Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Reeds Taylor on April 5, 2013 at 9:32am

John, if you want a 25.5 scale DO NOT cut your neck length 25.5 inches.....you need too know that if you want a 25.5 scale that is measured from the bridge too the nut. you need too consider the head stock...and the tail...now with that said....take your blank neck.....place it on your box.....leave an inch for the tail.....now place ur saddle...and measure your scale length too the nut....marked it and now measure another 5 inches for your head stock.....now you have your full neck length.... Here's a visual that may help.... 

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Permalink Reply by John E Curley on April 5, 2013 at 9:45am

Thank you for your quick reply. I should have said that I have the overall length sorted it was just the distances between the nut and bridge I wasn't shore about. 

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Permalink Reply by John E Curley on April 5, 2013 at 10:30am

Thanks a lot for your help.

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Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on April 5, 2013 at 10:23am

25.5  is  a  popular   length  and  it  is   fine  . 

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Permalink Reply by John E Curley on April 5, 2013 at 10:29am

Thanks very much just wanted to make sure I'd got it right. Cheers. 

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Permalink Reply by jawbone on April 5, 2013 at 11:04am

I've made mine 25.5, just because that was the same as the guitar I had.

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Permalink Reply by Slowpaw Steve T on April 5, 2013 at 8:25pm

neck length and number of frets will depend on the size of the cigar box, not the scale length, 25.5" is from the bridge to the nut -

big box = shorter neck less frets

small box = longer neck more frets 

overall from tail to headstock the through neck will be the same length on every build, around 35 inches   (-:

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Permalink Reply by John E Curley on April 5, 2013 at 8:55pm

Many thanks for your info. I think I have it right but we will see when it's finished. Thanks again.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher G Daniels on January 13, 2019 at 5:17pm

You must be a Fender guy. Fenders and classical guitars are 25.5, but that isn't a hard and fast rule for any guitar, and certainly not CBGs!

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Permalink Reply by Christopher G Daniels on January 13, 2019 at 5:04pm

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread, but, note it's reasonable, but incorrect to think that 25.5 in (648 mm) scale is necessary. Its closest to the classical guitar scale, and most Fender electric guitars use a scale length of 25.5 in., but Fender has also built some 3/4-size student guitars with a scale length of 22.5 in (572 mm). Most Gibsons are 24.75 in., and the Gretsch Sonic Baritone is 29.25 in (743 mm). The Harley Benton ST-Junior is 19.4 in (492 mm). I found this all on Wikipedia, but my point it is that it's ridiculous to say every build must be 35 inches! I could further illustrate shorter fretboards with ukeleles, or six string "guitarleles", but the important thing to remember is that big boxes do not necessarily need a shorter neck or less frets and vice versa. You can google "fret calculator", which will give you adjustments for different length fretboards, or get a set of special luthier rulers. Fret length is a mathematical formula. This is why "the anonymous pick" says 25.5 in.(total) is a fine length. A much smaller fretboard, in a variety of lengths is easily doable.

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