The Acoustic Guitar Forum

Go Back   The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools
  #1  
Old 04-02-2020, 10:54 PM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 626
Default lowest scale length for E standard

What's the lowest scale for E standard without sounding floppy. Most 3/4 guitars should handle E standard.
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 04-03-2020, 06:03 AM
candyman candyman is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: PA
Posts: 70
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by guitar344 View Post
What's the lowest scale for E standard without sounding floppy. Most 3/4 guitars should handle E standard.
I wouldn’t go below 22.75 on steel and 20 on nylon - nylon would be floppier anyway but serviceable with the right strings.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 04-03-2020, 09:54 AM
guitar344 guitar344 is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
Posts: 626
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by candyman View Post
I wouldn’t go below 22.75 on steel and 20 on nylon - nylon would be floppier anyway but serviceable with the right strings.
I put 13's on my 21 1/4 guitar and it sounds fine in E.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 04-03-2020, 04:06 PM
FrankHudson FrankHudson is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Posts: 4,888
Default

I'd say strings and design would have a lot to say about this on an absolute basis. I have an UBass and a Ashbory bass. I think 18" scale there and tuned an octave below E to G.

Of course the strings are ropes, but if your question is from a clean sheet of paper or theoretical frame, you can make shorter scale lengths work.
__________________
-----------------------------------
Creator of The Parlando Project

Guitars: 20th Century Seagull S6-12, S6 Folk, Seagull M6; '00 Guild JF30-12, '01 Martin 00-15, '16 Martin 000-17, '07 Parkwood PW510, Epiphone Biscuit resonator, Merlin Dulcimer, and various electric guitars, basses....
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 04-08-2020, 09:58 PM
ManyMartinMan ManyMartinMan is offline
Guest
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: In The Hills, Off Mulholland
Posts: 4,101
Default

Since you aren't asking this in build and repair - I'm guessing you aren't building a guitar. Therefore, any guitar you can buy - mini-Martin, Baby Taylor, Taylor GS Mini, Alvarez......regardless of the short-scale handle whatever "E standard" is. I've never touched any guitar that couldn't handle tuning a string up or down a half-step and most a full step. So just find a guitar you like and play away. I was playing over 20 years (through the '70's and '80's) before I ever heard "scale" in relation to a guitar. All while playing professionally. Too much ado about specs and not enough about playing.
Reply With Quote
Reply

  The Acoustic Guitar Forum > General Acoustic Guitar and Amplification Discussion > General Acoustic Guitar Discussion

Thread Tools





All times are GMT -6. The time now is 02:28 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright ©2000 - 2022, The Acoustic Guitar Forum
vB Ad Management by =RedTyger=