This is TRUE. I always thought thata Guitara Scales are made for Tall people with long fingers... Come on.. South Easat Asian are 5'1 to 5'4 (average) that's HUGELY UNFAIR.. Call it RACIST.. butr I want my Short Scale Guitar.. I would bet Paul Gilbert CAN'T play that well if he's 5'2" or 5'4".I would bet Paul Gilbert CAN'T play that well if he's 5'2" or 5'4".
I thought at first it was one of those little replica guitars that you sit on a desk or whatever, totally non-playable. I was surprised to see a real guitar.
I remember hearing that the first 7 string was designed to have a high A instead of a low B, but the high A would always break during tuning, so they switched it to the low B we know today. I wonder if the combination of a 25.5"-22" multiscale length and an additional .008 string to serve as the high A would make that possible.
It’s def Doable, I’ve seen plenty of custom builds that do that on guitar forums But even with all those considerations, getting an A4 is still REALLY difficult, those strings just Snap when subjected to that much tension, constantly Even with custom string brands that claimed ability to tune that high (Octave 4 Plus comes to mind) that had special instructions for safely tuning up to A4, combined with shorter scales, people were still struggling to Keep a high A for long
It's like Ola's guitar of the week segment, but with less chugging and fecal funnies. Not knocking him on fecal funnies, it seems to be a Swedish thing; Joel from Vinesauce is identical in that matter.
I do enjoy having the short scale. I used to rip one out during gigs just to see crowd reaction. Had a mini Epiphone Zakk Wylde that I should have kept. Thanks for doing this series man and keep em coming!
In college I played a 5 string Blue Star Mandoblaster and most of my crowd comments were always an interesting mix of interest and straight up heckling, lol. But damn did that thing look tiny when I held it.
When my son was little, I bought him several small scale guitars and basses to try and make him a child prodigy. First kid expectations. I never thought of these advantages for myself. Great video!
I wouldn't be the player I am today without an Ibanez Mikro. My first ever brand new guitar, starting with a partscaster that my brother built for me. I'm a pretty small guy, and I was an even smaller child so it was perfect for me. Eventually I traded it in to the same shop plus some cash for a blinged out Jackson RR3 once my hands got bigger and lived out my Bullet For My Valentine fantasies throughout my teens lol.
I might give this a try... I crushed my entire upper left humorous bone years ago and I find it painful to play more than a half hour or so because my rebuilt shoulder doesn't have the range or motion anymore. I've adjust the best I can by positioning my picking hand closer toward the bottom of the neck instead of over the pickups or sound hole on my acoustics. I'm going to try to build a 21" scale length cigar box guitar in a month or so to see if that's easier than my 25' scale current cigar box guitar. Great video!
Mine was quarter sawn too even had nice flaming to it. I call this guitar my Ninja guitar. Even for a tall guy like me it doesn't look out of place the guitar is smaller but not that smaller. For bigger hands it allows to stretch like you wouldn't be able to on a normal scale length. it's other pros that's it's portable and less face it absolutely killer. The pickups really compliment the poplar body wood they are high output melt your faceoff and exactly what you need for killer leads. DiMarzio make a lot private label pickups for ibanez and are likely who make these. They have DiMarzio classic look and construction of brass backplate and ceramic magnets. It's a lot of guitar for very little and lots of fun.
I had gotten two of these two years ago, the PGMM11 and PGMM31. The 31 I modified and you can actually get away with 9’s fine which is fun cause I normally do 8’s on my 25.5” guitars! I did: DiMarzio pickups Gotoh brass bridge Gotoh 18:1 locking tuners The string trees and the tuners are the big ones for tension: The string trees, remove the spacers underneath “string tree” and use a shorter screw. Forces a ton of tension, that and the locking tuners that sit lower, it’s actually really good!!
