floating around.
I've never really noticed a huge difference in sound when switching between scale lengths given all the other factors in play, so I doubt you'll have to make any other changes to your setup.
Best of luck!
The most recent Squier (Classic Vibe) Duo-Sonic is also 24", although there is an earlier Fender model - the Mexican one with a white plastic pickguard and Strat-type pickups - which is 22.5".
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
I have two of them, 1 is very modded,t he other I put together from a neck I bought off here...
Get yourself to a shop and try one......they feel a bit more slinky than a 25 1/2" scale easier to bend strings and less reach between frets. A capo at the first on a Strat is I believe a good approximation....
If you find you like it, you could upgrade to a posher Squier or a new Fender Mustang, there is quite a good choice.......
@Neill
Good luck with the recovery from the RTA though.
@ICBM yes Gibson Byrdland would be nice but I think Ted Nugent has all the old ones and as for the price of a new one it's not a case of feeling flush it's whether I feel like getting divorced..
The vintage-style Fender short scale electric guitars tend to need heavier string gauges in order to preserve a pleasant string tension feel. Where you might have been accustomed to 9-42 or 10-46 on a Stratocaster, on a Jaguar, you would be looking at 11-48 or 12-52.
https://www.thomann.de/ie/jackson_js1x_dinky_minion_neon_pink.htm?ref=search_prv_8
The duo had a slightly thinner neck front to back than the mustang if that’s something oy need to think about?
as for string tension I’ve currently tried some elixir nanoweb strings and to me they feel like they have more tension in lower tunings than other brands I’ve tried.
I currently have a guitar tuned a whole step down using them and on an almost identical guitar with my usually 10-52 slinky’s tuned to E the tension feels the same.
I would guess one of those fenders With 9’s by elixir would have the tension just right for you.
I dabble with (almost entirely electric) lap steel playing, and it's a brilliant contrast to playing a fretted guitar.
A lot more music could do with an occasional lap steel backing or solo, it never hurt Dave Gilmour's arrangements for example
The muscles and tendons used are completely different, so it allows a musical outlet when you have reached your max playing time on conventional guitar (I find there's only so much playing I can do, because of a left hand injury)
https://youtu.be/GRWG0KmW-Og