current 2019/20 budget short scales?

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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MayTheFuzzBeWithYou
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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by MayTheFuzzBeWithYou » Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:50 am

Good decision!
I got got the Bullet Mustang in Sonic Grey for my niece’s Birthday...and for that price it‘s a seriously great guitar! I‘m still impressed every time I come for a visit.
Love the color and I think this is about the only offset besides the American Professional series to have it. At some point I was tempted to get one for myself too or ”in case“ if she didn‘t like it I would still take it! 😜

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hexes
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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by hexes » Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:35 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:20 am
I also am not a PAF kind of guy so I did swap the pickups, but not for lack of quality. I got some G&L Z-coils on clearance from their web site, 3 USA-made MFD Z-coils for $99. They're a bit of a PITA to retrofit to most guitars because they don't fit in any standard rout other than a JM, but they dropped right in to that swimming pool rout, I just needed a pickguard (which I got from Pickguardian).
oh this is awesome. I have wanted those pickups since I first saw the a g&l with them in the late 90s (before seeing an electric xii). have you posted photos? I'll check it out. I had a pickguardian pickgard on my Squier jag that was great but totally forgot about them. thanks for the reminder.

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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by Embenny » Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:49 pm

I posted a thread about it a while ago. I put a free-way switch on it and it's among the best sounding and most versatile guitars I own, which is a bit embarrassing to admit because I've spent so much more money on literally every other guitar I own.

Some day i plan to add a series/parallel switch to put each coil pair between the two modes. Standard is series but the G&L "studio VI" Comanche was wired with each half-pickup in parallel and it was a cool, more single-coil type tone. It's just getting a bit cramped in that cavity, each pickup has 5 wires and the body is so shallow that there's not a ton of room in there with three pickups. I might be able to do it with an S1 switch to handle all three pickups at once but it'll be tight.

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hexes
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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by hexes » Tue Mar 31, 2020 9:50 am

this thing rules
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hexes
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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by hexes » Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:55 am

mbene085 wrote:
Fri Mar 27, 2020 10:49 pm
I posted a thread about it a while ago. I put a free-way switch on it and it's among the best sounding and most versatile guitars I own, which is a bit embarrassing to admit because I've spent so much more money on literally every other guitar I own.

Some day i plan to add a series/parallel switch to put each coil pair between the two modes. Standard is series but the G&L "studio VI" Comanche was wired with each half-pickup in parallel and it was a cool, more single-coil type tone. It's just getting a bit cramped in that cavity, each pickup has 5 wires and the body is so shallow that there's not a ton of room in there with three pickups. I might be able to do it with an S1 switch to handle all three pickups at once but it'll be tight.
thanks for the post. looks awesome, and i didn't even think of those pickups being 5 wire. very nice.

i agree with the slight embarrassment, we got hers today and I'm so mad with how good it feels and plays.

bridge is totally fine, neck feels great and i love the radius! the fretboard sounds awful when bending but some oil will help. i want to buy one for myself and mod it for different pickups and duo sonic pick guard and call it a day.

i'm actually having a custom guitar made right now and this thing is just stupid good for the price and has me slightly regretting my decision.
Last edited by hexes on Tue Mar 31, 2020 12:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by Acidhouse » Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:57 am

Rondo does short scales. The only liquid I see right now is a lefty but they are flush on short scale Strat packs right now.

https://www.rondomusic.com/cgi-rondomus ... a8d614cc26

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hexes
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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by hexes » Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:59 am

Acidhouse wrote:
Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:57 am
Rondo does short scales. The only liquid I see right now is a lefty but they are flush on short scale Strat packs right now.

https://www.rondomusic.com/cgi-rondomus ... a8d614cc26
i was looking at theirs afterward too, thanks for the suggestion! had forgotten about them. the mini semi hollow telecasters might be an awesome addition if she sticks with it.

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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by Embenny » Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:53 pm

hexes wrote:
Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:55 am
the fretboard sounds awful when bending but some oil will help.
Ah! This I can help with.

That's not the fretboard causing the grinding feeling, it's the frets that are rough. You can polish them with some fine grit sandpaper, just mask the fretboard off with some painter's tape first. Makes a huge difference. Mine was pretty cringey to play off the rack, never had such rough bends on a guitar, but at the price I accept a few flaws and this is something you can fix un half an hour with $2 worth of supplies.

I know what you mean about the relative value of these things. They have swimming pool routs so you're literally a pickguard away from any configuration you could want. They're pretty great.
The artist formerly known as mbene085.

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Re: current 2019/20 budget short scales?

Post by hexes » Tue Mar 31, 2020 4:28 pm

mbene085 wrote:
Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:53 pm
hexes wrote:
Tue Mar 31, 2020 11:55 am
the fretboard sounds awful when bending but some oil will help.
Ah! This I can help with.

That's not the fretboard causing the grinding feeling, it's the frets that are rough. You can polish them with some fine grit sandpaper, just mask the fretboard off with some painter's tape first. Makes a huge difference. Mine was pretty cringey to play off the rack, never had such rough bends on a guitar, but at the price I accept a few flaws and this is something you can fix un half an hour with $2 worth of supplies.

I know what you mean about the relative value of these things. They have swimming pool routs so you're literally a pickguard away from any configuration you could want. They're pretty great.
oh good to know, thanks. i can do a quick polish. i'd just never had frets that sloppy. honestly they don't feel bad except for that.

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