I dig it. I bought a "Zeny" guitar from Wal-Mart and tricked it out for my nephew. It's the shortest scale length I've ever seen. It's about 20 & 1/4". Definitely a "child-sized" guitar. It came with a "middle position", single coil pickup (which I routed out to a bridge position, Dimarzio humbucker) then routed out the back to put a (licensed) Floyd Rose in it. A neon splatter paint job later and bam! The coolest guitar a little kid could ask for.
I am also one of the weirdo short scale modders. Ran 9s for a while, liked it. I'm on 9.5s now since I loved the way 10s felt too. I think it's a good compromise. Have you done anything to the nut? I made a custom body and have a Floyd on my former PGM, trying to find a locking solution around the nut. Think I might have one.
Don't forget Fernandes, ESP, Burny ,Lotus, Sammick, & Edwards. They all make FANTASTIC smaller models for the smaller handed market. I have a collection of over 200 mini guitars, so I 've scoured the earth / internets for all things mini. Although some totally need overhauls to get them playable, they are tons of fun!
Is there anything you'd recommend that's really, really cheap. I can't really afford a new guitar, but I have tiny hands and there are things I can not do on my Gio.
Holy cow, you collect these? I love minis but didnt think there were even 200 options ever produced. I'm assuming you don't have any 7 strings, a short scale 7 would be so much fun (but ridiculous). I'm also really interested to know if you have found a decent headless option. Everyone who goes headless uses 25.5", since it's a much shorter guitar anyway, but the ultimate portable machine would have to be a short scale headless.
I have 2 Mini Squier Stratocasters made in Indonesia. These are 23 inches ending with a C. I had the frets redone by a luthier (it was crap) and installed (neck position only) on one, a Dimarzio strat-imitation pickup and on the other, another Dimarzio but imitation of the P- 90. I love them very much.
I have a mini-Jazzmaster in Surf Green, ands I love it! The intonation was ropey with the standard strings I use (10-46 NY-XL), so I found a set of 8-38, then tuned it to Open A. Works like a charm! The intonation is better, it stays in tune, and it's a great little thing to have around for riff ideas in the upper registers.
Now you know how Paul Gilbert , Steve Vai , Bucket head and E.T. the extraterrestrial feel when they pick up a regular guitar. It's great to have foot long fingers when playing a regular guitar
Haha I just bought a bass VI guitar, I imagine this is what playing a standard 25.5" scale will feel after spending a few weeks playing on a 30" scale. I've always wanted one of these micro guitars for shits and giggles. I think Ola at some point expressed interest in potentially making short scales for Solar. Would be interesting to see short scale guitars that aren't aimed at the bottom of the budget.
Short scale guitars can be fun. I find I play a bit differently on them, which is cool. It leads to developing some new aspects of your playing. And I am not a shredder, nor do I play one on CZcams. But I enjoy listening to some of them. Shred away.
Paul Gilbert is a great reason to justify just about anything. Never was scared off him from Mr. Big - my first encounter with him was that video for Scarified he did with Marco Minnemann in astronaut outfits back in the Google Video days. As for short scales, the only one I own is the Ibanez Talman TMB-35 short scale 5 string bass strung from E to C instead and it's great :D
I remember being a kid and just getting into some of the Shrapnel shred guys, so one day I ordered a bunch of CD's, cause they were not readily available at the local record store. I think I bought Vinnie Moore's first album, Cacophony and the first two Racer X albums. That first Racer X album was pretty good, but Second Heat really hooked me hard. I didn't get into Mr. Big until later, actually I had no idea he was in Mr. Big at first. It's like you said, you hear that song and you pass by it, kind of like Extreme and their biggest hit. It's like the sappiest music ever. But when I'm restring or working on guitars, sometimes I'll throw on that live concert in the background you mentioned. You have to dig a little deeper to find the good stuff. Never was a fan of short scale guitars though, I have a friend who let me borrow one and it was a total piece of junk.
