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Fender scale length, Gibson-style guitars

Jono Bolton

By Jono Bolton,
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Jono Bolton Mentor

Jono Bolton

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Does such a thing exist? I much prefer the look of Gibson guitars, mainly SGs, but I just can't get on with the scale length. I prefer a Fender 25.5" scale, but don't much like the styling, especially Strats, Teles not so much. I really like the look of the ESP hybrids, but again, they have a 24.75" Gibson scale. Does anyone kow of any guitars that look like a Gibson, but play like a Fender?

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Dave Vader Proficient

Dave Vader

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The original RD series were 25.5" scale.
Sadly the reissues aren't, and it gets expensive.

Frank Zappa's baby snakes SG was 25.5" scale as well (wasn't really a gibson)

The closest I have found to a compromise is my very old Ibanez, strat scale, and I rammed P-90s into it to get it a bit more gibsony and meaty.
I love my SG, but I find once i get up to the top of the neck I am hitting a lot of wrong notes, and not the same wrong notes i hit on my Strat.

Sometimes you have to forget about looks and just play the one that feels right. Or keep at it with the Gibson scale length until your fingers get used to it. Back when I was a kid I played both all the time, and never even noticed they were different, then somebody told me and it all went to crap. :)

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Jono Bolton Mentor

Jono Bolton

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[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1366985323' post='2059912']
The original RD series were 25.5" scale.
Sadly the reissues aren't, and it gets expensive.

Frank Zappa's baby snakes SG was 25.5" scale as well (wasn't really a gibson)

The closest I have found to a compromise is my very old Ibanez, strat scale, and I rammed P-90s into it to get it a bit more gibsony and meaty.
I love my SG, but I find once i get up to the top of the neck I am hitting a lot of wrong notes, and not the same wrong notes i hit on my Strat.

Sometimes you have to forget about looks and just play the one that feels right. Or keep at it with the Gibson scale length until your fingers get used to it. Back when I was a kid I played both all the time, and never even noticed they were different, then somebody told me and it all went to crap. :)
[/quote]

The funny thing is, I had an Epiphone SG that was great apart from the slippy tuners, and had no problems playing it. I sold it a couple of years ago and haven't had a guitar since, but recently I've had a couple of loaners and can't get on with the Gibson-style ones any more. I find the slab body of the Telecaster too uncomfortable, and although I find Strats easiest to play, I hate the styling and can never find a hardtail model.

An SG with a 25.5" scale would be the dream, but I can't imagine that it would do much for neck dive.

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Dave Vader Proficient

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Frank's seems fine. Probably all the extra electrics in the cavity though. :)
My SG is an Epi, and it is stormingly good. Mind you it came with no tuners, so I put on an old set of schaller-a-likes, holds wonderfully. I also stripped it and put Di marzios in it (that I had lying about). If I can just get the neck to stretch out to fender scale it will be perfect.
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Jono Bolton Mentor

Jono Bolton

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[quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1366986377' post='2059936']


Frank's seems fine. Probably all the extra electrics in the cavity though. :)
My SG is an Epi, and it is stormingly good. Mind you it came with no tuners, so I put on an old set of schaller-a-likes, holds wonderfully. I also stripped it and put Di marzios in it (that I had lying about). If I can just get the neck to stretch out to fender scale it will be perfect.
[/quote]

Well at least I'm not the only one who thinks that this would be a great idea! :lol: I think a Tele sporting twin humbuckers will probably be the avenue I go down when I look at getting my own guitar, unless I get some sort of sudden windfall and can look at custom guitars. One can dream!

Dave, was it a G400 you had? Mine was worn brown and picked up for about £80. The seller said he stuck a Gibson LP pickup in the neck and that the tuners were high quality replacements, but I was never able to substantiate these claims. Still, it was a nice wee guitar, the build quality was great, I had hope to mod it like yourself but stuff came up and I had to sell it :(

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mike257 Proficient

mike257

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Ah, now that's why I keep cocking up solos on my LP ;)

Jono, although you're not a huge fan of the Fender styling, can I suggest having a gander at the '72 Tele Deluxe re-issues. I picked one up used last year and can't get enough of it. It's extremely playable and has a good natural tone. I'm yet to apply any of the commonly suggested mods (changing the stock 250k pots for 500k or 1M for some extra brightness seems to be a favourite) as I've been more than happy with how the guitar sounds as is.

