Short Scale Telecaster-Style Guitar?

[Gilpy]

I made a tele with a Warmoth conversion neck 24.75. I like it a lot.
I don’t notice a difference in string tension or tone. Still sounds like a Tele.
There are so many variables: pickups, strings, amp, technique. I’m not sure the scale length is that important.
I’m sure others will disagree!

[Robertito]

I have several and I love them. I don't notice much of a difference in the sound or response, but maybe I just can't hear it...

[Fusionshred]

Tom Anderson makes one too. I had one for a while. The sound is exactly what you would expect: still a Telecaster, definitely, but a little softer, rounder and less percussive. It's a minor change one would probably not even detect without knowing about the short scale and looking for the sonic difference. Of course, the greater impact is that it feels? like a shorter scale. IMHO.

[Danil]

I made a tele with a Warmoth conversion neck 24.75. I like it a lot.
I don’t notice a difference in string tension or tone. Still sounds like a Tele.
There are so many variables: pickups, strings, amp, technique. I’m not sure the scale length is that important.
I’m sure others will disagree!

Same here, I've got affinity squire as a birthday gift. Appreciated the present, but there were annoying little things, like pickups, rattling bridge, plastic jackplate which failed quickly and satin finish neck which was both narrow and long scale to my taste. Eventually got all that swapped, strings through body, and could not be happier - especially with warmoth conversion neck
,

[omphalopsychos]

I built a partscaster with a 24.75" neck. It has some tele character because of the bridge saddles and string-through-body design, but it doesn't have as much snap as a full scale tele. Maybe the pickup choice (mini humbuckers) and body wood (alder) contributed more to that than the scale length. It's still really great, sounds like a brighter 335.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Maybe you'd want to get your ducks in a row if you went with a short-scale conversion neck -- mahogany & rosewood neck, humbucker pickup

[conchmusic]

I have conversion necks on all of my Fender style guitars, and I do notice a slight difference in tone, but to me it is less noticeable than a small adjustment of the tone knob.

I had this Tele with a conversion neck and a traditional setup built by MJT and Musikraft last year. This replaced a 70's tele for me. I adored the 70's tele but this is much more comfortable and it has become my favorite guitar by far. I have a mahogany thinline on order right now that will also have a conversion neck.

[Herbie]

Here is one more satisfied user of a Warmoth conversion neck. My tele is still a tele in my hands and in my ears.

Recommended!

[Alter]

I have to get me one of these!!

[bluznjazz]

Thanks so much for the your answers, sounds like I am going to give it a try.

On some of the pictures, I don't see a truss rod in the neck, or do these adjust from the heel of the neck?

[conchmusic]

Mine has truss rod access at the heel.

[Tal_175]

Here is a good short scale vs long scale tone comparison video:

[Herbie]

Here is a good short scale vs long scale tone comparison video:

Ha! I guessed wrong!

The difference is surprisigly small.

Some (rock) players who have problems with the string tension between scales compensate it with different gauges: for example using .010s with longer scale and .011s with shorter scale.

[Herbie]

Thanks so much for the your answers, sounds like I am going to give it a try.

On some of the pictures, I don't see a truss rod in the neck, or do these adjust from the heel of the neck?

I think that this truss rod adjusting screw in the 'side of the heel' is one of the Warmoth inventions too. It is a hex screw if it does not show properly.

[Cunamara]

That’s a Gotoh truss rod, IIRC. I have one in my conversion Strat neck. Once you have set the truss rod for your strings, the adjustment access on the side of the heel will manage seasonal tweaks. Warmoth has instructions for thus.

[seanmo]

You cannot get the same tone from a 24.75" guitar as a 25.5" guitar. It is physically (as in physics of the strings ringing above the magnetic poles, which are not microphones) impossible. I have three teles. The shoreline gold one (see below) is a 24.75" scale length. It does not sound truly like a tele, which is fine by me as I have one that does. It also doesn't sound like my Mustangs, Jaguars, Jazzmaster, Starcaster or Stratocaster. Which is also great. It is it's own beast. If you want to find out whether or not jazz sounds better on a 24.75" scale Tele (spoiler alert: mine does), seek one of these out. And do be a grown up about the name on the headstock. Only tatted, drug-addicted losers get hung up about that.

[st.bede]

(Those Warmoth vids changed my perspective on guitar tone assumptions. Often the differences are small. I assume they add up to create more or less what we assume they would).

[Hammertone]

If anyone wants a short-scale tele, I put this one together awhile back for a friend and it is available for $1,000 plus shipping to anywhere. It's a very nice guitar - plays great, feels great, sounds great.

-Short-scale, one piece maple, Musikraft neck;
-pine body, reliced, white nitro finish;
-Kinman 50s/Broadcaster type neck pickup;
-Kinman 60s type bridge pickup;
-Fender bridge plate, steel saddles;
-Gotoh vintage-style tuners
-weight: 5 lbs. 8 1/2 oz.