@@CeolDeamhan You should have seen the sprint I made to the PC to verify the facts :D It's not often I have a relevant point to make and manage to get it made in time before everybody else :P
For those interested, some fender mustangs are only 20”. I scored one and immediately realized why Cobain liked messing with that scale length… feels effortless to play. Great video
I have a Squier Mini Strat. I tune it a step high, to F# instead of E standard, and this makes the scaling same as a "real" Strat with capo on 2nd fret. Much better tone, feel, and tuning stability! Guitar was nearly unusable in standard tuning; the giant thick strings (13s?) that the previous owner tried did not help.
I came upon Paul Gilbert from my guitar teacher giving me a copy of Paul Gilbert guitar lesson in the early 90s. I think it was called like Intense Rock. Anyhow he was everything I loathed in that he had the teased hair and the day glow and on and on but his personality and his ability to play kept me watching. Hes always seems so nice and laid back. I never forgot.
I have a sunburst one, it is a lot of fun. I put 11’s on it. It seems to help with the low E intonation. If you want a high end short scale, you can get a Rickenbacker 325 (like John Lennon’s) for about $3500.
I have two Ibanez MiKro guitars, one for me (black with upgraded chrome hardware) and one for my 10 year old daughter (white with upgraded black hardware). On hers, I installed neon purple and green Dimarzio pickups, neon pink knobs and switches, multi-colored neon strings and locking tuners. I also polished the frets and dressed the fret ends. Did the same to mine, except not neon colored components. They are both awesome playing and sounding shred machines, which my daughter loves! 🎸 🎸 🎸
Harmony also produced a series of short scale guitars in Lucite or Acrylic. I have a blue acrylic Harmony that I use when I'm traveling. I plug it into a Vox AC30 headphone amp if I'm in a hotel room somewhere and it works great.
@@strumminronin A Fat PAT in the bridge and a Lil Killer in the neck. I had to widen the neck pickup route and make a special adapter bracket for the Killer, since its a Strat size pickup, but this combo absolutely nails the tones I was going for.
Rickenbacker's 325C64 scale is 20.75". Obviously they're over priced and you can expect to wait a long time if you order from them. Don't think anyone would consider it for kids, though. You can just do some things with short scale necks you can't normally do, and you get a pretty unique tone out of them also
I built a 24" scale, 7.25" radius, "Parts-o-Sonic" - I love it! One of my favorite guitars. It's right here next me. Fender made some 22.5" scale Duo Sonics and Mustangs back in the pre-CBS days. I've played one, it's really short! I like the 24" better. A Strat is 25.5" , 1.5" don't sound like much but it is huge in scale length. The Baritone Strat is 27" !! I'm building one of those soon enough, got the neck and a Jazzmaster body.
24" actually are shortscales too, and in which case, they're fairly popular now with how every other indie band has a Fender or Squier Jaguar, Mustang, or Duo-Sonic. I just have to be a bit more careful playing them, because the force you put in does go a longer way in bending etc.
I have 2 shortscale guitars, - Epiphone Mini-Vee (the Zakk Wylde signature, with Marshall mini stack) - Aria Pro-II Urchin Junior. The first is aimed at kids, but it's also a signature guitar with bullseye print and Zakk's silhouette on the back. The Aria was made in 1983 in the fabled Matsumoku plant in Japan, and it's certainly not a kid's instrument - that little beast ROCKS! 🤘🤘🤘🤣 I always put regular guage strings on, but tuned up to either G or even A. The tension is still a bit less than on a normal sized, so you'd get great bends as well as really high notes - I can easily push the high E string to an earsplitting A 😀👍 And they're just fun to play! 😎🙏
You can get a mount for a single coil pickup that will fit into a humbucker surround, or you could make a small pick guard to load a single coil into. That might help improve the sound of the third switch position.
