QUESTION : Shorter scale length

[Pops]

As a latecomer to the EBMM guitar owners club I can honestly say they
are superb.So much so I bought a cutlass and an Axis Super sport within months
of selling some of my other guitars.

I own a couple of guitars with a shorter scale length which make playing a bit easier.
E.G. Gibson @ 24 3/4" and Epi Elitist Byrdland @ 23 1/2".

Have EBMM ever made any guitars with a shorter scale length than the current 25 1/2" ?
If not why not?

 

[Norrin Radd]

As a latecomer to the EBMM guitar owners club I can honestly say they
are superb.So much so I bought a cutlass and an Axis Super sport within months
of selling some of my other guitars.

I own a couple of guitars with a shorter scale length which make playing a bit easier.
E.G. Gibson @ 24 3/4" and Epi Elitist Byrdland @ 23 1/2".

Have EBMM ever made any guitars with a shorter scale length than the current 25 1/2" ?
If not why not?

Yup. The Armada is 24 3/4”. Check them out. Very cool guitars!

 

[Pops]

Alas Norrin I am not an Armada fan.
I don't like the body shape nor that of the St Vincent come to that.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say.
However I would like EBMM to produce a 24 3/4" scale length guitar neck
or at least offer that scale length as an option on the Axis or Super Sport
which IMHO would give Les Paul owners a quality viable alternative.

 

[beej]

A different scale length is more than an option- it would require re-engineering a bunch of things. So I don't think it's a realistic ask.

 

[Pops]

I would have agreed with you in the distant past Beej
when everything was hand made
but with computer controlled production these days
I would think it's feasible without too much upheaval.

 

[fbecir]

I fully agree with Pops.
The Music Man offering is great, but short-scale models are lacking. An Axis or Axis Super Sport guitar with short scale could be a great idea (but of course, I am just a poor Frenchman who knows nothing about guitar building and marketing ).

 

[spychocyco]

I've never noticed a great difference going from 25 1/2 to 24 3/4, though I readily admit that I don't play my Les Paul much because I just don't get on with the thickness of the neck or the paint on it.

Still, as Beej said, I think you're basically talking about a new model in the Axis line as opposed to an option. Bridge and pickup positions would have to be moved as well. Maybe the Axis Super Short.

 

[beej]

Maybe the Axis Super Short.

Brilliant.

 

[coolhandluc]

If they won't let you choose simple things like pick guard color or fret material/size, I doubt they'd do a short scale option. Realistically You can just use a gauge lighter string and get the same approximate feel tension wise.
With Music Man I've come to realize if you're not a signature or featured artist, you pretty much just get what they have to offer. So while I want a roasted maple neck Silhouette Special, I'm perfectly happy with my regular maple neck. Otherwise I'd just build a warmoth if you want exactly what you want kinda thing.

 

[Pops]

I've never noticed a great difference going from 25 1/2 to 24 3/4, though I readily admit that I don't play my Les Paul much because I just don't get on with the thickness of the neck or the paint on it.

Still, as Beej said, I think you're basically talking about a new model in the Axis line as opposed to an option. Bridge and pickup positions would have to be moved as well. Maybe the Axis Super Short.

Like you I don't play my LP much for those same reasons.
Would you play your LP more if it had an EBMM neck spychocyco ?

The company already have the specs of where pickups and bridge should be routed - Re Armada
They also have the fret cutters for a 24 3/4 scale neck - re Armada
I would assume that the Ball family have a very competent IT guy/s working for them
who could write a routing prog for the robots or know where they can get a hired gun to do that for them
if it was necessary.

However an Axis Super Short ( love that ) with or without a trem ,a decent set of Humbuckers combined with a 24 3/4" EBMM neck profiled as an ASS neck would see my LP up for sale.

 

[BUC]

Wow, I really notice the difference in scale length between guitars. Most of mine are the Fender scale but I do have an Armada and I've played many Les Pauls. To me there is a total different feel especially in the bends and vibrato.

 

[Pops]

It's not the string tension I like on a 24 3/4" scale.
That can be achieved easily by altering your string gauge on a 25 1/2" scale neck.
It's the stretch distance for fingering factor and the reach you can get
on the lower frets which is great if you have smaller hands.
You can achieve the same sort of thing by using a capo on the 1st fret to reduce the
scale length on a 25 1/2 " Fender /EBMM scale.
Maybe one day EBMM will do 24.3/4" scale on an Axis or ASS.

 

[agt]

I would LOVE to see shorter scale offerings from EBMM. Both on the guitar side and on the bass side.

I own an Armada - I dig the 24.75" scale. There have been hints of a shorter scale St. Vincent bass. I am eagerly awaiting it. I hold out hope that there will be more in the future.