Lake Placid Blues
New member
Is a 25.5" scale length essential to Fender twang and jangle? Or can it be had on 24.75" scale length?
What about 25"?
What about 25"?
Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
- Thread starter Lake Placid Blues
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stringbender11
New member
Re: Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
I dont know the answer for sure, but I have gotten pretty Fender-y tones out of 24.75 scale Epis even using HBs. I guess it depends on just how picky you are. Some would say that the shorter scale length and less taut strings cause you to lose some of that sound but I dont know, I think you can pretty close with the tone control on your guitar and adjusting your amp.
I dont know the answer for sure, but I have gotten pretty Fender-y tones out of 24.75 scale Epis even using HBs. I guess it depends on just how picky you are. Some would say that the shorter scale length and less taut strings cause you to lose some of that sound but I dont know, I think you can pretty close with the tone control on your guitar and adjusting your amp.
F
Funkfingers
Guest
Re: Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
The Fender Jaguar is a short scale instrument with plenty of wiry twang. Possibly, even, too much of it.
The Fender Jaguar is a short scale instrument with plenty of wiry twang. Possibly, even, too much of it.
HTT
New member
Re: Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
I have a Jag with Curtis Novak pups. Compared to my MIA Tele I would say the Jag has more bounce and bite than twang. It has less bounce since I took the claws off. Tons of bounce with the claws on. Now it sounds 3/4s Jag and 1/4 Mustang.
The Fender "jangle and twang" is dependent upon the overall guitar. I had a Tele with a basswood body that had zilch twang, no matter the pups. Generally, I think that scale length is a large component of the "Fender sound".
http://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/scale-length-explained/
http://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2009/06/pro-guitar-tech-tom-spaulding-scale.html
I have a Jag with Curtis Novak pups. Compared to my MIA Tele I would say the Jag has more bounce and bite than twang. It has less bounce since I took the claws off. Tons of bounce with the claws on. Now it sounds 3/4s Jag and 1/4 Mustang.
The Fender "jangle and twang" is dependent upon the overall guitar. I had a Tele with a basswood body that had zilch twang, no matter the pups. Generally, I think that scale length is a large component of the "Fender sound".
http://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/scale-length-explained/
http://daddarioinc.blogspot.com/2009/06/pro-guitar-tech-tom-spaulding-scale.html
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CTN
The Drama Dude
Re: Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
I've come to the conclusion that the two most critical factors that give fenders their twang and jangle is the design of their bridges, and their pickups.
You can take an alder body and bolt on a maple+rosewood neck or an all maple neck, put a floyd rose and some humbuckers in it, and it'll sound rich and beefy (and coincedentally, it'll essentially be a charvel or jackson).
But put those bent steel saddles on it in a fender-type bridge, or a tele bridge, and some single coils, and it changes completely.
Bolt-on construction gives a bit more snap and articulation (IMO) than set neck, but that's not enough to change the sound of the alder/maple/rosewood combo to a twangy thing.
Wilkinson bridges are warm and beefy sounding. They don't sound anything like a vintage fender bridge (that said I haven't played the VSVG, which is supposed to sound more like a vintage fender bridge with bent steel saddles). Floyds don't sound the same. Even if you leave the vintage fender bridge on and change the saddles out to something like a Graphtech set (which I've done), it warms up the tone considerably and loses a ton of the jangle. Still, the essential bridge design does tend to leave a bit of it in there.
And the pickups, obviously, have their own sound.
Despite the bridge and pickups having the most impact, i still think it's the sum of the parts more than just those two factors that makes the fender so jangly/twangy
I've come to the conclusion that the two most critical factors that give fenders their twang and jangle is the design of their bridges, and their pickups.
You can take an alder body and bolt on a maple+rosewood neck or an all maple neck, put a floyd rose and some humbuckers in it, and it'll sound rich and beefy (and coincedentally, it'll essentially be a charvel or jackson).
But put those bent steel saddles on it in a fender-type bridge, or a tele bridge, and some single coils, and it changes completely.
Bolt-on construction gives a bit more snap and articulation (IMO) than set neck, but that's not enough to change the sound of the alder/maple/rosewood combo to a twangy thing.
Wilkinson bridges are warm and beefy sounding. They don't sound anything like a vintage fender bridge (that said I haven't played the VSVG, which is supposed to sound more like a vintage fender bridge with bent steel saddles). Floyds don't sound the same. Even if you leave the vintage fender bridge on and change the saddles out to something like a Graphtech set (which I've done), it warms up the tone considerably and loses a ton of the jangle. Still, the essential bridge design does tend to leave a bit of it in there.
And the pickups, obviously, have their own sound.
Despite the bridge and pickups having the most impact, i still think it's the sum of the parts more than just those two factors that makes the fender so jangly/twangy
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Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: Fender Jangle, Twang, and scale length
Thank's for the input guys. These answers my question.
Thank's for the input guys. These answers my question.