I own some First Act short scale guitars, they are approximately 21 inches in scale. They made some pretty cool shapes (ME276, ME3061) along with some full scale guitars as well, including the Adam Levine (Maroon 5) signature which I also own. They even had a USA custom shop line at one point, run by some ex-Gibson employees, that was highly albeit briefly, regarded. You may have to get one second hand as they may possibly be out of business, as they last few times I checked out their website it was not fully functional, which should not be an issue, as they are usually sold for less that 100 dollars US (excluding custom shop models)... Durango Guitars specializes in 24 inch scale guitars for those who may be interested. also Vox SDC-1 has a super short 18 inch scale length. I played some Black Metal on one at a Guitar Center, but it was too overpriced IMO (over $200!) Other well known short scales are listed by others in the comments.
Hmmm, never seen a quartersawn neck with cathedral grain on the back. A good quartersawn neck will have straight grain lines running along the back to match the straight lines top to bottom at the heel. You have a flatsawn neck there, my dude. Also those ray flakes would be on the back of the neck if it was quartered, not the side. Small pedantic quibble aside, thank you so much for doing a video on shorties! My favorite axe at the moment is a 21.5" mini strat with tremolo that I built up from a kit; originally building one for my kiddo then loving it so much that I made one for myself.
My first electric guitar was a '63 Fender Duo-Sonic that had been repainted red that I got when I was 16. The problem was that I knew very little about playing guitar beyond a year of lessons I had when I was 11. I eventually rectified that problem and learned how to play, albeit on a 94 Peavey Predator. I still have it, though, even though I don't really play it much, I do like to bust it out every few years. Of course, now that I know how to play, I appreciate it a lot more than I did at 17.
I went to the Paul Gilbert event here in California where they included with the cost a PGM guitar and his signature JHS pedal. We had a blast playing the mikro guitars... jamming in the wee hours. I tuned mine to open G and ripped slide on it since I have had an ongoing arthritic condition on my left ring finger (I'm right handed, so this is my fretting hand that is bad).... your advice about playing a short scale to help reach frets while suffering a hand riddled in pain seems like a good idea.
I got a Blackstar Carry-on and that is a lot shorter, i think it's 20.75" scale. I bought it for a very specific scenario but honestly I practice with it constantly because it's so easy to carry around. It's just easier to sit on the sofa and practice parts.
I got a Harley Benton 3/4 scale for my two girls (6and 9). Looks a bit like an rg. Agree it’s great fun, and so light. Does fall out of tune easy though. I’ve got wee hands so it’s great for that too. Really enjoying this series of videos by the way.
I have an Ibanez Mikro for teaching kids, it's great, but I had to fix some sharp frets. One of the schools that I teach at has a few squire minis too, they're also great for kids and seem to stay in tune pretty well. I also tried to buy a second hand Jackson minion in the local classifieds, but he wouldn't sell it for some reason, would have been good to do a comparison.
I have one of these. Fantastic little guitar. I was going to put locking Gotohs on it, but mine actually doesn't need them. I had it set up and the pickups wired like on a normal RG, with some Alnico 2s. In hindsight I probably should have stuck with ceramics.
I love short scaled guitars. So easy and fun. I've got a small spanish guitar. I take it with me everywhere. Doesn't need to be big and expensive to be fun. I do need to adapt my style to it. I'm a heavy bender, doesn't go well on that. Otherwise great fun. Cheers.
Surprised you never mentioned up-tuning as a benefit. Like you could put a set of 9s on it and tune it up to F# or G standard easily. Play like you've got a capo but with the proper open string sound and everything. That's what I'd do with one of these, use it for more creative tuning options. I'd also probably prefer trying Fripp's "New Standard Tuning" on one instead of a normal scale guitar because of the high G string.
Paul is still one of the greatest..my student loves my 2011 Les Paul custom prophecy gx so I pointed him to the Epiphone power player series.those are great 3/4 guitars the pick ups actually sound close to the pro buckers.hes 7 so it fits him we'll.cool guitar.cool video.🤘
No, the neck pickup is not flubby because of where it is located. It is located in exactly the same place relative to the size, and that's what matters. It is like that because the strings are loose and... it just sucks.
