I'm doing a 6 string electric with parts salvaged from one of those kids sized (1/2 size?) guitars.
The scale length is like 21.5 inches.
It is a six string electric and I want to be able to use standard guitar tuning on it.
I think I need to use heavy gauge strings due to the short scale, since med or lights will be too slack?
Am I on the right track?
Replies
Thank you for all the good advice and so quickly too! Link to tension guide is great!
21.5 is about the 2nd fret on a 24" scale, 3rd fret on a 25.5 scale, so it would be equivalent to a drop tuning of a whole step or step and a half, which isn't that much.
Try this At Home: capo a longer scale git at this point (2nd or 3rd fret), and then retune with capo in place to standard to see how it feels.
A medium tension set on 21.5" will feel somewhere between a light and a medium on a 25.5".
You're right - you need thicker strings to get enough tension. I would try 12s or 13s for this scale.
You may want to check out the web site that calculates string tension for you. You can compare the tension on the strings of a guitar you like to what would be required to achieve the same tension on your shorter scale. That's the best way to get strings that feel right on you short scale guitar.