Problem with scale length for a Telecaster

[Tibernius]

I need a bit of advice...

I've been building a partsocaster out of a Squier Affinity body and a neck I bought separately. The build went fine until I just checked the scale length.

Turns out that the scale length is 26". And the Neck is set for 25.5". I've just realised it's because it's a 22 fret Tele neck and the Affinity Tele's have 21 fret necks. :thwap:

Would shortening the neck be possible? If I remove the 22nd fret it'll be the right scale length, but would that be possible or would it cause even more problems?

 

[tunghaichuan]

Scale length is determined by the distance between the spacing of the frets, not how many frets there are on the neck.

A quick and dirty method to determine the scale length of a neck is to measure from the nut to the 12th fret. This should be half of of the scale length, or 12.75" in the case of a 25.5" scale. I just measured two of my 25.5" scale necks and they measured 12 & 5/8" from the nut to the 12th fret.

I can't imagine fender would do something as weird as making a 26" scale, but who knows?

Measure the neck and report back, I think you should be okay.

tung

I need a bit of advice...

I've been building a partsocaster out of a Squier Affinity body and a neck I bought separately. The build went fine until I just checked the scale length.

Turns out that the scale length is 26". And the Neck is set for 25.5". I've just realised it's because it's a 22 fret Tele neck and the Affinity Tele's have 21 fret necks. :thwap:

Would shortening the neck be possible? If I remove the 22nd fret it'll be the right scale length, but would that be possible or would it cause even more problems?

 

[Tibernius]

A quick and dirty method to determine the scale length of a neck is to measure from the nut to the 12th fret. This should be half of of the scale length, or 12.75" in the case of a 25.5" scale. I just measured two of my 25.5" scale necks and they measured 12 & 5/8" from the nut to the 12th fret.

It's 12.75" from the nut to the 12th, but 13.25" from the 12th to the saddles.

BTW, it's a 22fret neck without an overhang.

 

[TS808]

It's 12.75" from the nut to the 12th, but 13.25" from the 12th to the saddles.

BTW, it's a 22fret neck without an overhang.

To get the 25.5" scale length, you could also measure from the nut to the high E string saddle and adjust the saddle to 25.5". However, if it's not possible to do that, it pretty much leaves you with few options.

The only option you have really is to re-route the neck pocket to accommodate the extra fret, but I wouldn't undertake that task. You don't want to cut the neck either....then you really have to make sure the neck fits in the pocket properly.

It's the neck pocket that is really keeping you from getting the proper length. Maybe sell the neck you have and get one with either an overhang or one less fret.

 

[tunghaichuan]

It's 12.75" from the nut to the 12th, but 13.25" from the 12th to the saddles.

BTW, it's a 22fret neck without an overhang.

So it appears that you have a 25.5" scale neck and a 26" scale body. Probably the easiest thing to do would be to find a new body.

tung

 

[ted s]

Are you going to refinish it ? What about shifting the bridge back ?

 

[Tibernius]

Thanks for the replies.

Just after my second post I found a thread on the tdpri where someone had done exactly the same thing. They said that you can cut the neck down and said how to do it.
I can't afford to buy another body or neck, so I tried it. I took the 22nd fret out of the neck, and cut the neck where the fret was. It now fits and the scale length is what it should be.

Of course it would have been much easier if I'd checked to find out what kind of neck I needed in the first place. :thwap:

 

[valriver 1940]

i recentley shortened a neck on a telecaster build and everything worked out great!