Artist guitars (Australia) sell a 3/4 st type with 3 pickup 5 way switch and hard tail. Perfectly playable for slightly bigger people, I got one as a damaged(paint chip) return for $48 Aus with tuner,bag and spare set of strings
Don't forget EVH's mini Les Pauls he used on "Little Guitars". There are a few vids of him playing it here on YT and they're even smaller. Not sure of the brand (Lotus?), but you can find them online. Cheers.
Bends are really cool on these shorter scale guitars (although perhaps not great for muscle memory when you go back to a normal guitar) Got one for my son when he was young but I enjoyed sitting and playing it. Years ago toy small guitars like this (as well as any 'les paul copy') were really poorly manufactured and difficult to keep in tune and play etc, but now they usually play really well.
I'd love to try a short scale someday. I am disabled and have chronic pain, muscular weakness, and some dexterity issues. I can't play 25.5" guitars, only 24.75" has been doable to me. Not sure about the PRS 25.0". But I never really thought about trying a short scale guitar, which would make everything easier to play with super easy bends and the frets being more in reach. Thanks for showing this guitar -- it's really cool!
Same size as my first fender squire strat when I was 8 so I could play shorter scale ment easier for my fingers to reach frets and learn properly and he's it was a fender squire strat in black with white pick guard I still have it to this day I'm now 30 and it still sounds amazing
I got this guitar when it came out, then bought 4 Gio/Mikro' s. Just fun to play. Fast lead guitars. Cool that the PGM, is not a GIO. tho i love the Gio line, and have many.
Just bought Hohner Rockwood Lx30. 18,5" scale 6 strinf guitar. For.like 40€ (209PLN). It's not premium. Has cheap ass single coil pickup which picks up vibrations of my phone, plastic keys and is made from MPL, so is heavier than my 7 string schecter omen. But it's so fun. I have it tuned to GDGCEC, so i can play rythm octave higher than my other guitar, and with C5 i can reach A6 on the last fret. It's so fun guitar.
When I was a kid I got a Erlewine Chiquita Travel Guitar, which is a 19" scale guitar, but was to me like a perfect fit until I finished elementary school. Unfortunately he had to sell it, but one day I will have one again. I would like to hear your opinion on these. Hope your eye is ok, great videao, great series!
As a life long machinist, please don't use steel wool. It doesn't polish anything, and leaves behind dissimilar metals, causing more corrosion and wear. A simple paste polish will make that soft fret alloy shine, and remove the minimal of material. Using steel wool on frets for 'polish', is like using 500 grit, metallic sandpaper to 'polish' a Ferrari. It's like painting a car near a railroad, you're BEGGING for more corrosion and wear, not less. As a life long guitar player, who plays everyday, and has a Strat, Tele, and PRS with the same frets for over 21 years, paste polish is BY FAR the way to go. Wanna keep those frets in even better shape, pure silicon spray lube, wiped on those said frets, before each session, will extend the life of the frets more than anything. Again, a 27 year old Strat, SAME FRETS AS DAY ONE, testifies to NEVER USE STEEL WOOL. FOR ANYTHING...and damn sure never bring it in my machine shop.
@@mrcoatsworth429 I don't use guitar products for polish, so I can't really say. In consumer quantities, Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish are hard to beat. A can of silicon spray goes a long way to keeping the polished fret's wear to a minimum.
@@colinstuckey1053 Fine scotchbrite is certainly better, but actual paste polish is far better than any abrasive media. At least scotchbrite won't leave ferrous dust in the open pore (rosewood) fingerboards, as well as imbedded in the fret alloy.
