Re: Scale Length Question


"Ed Edelenbos" <eded@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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"Tony Done" <tonydone@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
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One major ramification is that unless the guitar was built around the
shorter scale (as is the BT), your 14-fretter would become a 12 fretter
with 2 frets less at the soundhole. But if you usually play with a capo
anyway, that wouldn't matter except in terms of resale value (think very
low). To get a short-scale 14 fretter would involve major changes in the
build of the guitar, in particular moving the bridge forwards. This might
have an adverse effect on tone unless the bracing and perhaps soundhole
location was also radically altered.


Resale value aside... I've heard that said and I keep having a hard time
understanding the reasoning.... I understand it would become a 12 fret.
The bracing part I can understand. But how would things change if the
first 2 frets were left off (i.e. if the nut was where the 2nd fret is)?
It seems to me that if was tuned up a full step (to F#), there would be no
change (other than minor intonation tweaks). If it was tuned standard (
to E), the string gauges and/or bracing would have to change. But I still
don't see why the soundhole would need relocation.

One thing I'd like to try sometime (but it seems I'd have to build it
myself which means I'll never try one) would be a regular 14 fret 25.5"
guitar with the nut at fret 1... the result being a 24" scale 13 fret.
Another would be a 24" scale 14 fret "0" size.

Ed

(trust me, I am *not* arguing it, trying to understand)


Here's the reasoning, as I see it. As you say, getting a 12-fretter is no
problem, all you have to do is take two frets off a standard 14-fretter.
Imagine you have done that, and you now have a guitar sitting in front of
you with a 14 fret body and this shortened 12-fret neck. How do you turn it
into a 14 fretter, apart from adding the two frets back on? You have two
choices:

You can shorten the upper bout to expose two extra frets. This is exactly
how the 14-fret steel string guitars evolved from the earlier 12-fretters -
the lower bout was made shorter. You can see it in pics of a modern 12-fret
000 compared with a standard 14-fretter:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Martin-00028VS-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=514681&src=3SOSWXXA

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Martin-00028EC-Eric-Clapton-Signature-Acoustic-Guitar?sku=514784

You can see by comparing the two pics that trimming another piece off the
end of the upper bout would put it very close to the soundhole

Or

You can move the bridge and neck forwards on the body. take a piece of stick
the same length as the nut to bridge distance, lay it on the guitar and mark
on it the position of the 14th fret. Then move the stick up until the 14th
fret mark is at the neck-body joint. The body end of the stick shows where
you have to move the bridge to get 14 frets and the same scale length on
that body. This puts the bridge closer to the soundhole, and probably
sitting on top of the braces, so you would want to move those as well.

Either of these options involves significant remodeling to get a 14-fret
short scale guitar

I hope I have explained this OK, I can see it in my minds eye quite clearly,
but explaining it is another matter.

Tony D


.

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