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All of these recent jazz tele posts have got me thinking about a telecaster or telecaster-style guitar, which I believe generally has a 25.5 scale neck. However, I've also been playing my Sadowsky Jimmy Bruno, which has a 24 3/4" scale length, which is new to me, and which feels great -- very comfortable. Not sure I want to back.
So the question is whether telecasters or t-style guitars come in a short scale version? By Fender or other custom-type builder? Any perceived difference in sound, playability, etc. between scale lengths?
Or will this permutation cause the world to suddenly reverse its orbital direction and/or cause the re-appearance of the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man in mid-town NYC?
thanks, Michael
(PS. If this has been addressed before, feel free to just point me in the right direction; my search function seems to have gone kaput.)
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08-17-2015 01:10 PM
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Warmoth makes a very good replacement neck that converts a standard Tele to 24.75". Tom Anderson also builds a very nice short scale Tele called appropriately, the Short T.
// Tom Anderson Guitarworks \\
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BTW, this is one that I had with a Warmoth conversion neck on a Warmoth body. It's one that I really wish I had kept.
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Beautiful. Thanks for the tips, Jim.
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Have you played a regular scale tele? I ask because i think the 25.5" scale is a BIG part of what makes a tele a tele.
I go back and forth between 24.75" and 25.5" all the time, easy to adjust.
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Thanks for your input. I have owned a couple of 25.5" tele's over the years, although it's been a while, and I agree that adjusting is probably not that huge a deal. But your statement made me curious as to why the longer length scale is considered a big part of the tele formula (I promised myself not to use the word "twang")? As noted in my original post, the 24.75 scale length of my Jimmy Bruno is what got me thinking about this -- just feels more comfortable for my hands.
Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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To me, it's all about how the notes blend...you play a complex chord on a short scale instrument, everything blends, sounds "pretty." On a long scale instrument, those voices are more independent...you can hear them move clearer, everything...thsn couple that with a tele's sustain, which is "just enough" and you have the "magic."
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yes fmic (fender/squier) makes teles with 24.75 necks..they also recently made a model with a 24" scale…like their old 60's top of the line guitar-the fender jaguar...
and while i kinda of agree that part of a teles "charm" is the 25.5…a fender jaguar certainly has some good spank and still sounds very fendery
i also remember some years back, when strats with 24.75 scale necks became a thing..bill connors used one to pretty good effect
& here's joe pass with jag
cheers
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I don't disagree with any of that but the Tele is a really useful platform for a lot of different approaches. Like humbuckers or a middle pickup, the short scale Tele doesn't replace the standard Tele, it just offers yet another cool twist on a well proven design. Originally Posted by mr. beaumont
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Its out of production but some retailers are knocking them out cheap...
Squier Vintage Modified Telecaster Thinline
* Category: Semi-Hollow Electric
* Body: Alder
* Neck: Maple
* Fingerboard: Rosewood
* Frets: 22 Medium Jumbo
* Scale: Length 24.75"
* Width At Nut: 1.650 (42 Mm)
* Hardware: Chrome
* Machine Heads: Die-Cast
* Bridge: Vintage Six-Saddle String-Through Body
* Pickguard: Parchment
* Pickups: Duncan Designed? TE-101 (Neck And Bridge)
* Pickup Switching: Three-Way Switching
* Position 1?Bridge Pickup
* Position 2?Middle Pickup
* Position 3?Neck Pickup
* Controls: One Volume, One Tone
* Strings 9-42
* Unique Features: Semi-Acoustic Construction, Distinctive F-Hole Design
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The shorter scale Tele is great instrument. I got a second hand Warmoth strat conversion neck in my '80's Fernandes tele body and it came alive!
You find them now and then from f ex The Gear Page Emporiums.
I would almost bet that any listener can't say which is which in a blind test. Everybody talks about twang, snappiness and tension but in the end the short necked one does not sound SO different.
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Personally I hate the added tension a 25.5" scale adds to an instrument. Even on perfectly set up instruments, it feels like I'm playing in mud (relative to other instruments). I am ordering a conversion neck for my tele this week.
What tele couldn't use a little less twang?
a good finger picker should be able to separate the voices, regardless of scale length. If you're playing without nails, it could be more of a concern, because it's already a dull sound.
the more interesting question, why does a strat generally feel a little looser than a tele? They should in theory feel the same. Is it the bridge???
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Is it generally agreed that they do? Originally Posted by vintagelove
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Strats feel looser because they are inferior to the tele in every way.
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That was funny, Jeff.
I ask because I've never noticed it. And if it's true I can't think of a good reason.
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A floating tremolo will affect the feel of the instrument. Originally Posted by vintagelove
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the more interesting question, why does a strat generally feel a little looser than a tele? They should in theory feel the same. Is it the bridge???[/QUOTE]
the strat trem system..even if blocked has movement..if unblocked sans whammy bar..forget about it…the tele is much more stationary..whether string thru or topload..strats sorta …"rubbery"
teles spank has much to do with bridge & saddles
cheers
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Glad you thought it was funny! Originally Posted by kenbennett
I-m probably in the minority...ok, definitely...but i hate Strats.
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I would love to hear a detailed explanation of why a blocked trem (which being honest I have never blocked a strat trem) would make for a looser feel than a tele. It just doesn't compute in my brain. Then again, I paid way more attention in music class than math....
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Let's say it's the tailpiece then.
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Originally Posted by vintagelove
if you were addressing me?
what i'm saying is at best, a blocked trem strat would get you closest to a tele… but even that may still have spring movement which might factor in..
a tele bridge is a rather large plate anchored to the top of the guitar..with the pup in the middle..in steel guitar fashion..no movement
a strat is a pivot system..with large cavity (which resonates) and springs...
cheers
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In addition to the trem bridge (unblocked) I think one of the reasons why a Strat feels loser is because it has very different (and I would suggest better) ergonomics. Teles tend to hang more horizontally than a Strat and the body hangs further towards the fretting-hand side. Both of those things mean that you end up reaching much further with a Tele than with a Strat, changing the arm angle and tightening the muscles in the forearm.
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Highly tangential telecaster content: my wife and I just got back from seeing Ricki and the Flash with Meryl Street and Rick Springfield. Not a great movie, but may be of some interest to guitar players. She played a blue telecaster through what looked like a silver face Deluxe Reverb; Springfield played an old SG through what look like an tweed Bassman(?).
Anyway, back to the topic at hand.
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Hi all,
Has anyone replaced their Tele neck with a 24.75 inch neck? If so. how did it effect the tone of the guitar? I assume that a shorter scale and reduced string tension would have some change of tone.
I have checked for information and have found many people like the change, but there is almost no comments if the tone was changed.
Thanks for your insights.
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There was an official model
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