Short scale tele

[Doughboy]

My next build will be a tele & I was thinking of getting a short scale 24 3/4 neck.

I like a looser slinker feel anyway & hopefully the short scale will not alter the tele tone too much & maybe warm it up a touch.

Does anyone have any ideas how a short scale neck would work for a tele?

 

[Nando Vallart]

Depending on the pickups... With the right pickups I believe you could make it sound very "LP jr" as I'm goind on my tele re-neck project!

 

[Doughboy]

Depending on the pickups... With the right pickups I believe you could make it sound very "LP jr" as I'm goind on my tele re-neck project!

I'll be using a Modern Nashville set of Joe Barden PUs.

I don't want to make it sound un-tele like, but a lot of the teles I've tried have very high tension & sound ice picky. I was hoping a short scale neck would make the tension looser & warm up the tone ever so slightly.

Tom Anderson makes a model like this: http://www.andersonguitars.com/product_information/models/t_family/shortt_over.cfm

 

[rockskate4x]

Don't be discouraged if you hear icepick. Play with the knobs on your amp and with the height of the pickups. Alot of time a teles "icepickiness" can be removed when the pickup is sunk lower.

 

[elgravos]

based on my recent build I would say you probably won't get much in the way of "twang" on a shortscale...  but I'm using dual HBs on a mahogany / rosewood guitar.  You may do better than me with the right set of pickups and woods though I still you will lose a good amount of the trademark tele sound.

 

[tfarny]

I have a 24.75 neck on this tele: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=12813.0
I do think the lower tension takes away a bit of brightness, but it's pretty subtle, and hard to say the effect because it has warm-toned woods as well. Don't want to speculate too much. The effect is more in the fingers. You'll get more of a change by going to all-nickel strings in my opinion. I would get the shorter scale if you prefer to play on it, but not really for the tone.
Also, I would say - why use a really bright set of pickups if you actually want a warmer sound? Check out Lollar's Tele Specials, they are noticeably more midrangey. I'm sure Troubled Treble (Roadhouse Pickups) could wind you something to your specs as well - he makes a great product.

 

[swarfrat]

I think the scale length is as big a factor as the pickups in getting Tele & Strat tones.

 

[Paul-less]

A tele isn't a tele without a 3 saddle setup, 25 1/2 in scale, and an "icepick" sound to those who do not know how to set the EQ on their amps.