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Scale length and moveable bridge
From wooster on 7/14/2019 8:07:50 AM
Hi
I'm not sure if I'm wise or not but I'm a newbie considering dabbling in fretless world. It's more difficult in the UK so I'm not spoiled for choice.
Anyway, looking around I noticed a few different scale lengths ( ie 26.25,", 25.5" 24" ) and I was a bit worried about buying a lenght other than standard as I thought my learning curve might be made steeper due to muscle memory beibg confused by different lengths. Is this true or not?
I also seemed to recollect that with fretless there's no real reason why I can't move the bridge to give me alerntative scale lengths if I want at a later date. I could buy a 26.25" and moving the bridge would give me 24". Is this right? Did I make this up or imagine it? It makes sense on the surface.
Thanks for your comments
6 Comments |
 | Strumelia says:
7/14/2019 8:28:51 AM
Hi Wooster. Yes you can slide the bridge to create different scale lengths (or play in different keys without breaking strings) on a fretless banjo. A banjo with anything from a 25"-28" normal scale is a good starting point ...you can lengthen/shorten by a couple inches in either direction from there safely.
Watch this video from Terry Bell demonstrating sliding the bridge for different tunings and keys on a fretless. The banjo he's demo-ing in this vdieo is actually the banjo he made for me. I love it!
youtube.com/watch?v=shOgjCzPocY
Hope this helps.
Fretless playing is not something you should be afraid of or timid about- it gives you MORE flexibility as opposed to restricting you. If you just KEEP PLAYING and experimenting you'll get used to playing on various scale lengths and eventually you'll have no problem changing scale length on the fly.
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| Strumelia says:
7/14/2019 8:29:07 AM
Hi Wooster. Yes you can slide the bridge to create different scale lengths (or play in different keys without breaking strings) on a fretless banjo. A banjo with anything from a 25"-28" normal scale is a good starting point ...you can lengthen/shorten by a couple inches in either direction from there safely.
Watch this video from Terry Bell demonstrating sliding the bridge for different tunings and keys on a fretless. The banjo he's demo-ing in this vdieo is actually the banjo he made for me. I love it!
youtube.com/watch?v=shOgjCzPocY
Hope this helps.
Fretless playing is not something you should be afraid of or timid about- it gives you MORE flexibility as opposed to restricting you. If you just KEEP PLAYING and experimenting you'll get used to playing on various scale lengths and eventually you'll have no problem changing scale length on the fly.
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| Strumelia says:
7/14/2019 8:30:22 AM
(sorry for the double post... not sure why that happened)
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wooster says:
7/14/2019 10:08:15 AM
Thank you for your help, Strumelia. I appreciate it. I am considering a Goodtime Fretless and wondered if the scale length might be suitable. It seems that at 26.25" it should be fine and wold allow me to adjust a little if need be. I read that many prefer an A scale length but from what you say I should be able to get pretty close to that by sliding the bridge on the Goodtime.
Thanks again
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 | tucsonsean says:
7/15/2019 7:33:59 AM
I like the shorter scale for fretless in that the slides can be easily performed with the hand anchored on the neck (maintaining position for easy accuracy). I also feel the shorter length gives a firmer 'feel' to the Nylgut strings I like. Another option: If you can locate an old pot you like, one of the wonderful luthier/members on this site could make a neck to your specs at a reasonable outlay. (Mark Hickler fashioned a great fretless neck for me for an old Gariepy plectrum pot I had.). But be prepared; once I got the fretless together, my fretted banjos kinda got neglected.
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wooster says:
7/18/2019 5:38:44 AM
Thank you both for your help.
Living in the UK makes shipping of parts etc difficult so I am really more or less stuck with buying locally. This makes the choice a lot more limited of course. I have bought a Grafton Minstrel banjo from Andybanjo now and I will give it a go and see how my playing develops. It's a 26.25" scale and a fairly narrow neck but was an entry level price though their banjos have a good rep and I am happy with my fretted one I bought there a while back.
If the bug bites I might splash out on a custom made at some point in the future.
Anyway thanks and I will now turn my attention to making it sound musical.
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