Need your thoughts on scale length & nut width

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Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

Need your thoughts on scale length &...

The good news over the weekend was that Anders has been in touch to let me know he is starting my guitar soon.

Now I have to make some decisions on the spec.

Up to now I have only owned factory guitars and these issues were basically irrelevant (flamencos are hard to find in the UK.)

The two things I'd like to get some views on are scale length and nut width. If you have had a flamenco guitar custom built by anyone, what did you go for and why?

Even if you do not have a handmade guitar, can you feel the difference between, say, a 650mm scale length and a 655 or 660?

One thing that occurred to me was that the shorter the scale length obviously the shorter the width between frets which may affect capoing up high (slightly less room for manouevre).

Much less scope to worry about with the nut width - 51mm or 52mm, but again I was wondering if people had any views on it.

(My Ricardo Sanchis is 657mm/51mmm. Anders tells me its normal to build in around 2mm so its basically a 655).

Thoughts please!

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 10 2006 10:51:36

Ricardo

Posts: 14884
Joined: Dec. 14 2004
From: Washington DC

RE: Need your thoughts on scale leng... (in reply to Jon Boyes)

I have guitars that are 651, 660, 664. I don't really notice much difference except if I play the same thing on them back to back, a direct comparison. In a blind test say I would not know which is which. Actually, I know the lengths because I measured after years of playing them and not really knowing. I was shocked. The guitar I thought was shorter was actually the longer one! Anyway the difference would not make up my mind about buying a guitar, that is for sure. So for me it would be whatever the MAKER prefers. The short guitar only feels a little "easier" in the first position, and when you really KNOW the millimeters involved and think about it.

The nut thing though IS something that I notice. Not sure why, but I very much prefer a wider nut. And it is because of actual string space more than the with of the neck its self. For example the Sanchis and Conde of mine have the same width at the nut (52?), but the actual bone has string slots carved much closer together on the Sanchis than the Conde. When I traded bones to compare, I felt a big difference. Not sure why, but maybe you get used to it? I also have the Cordoba Gypsy Kings guitar, which is so darn skinny, after many years it still feels weird to me.

So all I can say is if you can take notice of the string space at the nut and compare two guitars and decide which is more comfortable for you.

Ricardo

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 10 2006 15:41:21

Jon Boyes

Posts: 1377
Joined: Jul. 10 2003

RE: Need your thoughts on scale leng... (in reply to Ricardo)

Thanks for that.

Nobody else has views on these details?

_____________________________

Spanish Guitarist in Devon, Cornwall and Somerset

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 11 2006 8:48:30

mentrida

Posts: 55
Joined: Jun. 19 2004

RE: Need your thoughts on scale leng... (in reply to Jon Boyes)

Jon,

I'm by no means an expert, and my exposure to great guitars is nill. But I'll tell you what I know.

I upgraded and was able to order a custom guitar. I got the 660/54 scale. I'm very pleased with it. The neck is wide to allow for my lack of experience and learning clumpsiness, yet thin which makes it very confortable to play and allows good reach. So this part of my thinking paid off.

I got the 660 just in case I ever got the chance to play for cante/baile. My thinking was that it would give me more room to fit my big fingers in the smaller frets when capoing. Turns out I still have issues with it

.... so practice and know how are really the issue here. I have heard from others that their guitars from the same maker are really loud, and I'm not sure mine fits this category. Mine was the first 660 flamenco made by this luthier, so new molds had to be made, etc... maybe it had a small effect (or maybe its just as loud and I have no clue

.

Bottom line is I totally agree with Ricardo. Get the width that is confortable for you to play and let the luthier work on the scale length he/she likes and is confortable with. This way I think you will get the best of both worlds. Personal confort and a great sounding guitar based on much prior work by your luthier.

Good luck!!!
Si

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Apr. 11 2006 15:19:20