I've been thinking about doing a 20" scale on a cbg to get the bridge closer to the center of the box. It is the scale for a baritone uke and I already have the template for fret slotting. I've never used it but it is on the flip side of a concert uke template that I do use. Do you think people would have any objections to buying a cbg with this scale length??
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This thread's getting some whiskers but I had to chime in here... I recently finished my first cbg, put in real frets on a 24" scale length. The first three or four frets from the nut are kind of far apart and it's hard to reach them very well. I'm thinking my next one will have a 20" scale length or absolutely no more than 22" just to get those frets closer together.
I'm definitely going to do a 20" on my next one just to see.
Keep us posted.
Thanks for all your input. Here's what I regularly build. All your input is most appreciated.
First time, I think, I've put anything up here
Take a look in my pix for plenty of tin and box gitts with 24 frets clear of the box and a 600mm (23 5/8) scale. This puts only 1/4 of the scale length (15 cm) over the box
LOVED your King of Sticks
I've always wanted to try the blackwood. Looks wonderful. I've seen some work by Australian uke builders that have built out of the blackwood.
Thank you for the kind comments.
terry
There's plenty of reason to do a bit shorter than a guitar for open tunings, there's probably going to be a perfect fifth in your open tuning (I'm talking about the intervals between each string, a perfect fifth eg e-b, g-d is seven frets..) guitars are built for tuning in fourths (5 frets) when you put a fifth in your tuning there are intervals and chords that are exceptionally difficult/impossible to reach at 25" or more.
While it is true that guitar strings are manufactured for this longer scale remember that they are also made to be fretted and played over only a portion of their length. They do not by definition sound thinner or weaker or any of that rubbish just because you made a shorter neck, a particular string just wants to be tuned to a higher pitch by virtue of that shorter length, it'll sound just fine, just as a telecaster has a perfectly usable tone even wen it's capped up to fret three.. ;)
Don't overlook that it is also very possible to move your bridge away from the edge of the box (I've not checked your pics but for a lot of guys here that will be a VERY good idea imho) just by building more frets clear of the box.. (Ie a longer neck, but for the same scale length)
Don't overlook that it is also very possible to move your bridge away from the edge of the box (I've not checked your pics but for a lot of guys here that will be a VERY good idea imho) just by building more frets clear of the box
Since I'm mostly interested in building acoustic (I'm just finishing up an electric cbg tho) that's exactly what I have been thinking about. Some of the better sounding concert ukes I have built have been 12 frets at the body instead of 14. Moved the bridge closer to the center of the lower bout.
Good point about the capoed tele. I saw a guy capo a strat weekend before last and I think it was maybe the first time I'd ever seen an electric with a capo. Worked fine.
It would be interesting to tune in fifths mando/fiddle style
I have built one with an 18" scale. Sounds good to me.
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