Hey, KDH, had some advice. And all guitar players, dont prop the guitar on a table by the neck. I have cracks at my heel joints on my guitars from doing this. Prop it up via the body. Edit: re-read this.. didn't mean to sound preachy, but you have some gorgeous guitars, I'm sure you don't want to damage them unintentionally while, ironically, doing maintenance
@@captaintony1227 yeah, I thought I had bad paint job on my Tele. Then I looked at my strat, which i knew was flawless when I first looked at it. Same crack, same spot. It's slightly upsetting that this isn't talked about more. I feel like there might be a lot of people with paint cracks at the neck and they blame the manufacturer, when it could have been from basic maintenance
If you ever get a chance, check out the 18 3/4" scale Vox SDC-1 Mini. Not perfect out of the box (the fret sprout is REAL), but they look good and sound decent. Quirky, but decent. An overlooked benefit to short scale guitars is the opportunity to setup unusual tunings. A2 Nashville is calling to me.
Yeah I kinda would like one just for the insane stretches you can do but I also wish they did a normal size of this pg signature idk I'm sure they've done it before I just ain't seen it like recently.
One of my first guitars was a 1993 Fender Duo Sonic that also had a 22.5" scale! It was a full size guitar with a crazy short scale length. I miss that guitar. If you ever see one try it out!
The flubby neck pickup sound is most likely a result of the overwound pickups Ibanez likes to use. Plus the normal gauge strings. Which is also probably the cause of the "rhythm" problem you mention. Low tension strings get flubby and can intonate weird on any scale length. You can go up in gauge for more solid feel and intonation, but you might sacrifice those 5 half step bends you're getting. I love short scale guitars. However, the Mikros are hardly the shortest intended to be tuned to standard E. The Erlewine Chiquita has been around decades and has a 19" (483mm) scale. It's intended to use heavy strings to compensate, but due to the very short scale, they don't feel overly tight. Harley Benton sells a similarly sized strat shaped one very inexpensively. They recommend using normal strings and tuning up to A. But with a little modification, it accepts heavy gauge strings and intonates to normal E just fine. You will never get a fatter guitar tone than a 19" scale guitar with a humbucker strung with heavy strings and tuned to E.
@@SionynJones According to the wiki, the PG Mikro ships with Ibanez Infinity R pickups. FWIW, I actually own two Ibanez Mikros, normal models, one from the first couple years they came out, and one the most recent revision with the five position switch and Infinity R pickups. Infinity R pickups are definitely wound hotter, higher inductance pickups than the humbuckers they used in the earlier version, known as their Powersound humbuckers. As pure humbuckers, I prefer the older Powersounds, however, the five position switch wiring that the Infinitys allow is really nice.
Like this comment if size matters
no big deal
Explain its smolness
Err that’s not quarter sawn it’s flat sawn… quarter sawn would be straight up and down…
Does it get a snappy tone around bigger guitars?
Size does matter, because of physics. But I actually do like short scale and baritone guitars, because of physics. ;-)
Now I get it. It was made for normal people to be able to feel what Paul Gilbert would feel on a normal guitar.
This is gold 😂
This is TRUE. I always thought thata Guitara Scales are made for Tall people with long fingers... Come on.. South Easat Asian are 5'1 to 5'4 (average) that's HUGELY UNFAIR..
Call it RACIST.. butr I want my Short Scale Guitar..
I would bet Paul Gilbert CAN'T play that well if he's 5'2" or 5'4".I would bet Paul Gilbert CAN'T play that well if he's 5'2" or 5'4".
@@valcrist7428if he's 5'4 but has huge hands then it's be no problem. Then again haven't we all seen Asian kids with tiny hands shred with ease? 😅
Best thumbnail I've ever seen. small.
It smol 🥺
@@KDH little guy
I thought at first it was one of those little replica guitars that you sit on a desk or whatever, totally non-playable. I was surprised to see a real guitar.
All lower case
So very smol 👉👈
I remember hearing that the first 7 string was designed to have a high A instead of a low B, but the high A would always break during tuning, so they switched it to the low B we know today. I wonder if the combination of a 25.5"-22" multiscale length and an additional .008 string to serve as the high A would make that possible.
