Any short scale, narrow nut NS acoustics out there?

[Berf]

I've been having a few tendon issues over the last few years and have found short scale steel string guitars to help (currently playing a Mini Maton EMD/6 with a 22.75 inch scale). I've been thinking about the possibility of trying a nylon string guitar with less string tension to see if this is even better for me.

My question is whether there exist any NS guitars (crossovers?) with a narrow nut (1 3/4") and a scale length of 24" or less. I've never really played a nylon before and so what I'm thinking about may be not really feasible????

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Cheers, Berf

[Ed422]

Cordoba Cadet (some places it's spelled Cadete)

http://www.cordobaguitars.com/cadete

The scale length is 24.2", and the nut is just over 1.75 at 1.8". It has a solid cedar top and lam. mahogany sides and back. It's the only one I've found (and liked).

Ed

[Tonewoody]

Hi Berf:

I've had some of the same issues due to hand injuries. While the short-scale steel can provide relief, I think you'll find things much easier with nylon. You may have to get used to some of the missing ringing trebles and overall sustain, but you should find yourself able to play much longer without any effect on your hands. About the only full-size, short-scale nylon is made I believe in Paraguay, but I don't have any experience as to the quality of the instrument or the sound. Keep in mind, too, that there are a lot of variables surrounding the instrument, including neck shape, break angle of the strings over the nut, and even the tuners used (many slot-head guitars have slightly more string tension due to the modification of break angle). Good luck finding the best instrument; mainly, keep playing.

Tonewoody

[Herb Hunter]

Nylon strings, even at the standard, 650 millimeter scale, have low tension. As a result nylon-string guitars are typically built to be very light so that they can make the best of the low tension. Shortening the scale reduces tension even further resulting in less energy to activate the soundboard. For this reason, short-scale guitars are a rarity.

[dkoloff]

Pavan make the tp30-64....a slightly smaller bodied and smaller scale nylon. Pavan is considered one of the great buys in nylon string guitars.

[Berf]

Thanks for the suggestions guys and the info on string tension. I had a feeling that given some of the debates around shorter scale on steel strings that there would be perhaps some issues with shortening the scale on nylon guitars... I'll check out the Pavan and Cordoba (at least online as I suspect there will be none locally).

Tonewoody, thanks for the good vibes. I'm still playing and love the sound of the steel string... but I think compromising may be the order of the day here and a change may open up some opportunities...

Cheers, Berf

[drjond56]

I will add a couple of comments. I have very small hands and no tendon issues but some osteoarthritis which limits flexibility. A few years ago I was also looking for an easier to play classical. I found that many of the models with the smaller nut width and shorter scale were not really full quality guitars--often a children's or student model. My first nylon string was a LaPatrie Presentation. Inexpensive and although full scale and nut width, the neck profile is somehow more player friendly. Later I was able to get in on a run of (I think) six guitars fabricated by Juan Hernandez with a 640mm scale and 48mm nut. That was done via Southwest Guitar Studio, but I do not think they carry the brand any longer. (Hernandez was something like the master luthier for Esteve, but was allowed to make some guitars under his own name.) The only other option was to consider a custom luthier, but I am not sure that my playing would justify that. One day perhaps.

I agree with what has been said about the lower tension of the nylon strings being much less taxing. The other thing is that with a nylon string, since the strings themselves are of larger diameter, if you go too small with the nut width, then you are stumbling all over yourself with the fretting hand.

Jon