Short scale guitar necks and double cutaways

[Wayne27]

I know there’s the Flying V, Explorer, and Jaguar, but those guitar aren’t as available as the Strat and Les Paul. Is it because it’s not necessary for the Les Paul to have double cutaways since the notes are closer together because of the shorter scale?

 

[jeremy]

are you talking about high fret access?

 

[Wayne27]

are you talking about high fret access?

Yeah

 

[Demanic]

Well, really, for high fret access, you only need a single cutaway. When you hit the end of the neck going into the heel, your thumb should naturally float to the center of the neck, if it wasn't already there in the first place.

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[jeremy]

right. i honestly dont think single vs double cutaway or scale length has much to do with high fret access as much as how far the lower cutaway lets you get your hand up the neck. like a les paul kinda gives unencumbered access to about fret 19, the strat gets you maybe a bit further, lets say 20. rg550 is probably 22. you can still hit those upper frets on any of em, but you need to adjust your hand position since your hand cant go any further

 

[beaubrummels]

Part of reason why guitar makers avoided cutaways is because it compromises the neck join, if it's not a completely neck-through guitar. (See, if they had followed Les Paul's original 'log' design, they could have done whatever they wanted.)

 

[Mincer]

I think it is more about the design of the cutaway than the scale length. The Strat and LP were designed in a time that high fret access wasn't the #1 priority, and tradition keeps them essentially the same since the 50s.

 

[dave74]

Shorter scale can actually be a hindrance for some fat finger dudes trying to play up high. But yeah as far as the OP it's all about the heel design.

 

[Cynical]

Am I the only person here who has heard of the SG? You know, the ubiquitous 24.75" scale length double cutaway?

 

[dystrust]

Am I the only person here who has heard of the SG? You know, the ubiquitous 24.75" scale length double cutaway?

Nope

 

[GuitarDoc]

SG?
What's an SG?