It’s def Doable, I’ve seen plenty of custom builds that do that on guitar forums
But even with all those considerations, getting an A4 is still REALLY difficult, those strings just Snap when subjected to that much tension, constantly
Even with custom string brands that claimed ability to tune that high (Octave 4 Plus comes to mind) that had special instructions for safely tuning up to A4, combined with shorter scales, people were still struggling to Keep a high A for long
I've definitely heard Steve Vai talking about his custom 7 string and how you had the option of which extra string you would like.
I remember Michael Angelo Batio talking about how he used a banjo string to get that high A but even then it still kept snapping
The low B is fuckin awesome too tho, fuck a high a
@@infinidominion djent lord located
This series is pure gold. Entertaining and informative, but casual in its presentation. Just delightful to watch!
Gotta have some non-scripted content every now and then. Glad to hear you like the format
@@KDH very much so! But I also like the long, thoroughly researched videos. You've got a nice balance with this series!
It's like Ola's guitar of the week segment, but with less chugging and fecal funnies. Not knocking him on fecal funnies, it seems to be a Swedish thing; Joel from Vinesauce is identical in that matter.
When I taught kids how to play guitars I owned tons of small acoustics and they were always so much fun to play.
I do enjoy having the short scale. I used to rip one out during gigs just to see crowd reaction. Had a mini Epiphone Zakk Wylde that I should have kept. Thanks for doing this series man and keep em coming!
I've got an LTD Mini Kirk for 2007ish. Great little guitar for screwing around with.
I just had to google what that Epiphone looks like and was not disappointed xD Absolutely hilarious looking axe.
In college I played a 5 string Blue Star Mandoblaster and most of my crowd comments were always an interesting mix of interest and straight up heckling, lol. But damn did that thing look tiny when I held it.
When my son was little, I bought him several small scale guitars and basses to try and make him a child prodigy. First kid expectations. I never thought of these advantages for myself.
Great video!
Haha, does he still play at least?
I wouldn't be the player I am today without an Ibanez Mikro. My first ever brand new guitar, starting with a partscaster that my brother built for me. I'm a pretty small guy, and I was an even smaller child so it was perfect for me. Eventually I traded it in to the same shop plus some cash for a blinged out Jackson RR3 once my hands got bigger and lived out my Bullet For My Valentine fantasies throughout my teens lol.
These are also great for tuning up. G standard is fun, like a capo but not confusing and more frets
I might give this a try... I crushed my entire upper left humorous bone years ago and I find it painful to play more than a half hour or so because my rebuilt shoulder doesn't have the range or motion anymore. I've adjust the best I can by positioning my picking hand closer toward the bottom of the neck instead of over the pickups or sound hole on my acoustics. I'm going to try to build a 21" scale length cigar box guitar in a month or so to see if that's easier than my 25' scale current cigar box guitar. Great video!
Good luck!
Sorta likewise. I have a duff shoulder too, amongst other old injuries. A little guitar like this is so helpful on those more achey days.
Mine was quarter sawn too even had nice flaming to it. I call this guitar my Ninja guitar. Even for a tall guy like me it doesn't look out of place the guitar is smaller but not that smaller.
For bigger hands it allows to stretch like you wouldn't be able to on a normal scale length. it's other pros that's it's portable and less face it absolutely killer.
The pickups really compliment the poplar body wood they are high output melt your faceoff and exactly what you need for killer leads. DiMarzio make a lot private label pickups for ibanez and are likely who make these. They have DiMarzio classic look and construction of brass backplate and ceramic magnets.
It's a lot of guitar for very little and lots of fun.
I had gotten two of these two years ago, the PGMM11 and PGMM31.
The 31 I modified and you can actually get away with 9’s fine which is fun cause I normally do 8’s on my 25.5” guitars!
I did:
DiMarzio pickups
Gotoh brass bridge
Gotoh 18:1 locking tuners
The string trees and the tuners are the big ones for tension:
The string trees, remove the spacers underneath “string tree” and use a shorter screw. Forces a ton of tension, that and the locking tuners that sit lower, it’s actually really good!!
