Thoughts on short scale guitars?

[quneur]

Just started and picked up a Peavey Raptor Exp (used) a week ago but finding some chords are hard for my small fingers (guitars certainly weren't made for Asians). Anything which reaches four frets is hand/finger contortion. Should I scrap the Peavey and go with a 3/4 size guitar or should I stick with it and try to learn on a full size?

My goal is too learn to play only for myself. I now have a lot of time on my hands and feel this would be something to keep finger/hand/mind dexterity, coordination, etc. and it's something I've always wanted to learn.

 

[Fitzy]

Go with whatever is more comfortable for you. I teach guitar and have students with full scale and 3/4 scale guitars, the only down side with 3/4 scale is the limited choice of guitars. Keep at it, playing a guitar is a great hobby. Get your guitar checked out by someone who plays as most cheaper models are not well set up and a high action (string height) will make your fingers sore until you build up some extra skin!

 

[Fred Sanford]

Just started and picked up a Peavey Raptor Exp (used) a week ago but finding some chords are hard for my small fingers (guitars certainly weren't made for Asians). Anything which reaches four frets is hand/finger contortion. Should I scrap the Peavey and go with a 3/4 size guitar or should I stick with it and try to learn on a full size?

My goal is too learn to play only for myself. I now have a lot of time on my hands and feel this would be something to keep finger/hand/mind dexterity, coordination, etc. and it's something I've always wanted to learn.

Some Fender models are shorter-scale without going to 3/4...I think the Mustang, Jaguar models. Are you struggling with the fret-to-fret distance, or the width of the neck?

je

 

[JohnVF]

I'll second that a good setup could help if you haven't done that already. While reach-distance is certainly a factor, it's much easier to fret at a distance on a well setup guitar, alleviating some of the issue. So even if you go 3/4 scale...have the action set at a very comfortable distance.

 

[1tumbleweed]

Probably not the best thing to learn on, but have you ever heard of a tenor guitar? Four strings instead of six, smaller scale overall. Neko Case has small hands, and that's what she played for a long time exclusively, although I've seen her recently playing a regular acoustic. Just a thought.

 

[Roving Sign]

I have very small hands - and a Peavey Raptor - its already a smallish guitar.

I think, given time and practice, you'll get used to regular scale guitar.

If some chords are hard - play a different chord/position - thats what gives players style.

I would recommend using your pinky - (not sure how so many guitarists managed to avoid this.)

Some of these country guys can play a million notes with 2 fingers...

 

[33&athird]

It wouldn't hurt to try out a 3/4 scale, just to see if it fits. I don't play very well...and I have pretty big hands, but when I first started I had a standard scale SG knockoff, I swore I could never get notes 3 frets apart (eg: 5 to 8)...now, it's not even an issue. Part of it is getting used to it...but it's all about being comfortable with playing. if there is a guitar shop around, stop by and check out a few short scales:yes:

Good luck learning to play:thmbsp:

I would recommend using your pinky - (not sure how so many guitarists managed to avoid this.)

Ha, I barely use mine...that takes a ton of work to get used to. But I figure if Django Reinhardt could get by, so could I, eh?

 

[quneur]

Thanks for the replies. As to whether its the neck size or fret distance its a little bit of both. If my fingers were an eighth inch longer it would look normal. Its when trying to spread my fingers over four frets that gets hard. Three is okay (I know the open chords, D, C, A, etc); four, I'm sliding my hands all over the neck.

I am trying this site: http://vitalguitar.com
and using: http://www.metronomeonline.com/

Practicing scales which uses my pinky. Currently I'm on lesson 3. Lesson 1 went well. Lesson two was obscene so I skipped it - 1/8 notes from fret 4 to fret 7.

 

[cool9]

If you're talking classical guitar it will help some of your wide stretching but can get cramped when you use more than 2-3 fingers together closely.

 

[FredC]

I love short scales. You can do things on them that are impossible on a full scale. I have 3 of these:

 

[trhee]

Just keep at it. There are many guitar players including myself who started out at a young age (with small hands) and with practice developed enough dexterity to be able to reach a certain finger span. Going to a 3/4 scale guitar may seem easier in the beginning but learning to play any instrument is not easy to begin with. By going with a 3/4 scale guitar, you're only limiting your potential.

There are many great guitar players with small hands (as well as large hands) and hand size in itself is not a determining factor in how well you can play the guitar or any other instrument.

