23.5” scale?
Moderator: Shoshanah Marohn
- Dave Zirbel
- Posts: 4170
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Sebastopol, CA USA
23.5” scale?
Have any of the steel manufacturers used 23.5” scale length? Just curious..
Dave Zirbel-
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps
Sierra S-10 (Built by Ross Shafer),ZB, Fender 400 guitars, various tube and SS amps
- Dave Zirbel
- Posts: 4170
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Sebastopol, CA USA
I admit I know little about those early guitars - I was thinking of modern ones. The one I built a few years back was 24", because that was the length of the 60s pull-release D10 I copied most of the measurements from. 24¼" seems popular now. My Excel U12 is 25½" to prevent the bottom strings from being too flobby and it sounds great, but getting the 3rd string G# up to pitch requires nerve
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs
-
- Posts: 21192
- Joined: 16 Feb 1999 1:01 am
- Location: Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
The earliest Fender model 1000 and 400 were 24.5" scales, and they were reduced to 23" in 1963. (The short-lived Fender PS-210 was also 23".) Of course, the non-pedal Fender steels were 22.5" and 24.5" scales, with the vast majority being the shorter scale. I once played a 22" scale pedal steel of unknown make at the Ozarks Club in D.C. back in the 1960's, and while it didn't have a lot of sustain, the sound was pretty neat; kinda "plinky".
- Dave Zirbel
- Posts: 4170
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Sebastopol, CA USA
- Michael Sawyer
- Posts: 223
- Joined: 15 Jun 2019 8:32 am
- Location: North Carolina, USA
Donny i have an old blonde 400 ,22.5 scale.Donny Hinson wrote:The earliest Fender model 1000 and 400 were 24.5" scales, and they were reduced to 23" in 1963. (The short-lived Fender PS-210 was also 23".) Of course, the non-pedal Fender steels were 22.5" and 24.5" scales, with the vast majority being the shorter scale. I once played a 22" scale pedal steel of unknown make at the Ozarks Club in D.C. back in the 1960's, and while it didn't have a lot of sustain, the sound was pretty neat; kinda "plinky".
Same as your comment above,super tone,zero sustain
mainly above 12th fret.Plinky is the perfect description of mine up high.
-
- Posts: 765
- Joined: 26 Nov 2001 1:01 am
- Location: Lee, New Hampshire, USA
- J D Sauser
- Moderator
- Posts: 2808
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Wellington, Florida
- Contact:
High G# on E9th:Ian Rae wrote:I admit I know little about those early guitars - I was thinking of modern ones. The one I built a few years back was 24", because that was the length of the 60s pull-release D10 I copied most of the measurements from. 24¼" seems popular now. My Excel U12 is 25½" to prevent the bottom strings from being too flobby and it sounds great, but getting the 3rd string G# up to pitch requires nerve
It's not scale length but total string length which governs tension.
On E9th, the high G# is usually the 3'rd string, which puts it at the 3rd tuner a good 1+ inch further away than what it is on a "keyless". Thus the tension of that string on a 25 1/2" keyless guitar should be about the same or less than on a 24 1/2" keyed guitar.
It's the middle strings which are less tensioned, even with the longer scale length, as they don't have the added string length into the far end of a key head.
... J-D.
__________________________________________________________
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.
- Earnest Bovine
- Posts: 8318
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Los Angeles CA USA
- J D Sauser
- Moderator
- Posts: 2808
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Wellington, Florida
- Contact:
Meaning, Earnest?... J-D.Earnest Bovine wrote:Sorry; I can't let this go by. Think about it.J D Sauser wrote:It's not scale length but total string length which governs tension.
__________________________________________________________
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it.
-
- Posts: 765
- Joined: 26 Nov 2001 1:01 am
- Location: Lee, New Hampshire, USA
-
- Posts: 324
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Marshfield, MO
Gfi
You can still order a 22.5" scale GFI. I have one and the sustain is the same has my 24". That model was designed for Mike Sigler who wanted it for overhead plane storage.
-
- Posts: 1557
- Joined: 6 Feb 2009 5:15 pm
- Location: Corinth Mississippi
-
- Posts: 1153
- Joined: 3 Apr 2006 12:01 am
- Location: Illinois, USA