I also own a stunning Edwards Les Paul copy which I love (and sounds great) but the Tele is just so playable that I still gravitate towards it, despite the Edwards being the superior instrument on paper. I've been indulging myself lately and playing a set on each when I go out with the function band!

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Jono Bolton Mentor

Jono Bolton

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[quote name='mike257' timestamp='1367368834' post='2064885']
Ah, now that's why I keep cocking up solos on my LP ;)

Jono, although you're not a huge fan of the Fender styling, can I suggest having a gander at the '72 Tele Deluxe re-issues. I picked one up used last year and can't get enough of it. It's extremely playable and has a good natural tone. I'm yet to apply any of the commonly suggested mods (changing the stock 250k pots for 500k or 1M for some extra brightness seems to be a favourite) as I've been more than happy with how the guitar sounds as is.

I also own a stunning Edwards Les Paul copy which I love (and sounds great) but the Tele is just so playable that I still gravitate towards it, despite the Edwards being the superior instrument on paper. I've been indulging myself lately and playing a set on each when I go out with the function band!
[/quote]

My old flatmate actually has/had one of the 72 Customs which was nice wee guitar and would probably be the one I'd look at, even though it's got a single coil in the bridge. I'm not overly keen on the Strat headstock on the 72 Deluxe, but the main thing that puts me off any Tele type is the slab body, they're far too uncomfortable to play IMO.

I did find an Epiphone G400 Pro in Pelham Blue on ebay the other day, just like this one:

[url="http://images.gibson.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/SG/Epiphone/Ltd-Ed-1966-G-400-PRO/Gallery-Images/EG16PENH3-Finish-Shot.jpg"]http://images.gibson.com.s3.amazonaws.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/SG/Epiphone/Ltd-Ed-1966-G-400-PRO/Gallery-Images/EG16PENH3-Finish-Shot.jpg[/url]

I would accept the stumpy scale length to have that guitar! Jeez-oh, gorgeous doesn't even cover it!

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geoffbyrne Proficient

geoffbyrne

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[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/geoffbyrne/media/Sale/P6050082.jpg.html"][/url]


[url="http://smg.photobucket.com/user/geoffbyrne/media/Sale/P6050069.jpg.html"][/url]

[URL=http://smg.photobucket.com/user/geoffbyrne/media/P1010064.jpg.html][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v213/geoffbyrne/P1010064.jpg[/IMG][/URL]

Ibanez Studio ST105. Fender scale, SG-like body - this particular one has a DiMarzio PAF in the neck & a DiMarzio Dual Sound in the neck, both splittable to single coil via push/pull tone pots.

G.

Edited by geoffbyrne
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CHRISDABASS Experienced

CHRISDABASS

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[quote name='Jono Bolton' timestamp='1366984862' post='2059906']
Does such a thing exist? I much prefer the look of Gibson guitars, mainly SGs, but I just can't get on with the scale length. I prefer a Fender 25.5" scale, but don't much like the styling, especially Strats, Teles not so much. I really like the look of the ESP hybrids, but again, they have a 24.75" Gibson scale. Does anyone kow of any guitars that look like a Gibson, but play like a Fender?
[/quote]

Hey Jono!

We had a very similar scale length problem so we decided to build these http://basschat.co.uk/topic/202791-new-guitar-day/page__pid__2054930#entry2054930
They use fender scale length yet look more gibson (ish) and can be made with any nut width you like :)

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Jono Bolton Mentor

Jono Bolton

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[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1367698054' post='2068611']


Ibanez Studio ST105. Fender scale, SG-like body - this particular one has a DiMarzio PAF in the neck & a DiMarzio Dual Sound in the neck, both splittable to single coil via push/pull tone pots.

G.
[/quote]

Give you £100 for it ;)

Kiddin' on, that's a beaut! That's the sorta guitar I'd be into!

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JapanAxe Veteran

JapanAxe

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[quote name='Schnozzalee' timestamp='1367352884' post='2064664']
PRS are 25" bang on, supposed to be compromise between the two but I'm a 25.5" scale guy - less cramped! Check out the G&L Tribute Fiorano.
[/quote]
I have a PRS McCarty gold-top (with P90s) and it really does cover the ground between Fender and Gibson. If I could only take one guitar to play a rock gig, a pop gig, and a country gig, that would be the one.

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