Help with short scales.

Subject: Help with short scales.
From: DonMeixner
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 12:16 PM

I noticed of late that my ability on the guitar is getting less dependable. Last night moreso than in the recent past. The growth of scar tissue on top of the saw injury is forcing my fingers to curl more as time passes.

This means that my finger span from thumb to little finger is lessening as well. Chords that span three frets are very hard to play below the second fret. I was wondering about building a guitar with a shorter scale. Equivilent to a standard size guitar capoed at the 2nd or third fret.

With so short a scale and tuned to a standard guitar tuning, what do I lose in the way of volume, tone, play ability.

Also, as an option what is a baritone guitar? How are they tuned? Where do the sound? I see that Dan Electro has a baritone electric, are there such accoustics.

Its a guitar for me. I am unwilling to learn all over again how to play a new instrument. Having done so three times because of injury I just don't have the energy to learn a new skill. Maybe its time to accept the inevitable and stick with singing.

Don

Subject: RE: Help with short scales.
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 01:53 PM

Baritones are usually long scale - a "standard" scale length (yes I know that varies) plus the two extra frets to make it drop (with the same string guages and tensions) to D not E, or with heavier strings or less tension to take E down to A.

I believe the big baby Taylor (as distinct from the baby Taylor) is still smaller than a normal scale length and can be tuned to standard tuning, but I haven't heard it done.

If you used a longneck (in fact a standard scale length with more frets outside the body) (My wife's Hagstom is 15, I think Armstrong makes one at 14 and a half (Jay Turner plays one and Andy Cavan plays one he tunes one semitone down and capoes up, just I think to ease the string tension like some 12 string players do), and I'm sure I've seen some distributed by JHS (John Hornby Skues, a UK distributor, and they were small-bodied pluggables like some Yamahas, so probably are not a lot of use unplugged) at 16 but I'm not sure if they were baritones) or a cutaway would it be easier to use medium or heavy guage strings tuned to D and capo up, at least as an experiment for the time being?

Subject: RE: Help with short scales.
From: Stewart
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 02:41 PM

Take a look at the Tacoma Papoose CLICK HERE. It's about the size of a Baby Taylor (maybe slightly smaller), shorter strings (19.1" scale length) and tuned higher - like it would be capoed up. Has a good sound - I know some musicians here who use it in performance.

Cheers, S. in Seattle

Subject: RE: Help with short scales.
From: M.Ted
Date: 05 Aug 01 - 04:14 PM

Don,

I have a slightly different problem than you, I suffered neurological damage, which means that the fingers don't necessarily go where I point them, and tend to stick--The first three frets have been big problems for me, as well. I have worked out a few things that have helped considerably-the way that I play is different than I had played before, but I have found new and often better ways to do things than before--Best thing is to PM me with specific things that you are having trouble with--scales, licks, or chord fingerings, and I'll share what I can--good luck, it is a difficult thing to have to deal with--