7/8 Body and neck(native 24 /34) vs regular body + 24 3/4 conversion neck

[jason]

Hi guys,
I have been thinking about putting together a warmoth and found it hard to decide between these two.
On one hand, 7/8 bodies are a bit smaller and the neck has 24 frets. I don't think I would use the 24th fret and that's what have been keeping me away from this choice. The neck pickup is moved to accommodate 24th fret, a compromise for something I don't use.
Joe Satriani talks about this in this video at 2:00min : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XttCY0mw6AI
I have been told by reputable guitar builders in my last topic that neck pickup position doesn't matter that much. That makes sense as the string length basically changes as you fret the notes. So at most, you will get the tonal spectrum you would have in any fret, roughly in two frets higher.
On the other hand, seems like the conversion neck is just a 24 3/4 neck. and comparing pickup positions on a humbucker loaded telecaster they seems to be at the same distance from the bridge as a 24 3/4 guitar, even though the body scale is 25.5(whatever that means).
So if I get a conversion neck, I'll get same pickup placement as a les paul and a 24 3/4 scale. Is this correct ?
Could you guys tell me which one you would choose and why? Or even better, if you have played a 7/8 and a regular with conversion side by side, could you please comment on the differences and pros/cons of each.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

I run full size soloist bodies with conversion necks cut to Gibson specs.

Love Em', Looks like a Jackson Handles like an SG...  :headbang1:

 

[drewfx]

The only downside to a conversion neck is the upper fret access. You can search for other threads explaining conversion necks here, but it basically means the fret positions are made to accommodate the bridge being further from the neck pocket.

 

[Cagey]

Regardless of the number of frets, the scale size will change the spacing between them. It's a pretty small difference, but if you're a lead player that spends more time in the upper registers, it's easy to mis-fret notes if you're used to one scale and go to another. Muscle memory is critical for most players. Strat players, for instance, will usually not have an easy time moving to an SG. If you're a rhythm player that mainly hangs out in the lower registers, you won't notice it so much.

The other difference is that shorter scales don't need the strings to be at as high a tension to hit the same notes. So, you can either go up a gauge in string size and change your tone and keep the same feel, or keep using what you're were used to with the longer scale and have a "slinkier" feel.

 

[drewfx]

The other difference is that shorter scales don't need the strings to be at as high a tension to hit the same notes. So, you can either go up a gauge in string size and change your tone and keep the same feel, or keep using what you're were used to with the longer scale and have a "slinkier" feel.

This is true, but the change in scale length makes less of a difference than moving up or down a gauge.

If you use D'Addario's charts, which give the tension for 25.5" scale lengths, the 24.75" tension works out to be ~1lb less:
http://www.daddario.com/upload/tension_chart_13934.pdf

 

[Cagey]

I know it's not a great deal of difference, but it sure feels like it. If you're used to 9s on a Strat, you can play 10s on a 24 3/4 scale without much stress. Or, 10s vs. 11s. It's not exactly linear, but like I say, it's not a lotta stress.

 

[drewfx]

The quick and rough rules of thumb for tension for unwound strings:

Going up or down 1 gauge (i.e. .009 to .010 or .010 to .011) = ~3lbs.
Going from 25.5" to 24.75" = ~1lbs.
Tuning down 1/2 step to Eb = ~2lbs.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

The only downside to a conversion neck is the upper fret access. You can search for other threads explaining conversion necks here, but it basically means the fret positions are made to accommodate the bridge being further from the neck pocket.

Thats why I find they work so well on the soloist body, Deeper cutaways than a standard strat body.

Moving over to this configuration from an SG was super easy.

Not having inlays on my second build, THAT took some getting used to. :toothy12:

 

[Cagey]

Not having inlays on my second build, THAT took some getting used to. :toothy12:

Really? I worried about that prior to installing my first one, but it fit like an old shoe. Took no getting used to at all.

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Not having inlays on my second build, THAT took some getting used to. :toothy12:

Really? I worried about that prior to installing my first one, but it fit like an old shoe. Took no getting used to at all.

Yeah a couple of days, It actually has helped me to stop looking at my fingers altogether.

 

[bagman67]

Yeah a couple of days, It actually has helped me to stop looking at my fingers altogether.

This right here. 


I went through a period where I had no alternative but to practice in near-total darkness for reasons having to do with my sleep schedule being very different from my girlfriend's.  She could sleep through an un-amplified electric guitar being played, but not the light.  I got good at playing by feel instead of needing the markers.  Moving to an unmarked fretboard was no big whoop, as a result.

 

[jason]

This sounds great, so I can go with either. I think I'm going to get both, and may get rid of fret markers.

The quick and rough rules of thumb for tension for unwound strings:

Going up or down 1 gauge (i.e. .009 to .010 or .010 to .011) = ~3lbs.
Going from 25.5" to 24.75" = ~1lbs.
Tuning down 1/2 step to Eb = ~2lbs.

This is interesting, I didn't know the difference between 25.5 and 24.75 is less than dropping string gauge. So basically if I drop my gauge to 10s and go from 24.75 to 25.5, gets 2lbs slinkier.