Personally my reach is from the 5th fret to the 12th fret but this was not always the case. It came as a result of a lot of practice. My hands are not large and I would say are about average.

 

[cool9]

I recently asked two highly reputable classical guitar salesman on the East Coast if there is some standard to go by when choosing between a full/short scale. One told me that if span between thumb and pinky tips > 8.75" then full scale is fine. The other told me that it entirely depends on technique and said that he saw an asian woman with small hands play a 665mm scale guitar with ease.

 

[Roving Sign]

Coincidental to this thread - I just picked up a Washburn Hannah Montana acoustic - 3/4 scale. Really quite a decent, playable guitar. Im going to use it as my party strummer for a while.

They also make an electric model that looks nice...

You can find these on the auction site for around 50 bucks...cheap way to dabble with short scale guits.

 

[Mystic]

Could never get my fingers into the tight boards of LP Jr 3/4, the little Melody Makers, Ricks, not even Jaguars. Narrow nut widths are bad enough, but combined with short scale and all the recalibrations required of hand/finger 9ear?) muscle memory in order to get your sound...too much work. They can be cute suckers, esp. the little Ricks.

 

[quneur]

I recently asked two highly reputable classical guitar salesman on the East Coast if there is some standard to go by when choosing between a full/short scale. One told me that if span between thumb and pinky tips > 8.75" then full scale is fine. The other told me that it entirely depends on technique and said that he saw an asian woman with small hands play a 665mm scale guitar with ease.

8.625" (8 5/8") if I really stretch it. 8.5" if I don't push against the ruler.

I have problems when trying to reach my pinky on the low E string. I can't arch it enough to make a adequate sound without contorting my wrist. If I try index and pinky four frets over with any speed, I press it too flat then the string falls off the fret board.

 

[33&athird]

Narrow nut widths are bad enough, but combined with short scale and all the recalibrations required of hand/finger 9ear?) muscle memory in order to get your sound...too much work.

It's the Narrow nut width that kills me. Have a full-scale Yamaha Acoustic, out of wack to begin with (probably the ugliest guitar in the world), and it has a really tight string spacing, I can't even do major chords on it. Have a 3/4 Stella by harmony, pulling itself apart and again, horribly out of shape...but I'm okay with it. Not that I can tell the difference with power chords:scratch2: My Strat is the most comfortable guitar I have, near perfection...but I never got the sound I like from it, so I play a LP style thing...slightly narrower string spacing, thinner neck, smaller scale, but hardly noticable.

Interesting about the pinky to thumb thing, wonder why it goes off the thumb, rather than the index to pinky. I'm about 9.5" with that in mind.

I think thickness of the neck makes some difference too, at least in terms of playing comfort.

 

[Roving Sign]

I recently asked two highly reputable classical guitar salesman on the East Coast if there is some standard to go by when choosing between a full/short scale. One told me that if span between thumb and pinky tips > 8.75" then full scale is fine. The other told me that it entirely depends on technique and said that he saw an asian woman with small hands play a 665mm scale guitar with ease.

Wow - mine is just barely 7 3/4...

I've always been a Strat guy - but in an attempt to break out that sound - I've been playing this Ibanez Artcore Semi Hollow - The neck on this thing is very wide...it took me a long time to adjust to this guitar. But - in time, I've become quite fluid on this one. It doesnt feel as big, or as uncomfortable as it did at first.

 

[cool9]

Try Sor B-flat barre study if you play classical. One of hardest left hand studies and a long stretch.

 

[BillyTheKid]

if the nut width is the problem, then try another guitar.
If it's just a matter of scale length....then do what i recommend to all beginners ( especially children ) and put a CAPO on it !
cheap...easy...adjustable...problem solved.

 

[ampegdan]

Fender's Jaguar and Mustang are 24" scale although I really couldn't recommend a Jag because of their built-in bridge issues. I think there is a Jag variant with hardtail bridge and humbuckers. If you can find one try out an old Peavey T-15 or T-30; they were 23.5" scale. I used one for therapy when I had a bad left hand injury. Also, the Ibanez Mikro is very short scale, I'm thinking 22" but could be wrong. Keep in mind that your stretch will improve as your technique improves, then you can play whatever you want. Your Peavey is probably 25 1/2" scale, which is standard Fender scale as opposed to Gibson scale, which in nominally 24 3/4".