Monday, November 23, 2009

Short Scale Acoustic Guitars

Most of the acoustic guitars I own are long scaled guitars. This means that the length from the nut to the bridge saddle is 25.5 inches. Most acoustic guitars utilize this guitar scale length but lately a lot of people have noticed that they like bending the strings and if you have a short scale 24.9 inch, doing so can be done without bringing about early tendinitis. Short scale guitars have a lower string tension because of the decreased scale length. If you like playing blues on your acoustic then you might want to check out a few guitars made to this scale. Some guitars with short scale are:
An additional cool thing about short scale guitars is that the fret spacing is closer together. This might make it easier to play if you have smaller hands or fingers. Most people I know really have enjoyed playing this scale length. The decreased tension lends to a buttery feel when moving about the neck.

The only negative thing about the short scale guitar is that because the string tension is lower, the use of alternative tuning could bring about unwanted buzzing or muddy tone. Otherwise, the short scale guitar is fun to play and will add another dimension to a acoustic setting if you are surrounded by a group of long scale players.

4 comments:

THer in Texas said...

What about Simon & Patrick, Seagull and Arcadia???

Scott said...

I do not like those instruments very much. The list is subjective and I have found that Seagull and S&P mostly sound stiff and not so pleasing tone. I am fortunate that play and test instruments for a living. Of course, there are exceptions but you won't find any producers calling you to a gig and telling you to make sure you bring any Seagull whereas you will be asked to bring your 1937 Martin 000-18.

Glub said...

Saying that 25" is short scale is a stretch. There are acoustics with around 24" scale length.

Scott said...

Glub wrote, "Saying that 25" is short scale is a stretch. There are acoustics with around 24" scale length." Well, actually there are a lot of acoustic guitars with shorter scales than the one you mentioned but I had to draw the line somewhere. Certainly I am aware of the Collings Baby and the Taylor GS mini at 24.1 and 23.5 respectively. I listed the guitar models with a size in mind. Thanks for reading and commenting because you are correct.

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