24" scale lengths?

cromulent

Senior Member
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I've always played strats (25.5), but have really been digging my new conversion neck (24.75). How do people feel about 24"? Should I consider doing a Jaguar?
 
Same here. 25.5 for 17 years, until I got a free gibson scale guitar. Now, half my collection is gibson scaled, including my new VIP build.

However, a 24" scale is just too small for me. The upper frets are just a bit too close to allow my fingers enough room to maneuver around easily.
 
I have a genuine LP and am working on an LP clone (12-string) right now. I don't mind it. Not anything I'll go out of my way to get but if it falls into my lap that way, I'm fine with it.
 
So a 24" (Mustang/Jaguar) neck would fit/intonate on a 7/8 body? If I have it right, this would be a 24" scale neck on a 24.75" scale body?
 
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I'm pretty strictly in the 24.75 - 25.5" range. My first guitar was a 22,5 and I could make it work but I think G scale is my minimum.

Shorter scale lengths can add some intonation problems for a lot of players also. Not so much that you can't overcome them with a good setup and good technique, just understand that they exist.
 
I used to have an A-tuned Tacamo papoose with a 19 inch scale length. Great for traveling. the upper frets were a little difficult to squeeze in my fingers. First 7 frets, not a problem.
 
Not so secret @Logrinn has a number of builds he has done. The 7/8 tele body works also.
I'm planning a build like this. Does this mean I can order a 24" scale neck and a 7/8 body with a standard pickup and bridge route, or do I need to route the pickup and bridge myself to achieve the right 24" scale length? (I'd like to do a rear cavity route and no pick guard on the top)

I've been playing for 40 years but new to the forum and this will be my first build :)
 
I'm planning a build like this. Does this mean I can order a 24" scale neck and a 7/8 body with a standard pickup and bridge route, or do I need to route the pickup and bridge myself to achieve the right 24" scale length? (I'd like to do a rear cavity route and no pick guard on the top)

I've been playing for 40 years but new to the forum and this will be my first build :)

Yes, the Warmoth 24" Mustang/Jaguar variants will intonate directly on the Warmoth 7/8 bodies with standard pickup and bridge routs.

Note: This is not official Warmoth advice but known by Unofficial Warmoth members to work.

Welcome also of course to the forum.
 
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I'm planning a build like this. Does this mean I can order a 24" scale neck and a 7/8 body with a standard pickup and bridge route, or do I need to route the pickup and bridge myself to achieve the right 24" scale length? (I'd like to do a rear cavity route and no pick guard on the top)

I've been playing for 40 years but new to the forum and this will be my first build :)
You can put a 24" Warmoth Mustang neck on their 7/8 Strat and/or 7/8 Tele bodies without any modifications.
I have 2 such Strats and one Tele and they play perfectly. No "special" bridge route necessary.
In fact, this information used to be found - although a bit buried - on Warmoth's webpage, but it doesn't seem to be there anymore.

7:8 Strats with Mustang necks.jpg

7:8 Tele with Mustang neck.jpg
 
Thank you @stratamania and @Logrinn for your replies! I don't quite understand the math though. Wouldn't the total scale work out to over 24"? Is it the case that the scale is over 24" but not enough to matter to intonation?

I'm curious of the length from your 12th fret to the bridge.
 
The 7/8 neck is 24 3/4 scale AT 24 frets. The 24” is at 22 frets. That’s where the difference lies.
ahhhhhhhhh, I didn't realize that. Thanks for pointing that out. So does the two fret difference get us close enough to 24", or exactly 24"?
 
ahhhhhhhhh, I didn't realize that. Thanks for pointing that out. So does the two fret difference get us close enough to 24", or exactly 24"?

It is not the number of frets difference, what is important is that there is a 24" scale created between the nut and bridge so that the fret placement for a 24" scale neck will work when putting a Mustang neck on a 7/8 body.

You need to look at it this way.

There are two scales, a 24 3/4" and a 24" scale, being discussed, each of which has its own mathematical spacing for fret positions along the length of that scale between the nut and the bridge. Those mathematical placements for frets are different for each scale, with the smaller scale having less distance between each fret than a longer scale.

A Warmoth 7/8 neck and body go together and there are 24 frets on that neck
A Warmoth 22 fret Mustang/Jaguar neck due to neck pocket placement etc will work on a 7/8 body as the nut and bridge positions create a 24" scale suitable for the fret placement of that neck to work correctly.

Where the neck and body join is also important. See in the next sentence regarding neck pocket placement.

Over the years people have asked can I put a 22 fret strat neck for either a 24 3/4" conversion neck or a 25.5" scale on a 7/8 body, the answer to that is no because in these cases these things will not intonate as you end up with a different scale between the nut and bridge to create the scale length required for the fret positioning on those necks.

But slightly off the question, but still relevant.

What if you took a vintage spec Strat neck blank with no frets on it yet?
There is enough room for a 25.5" scale for 21 frets or in the case of a 22 fret neck which has an overhang 22 frets.
What if I made a body and positioned the bridge for the same type of neck for a 24 3/4" scale by moving the bridge closer to the neck pocket?
My neck blank does not have frets yet so I put in 23 frets spaced for a 24 3/4" scale and voila I have a 23 fret guitar.
This is basically what Warmoth did to create the 7/8 and is explained in the below video by the intrepid reporter @aarontunes

 
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Thank you. I understand the theory. But what I would like to see is evidence it actually works when you do it, e.g. a photograph of a guitar made with a 24" neck and a 7/8 body with a tape measure running from the nut to the bridge. Warmouth explicitly says of the 7/8 body, "This body fits the Warmoth 7/8 Warhead neck only" so it's hard to take the leap without seeing it works in practice.
 
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As I said, Warmoth used to have this information on their website, so even they said it.
And I showed you three of my guitars that are 7/8 ones all with 24" Mustang necks - so, yes, it works.
But if you still won't take mine or Stratamania's word for it, here are some pictures of these guitars with a ruler on top of each.

7:8Strat 24%22 neck-1.jpg

7:8Strat 24%22 neck-2.jpg

7:8Tele 24%22 neck-1.jpg

None of them are modified, they are just "ordinary" 7/8 models and the Mustang necks are Warmoth's "ordinary" Mustang necks.
No magic, nothing strange, they just work, like Warmoth (used to) say on their website.
 
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