Budget alternatives to a Byrdland?

[Bach5G]

Are there any budget alternatives to the Gibson Byrdland? A number of years ago there was the Epi Elitist. Any others? I’m interested in the shorter scale length.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Are you interested in a guitar with the Byrdland's scale length? (23 1/2")

The early ES-350T had that scale length as well, but they are NOT cheap, either.

[Ray175]

Mid 1970's Ibanez 2464 copy?

[feet]

short answer: not really

if you're insisting on a thinline depth, 17" wide hollowbody guitar with a solid(ish) spruce top and a very short scale? kind of a no. if you're willing to sacrifice a few of those things you might have a few more options, but still, not that many, at any price range.

[Bach5G]

How about short scale, hollow/semi?

[nopedals]

Lava Me 2. It is a flat top, though.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

If you put a capo at the first fret ...

25.5" scale length becomes 24.1"
24.75" scale length becomes 23.4"

[Math: I divided the scale length by the twelfth root of 2.]

[neatomic]

short scale, leo fender style...the jaguar



cheers

ps- joe pass w jag

[Jim Soloway]

The Emerald X7 is 24" and is available with a Krivo ultra thin humbucker in the neck position.

[pingu]

Bullet(R) Mustang(R) HH | Squier Electric Guitars

24” scale
ive not tried one

the pu switch is in a stupid place
but one could move that fairly easily
i would think ....

cheap too , i might get one myself

[citizenk74]

Bullet(R) Mustang(R) HH | Squier Electric Guitars

24” scale
ive not tried one

the pu switch is in a stupid place
but one could move that fairly easily
i would think ....

cheap too , i might get one myself

I have a MIM Mustang with P-90 type pups. The fingerboard is Sapele, IIRC, and the shorter scale is useful for stretchy chords. It's very red, and pretty hefty, but managible with a strap. My restored '64 Jaguar is even more fun with it's unique switching options.

[citizenk74]

short scale, leo fender style...the jaguar



cheers

ps- joe pass w jag

My restored '64 Jag is a lustrous black. The wang bar remains unused. Love it to bits.

[BWV]

not for Ted ..

[jads57]

Gibson made a Kalamazoo archtop a couple years back.

[Danny W.]

Fifty years ago I was pretty much agnostic about scale length and nut width. Pictured are three of my gigging guitars back then. Not shown were an L-5C, a classical and this:



giving me scale lengths from 23.5" to 26" and nut widths from 1 & 9/16" to 2.25".

I now stick to 25.5" or 24.75" and 1 & 11/16", but I enjoyed expermenting back then.

As for the OP's question I have no answer; the last Byrdland I owned had a 25.5" scale.

Danny W.

[jazzkritter]

My first good guitar was a Jaguar.... Firemist Gold Metallic, my first jazz lessons on it, flats and all. And a Super Reverb. Both went for $400 in 1973. Sad, sad, sad, sad, sad. It was a 1966.

[vintagelove]

This is why being a lefty makes me sad.

[deacon Mark]

Well depending on the budget archtop.com has a Stromberg with a 23.5 scale. Just make sure your budget is $20k.

[Crm114]

Don’t believe the OP ever mentioned the ceiling to his budget
BUT a very nice Epi Elite Byrdlsnd made only for the Japan market popped up on ebay
worth a looko
this has the Gibson open book headstock shape

not to be confused with the one that was dissected here a few weeks ago

[Jabberwocky]

Taylor GS Mini...seriously.

[deacon Mark]

George Gruhn has a 1978 Birdland for $5k right now. It is a great shape and price is more than fair the only issue is that some think these Norlin era Gibsons are not as good. That is not true and personally I think the Gruhn deal is great. Buy it now.

[archtopeddy]

Here's a Gibson Kalamazoo Midtown I think referenced earlier by jads57... Apparently modeled around a Byrdland and not too many made.

Gibson Midtown Kalamazoo | Reverb

[PhillyNash]

George Gruhn has a 1978 Birdland for $5k right now. It is a great shape and price is more than fair the only issue is that some think these Norlin era Gibsons are not as good. That is not true and personally I think the Gruhn deal is great. Buy it now.

Didn't see your post but I bought that Byrdland from Gruhn a few months ago and it was a great deal. Not a collector but a longtime jazz listener attempting to learn guitar despite a crooked pinky broken in a cycling accident. Yeah, I know Django had even greater adversity but for me the shorter scale has enabled me to reach fingerings I would never achieve even on a 24.75"

Pretty expensive investment for a newbie, but guitar was indeed in great shape and not exorbitantly priced due to originating in Norlin era. Not sure how it stacks up against Byrdlands from other eras but I think it sounds great and plays wonderfully.

Understand there were quality control issues during the Norlin era but curious if the smaller quantities of hollowbody archtops were usually built by the more experienced technicians and perhaps less prone to cost cutting shortcuts?

[pingu]

I guess an Es140 would be a way to go