string length 20 inches?

Posted by HarleyTodd on July 25, 2013 at 4:15pm

Building my 5th....going to do a bolt on neck for first time on a nice Cohiba box (any tips on bolt ons also appreciated).  My first 3 were 25' scale length 3 strings.  4rth was a 17" 4 nylon string ukulele.  Now I want to do a 4 string, sorta baratone Uke/4 string guitar hybrid.  I don't want to use the nylon strings, but standard acoustic guitar strings (the top 4 strings (highest pitched)).  But, I want it more of a scale length of 19 or 20 inches.  I know guitar strings are meant for certain lengths....any one know if I can go that short and keep it tuned to standard guitar tuning?  thanks for the help Nation!

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  • Jeff McFadden August 3, 2013 at 10:19am
    My most recent (2nd) build is a 3 string with 20" scale length. It's kinda nice because the first few frets are much closer together than my 24 inch scale length first one, but I'm almost afraid to play it because I don't think I want to get my fingers used to that close spacing and be unable to hit "normal" fret spacing at regular playing speeds.
    Unlike some guys here I build these things to play, among other therapeutic reasons.
    To make the 20" scale length tune to DAd (my preferred tuning, fits my voice) I used the middle 3 strings from a medium gauge Martin acoustic set: from highest note down that would be bGD. Tuned the G up an A, the high b up to a d, and the D to its natural self. Works out pretty well. YMMV, and will, of course, assuming you want to go with the more conventional GDg.
    • Thomas "Duck" Petry > Jeff McFadden August 3, 2013 at 10:32am

      I think you will find it is not that much of a problem once you get used to it. I have friends who jump between guitar, mandolin and banjo without any problems. One plays bass and goes between standup bass, Fender electric bass and has recently gotten a small bass the size of a ukulele and doesn't seem to have any problems with the transition.

  • Order99 July 28, 2013 at 12:13am

      I've made both dulcimers and ukuleles with lightweight banjo strings-aside from needing a tiny bit of extra finger  pressure in front of the first fret (on an 18.5" fretboard) everything went fine. I've also taken a cheap yard-sale Uke (pre-strung with pretty thick guitar string on a cheap tack-on tailpiece) with lightweight classical strings for longer neck life.

       In fact, i've never used Nylon or Gut strings on a Uke I made yet-alas, my clumsy oven-mitt hands can't manage a decently-tied knot...  :(

  • Thomas "Duck" Petry July 25, 2013 at 5:24pm

    Hey Harley, I have built most of my CBGs with a 25.5" scale length, but I did build one with an 18" scale and used the same strings tuned the same GDg tuning with no problems.

  • David L. July 25, 2013 at 4:37pm

    Hi Harley,

    I have made a couple with 19 and a half inch scales - I used a set of electric 12s gauge strings.  I have tried smaller gauge sets but for regular tuning the thinner strings are too floppy when they reach the desired note.  So you can go shorter but the trade off is you also need to go fatter.

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