I dig it. I bought a "Zeny" guitar from Wal-Mart and tricked it out for my nephew. It's the shortest scale length I've ever seen. It's about 20 & 1/4". Definitely a "child-sized" guitar. It came with a "middle position", single coil pickup (which I routed out to a bridge position, Dimarzio humbucker) then routed out the back to put a (licensed) Floyd Rose in it. A neon splatter paint job later and bam! The coolest guitar a little kid could ask for.
I am also one of the weirdo short scale modders. Ran 9s for a while, liked it. I'm on 9.5s now since I loved the way 10s felt too. I think it's a good compromise. Have you done anything to the nut? I made a custom body and have a Floyd on my former PGM, trying to find a locking solution around the nut. Think I might have one.
Don't forget Fernandes, ESP, Burny ,Lotus, Sammick, & Edwards. They all make FANTASTIC smaller models for the smaller handed market. I have a collection of over 200 mini guitars, so I 've scoured the earth / internets for all things mini. Although some totally need overhauls to get them playable, they are tons of fun!
Is there anything you'd recommend that's really, really cheap. I can't really afford a new guitar, but I have tiny hands and there are things I can not do on my Gio.
200 mini guitars! O_O
And how many regular ones?
Holy cow, you collect these? I love minis but didnt think there were even 200 options ever produced. I'm assuming you don't have any 7 strings, a short scale 7 would be so much fun (but ridiculous). I'm also really interested to know if you have found a decent headless option. Everyone who goes headless uses 25.5", since it's a much shorter guitar anyway, but the ultimate portable machine would have to be a short scale headless.
I have 2 Mini Squier Stratocasters made in Indonesia. These are 23 inches ending with a C. I had the frets redone by a luthier (it was crap) and installed (neck position only) on one, a Dimarzio strat-imitation pickup and on the other, another Dimarzio but imitation of the P- 90. I love them very much.
I have a mini-Jazzmaster in Surf Green, ands I love it!
The intonation was ropey with the standard strings I use (10-46 NY-XL), so I found a set of 8-38, then tuned it to Open A. Works like a charm! The intonation is better, it stays in tune, and it's a great little thing to have around for riff ideas in the upper registers.
When you said "Open A", I thought downtune open A. I have been thinking too much about stoner and doom metal lately.
@@JeanMarceaux bro same here i was like wtf is this guy playing
@@recipoldinasty bro be playing Dopethrone on worlds smallest violin fr
Son Paul Gilbert was from Racer X before all the other stuff. They were awesome I saw them at Fm station in the 70’s.
Now you know how Paul Gilbert , Steve Vai , Bucket head and E.T. the extraterrestrial feel when they pick up a regular guitar.
It's great to have foot long fingers when playing a regular guitar
Haha I just bought a bass VI guitar, I imagine this is what playing a standard 25.5" scale will feel after spending a few weeks playing on a 30" scale. I've always wanted one of these micro guitars for shits and giggles.
I think Ola at some point expressed interest in potentially making short scales for Solar. Would be interesting to see short scale guitars that aren't aimed at the bottom of the budget.
A solar short scale could be pretty awesome.
I like how you just name dropped “Ola” as if everyone knows who that is. Maybe think about that next time you comment, little boy.
Short scale guitars can be fun.
I find I play a bit differently on them, which is cool.
It leads to developing some new aspects of your playing.
And I am not a shredder, nor do I play one on CZcams.
But I enjoy listening to some of them.
Shred away.
Paul Gilbert is a great reason to justify just about anything.
Never was scared off him from Mr. Big - my first encounter with him was that video for Scarified he did with Marco Minnemann in astronaut outfits back in the Google Video days.
As for short scales, the only one I own is the Ibanez Talman TMB-35 short scale 5 string bass strung from E to C instead and it's great :D
I have one of these! Changed the string trees to roller ones, and it holds tune perfect now, such a little shredmachine!!
I remember being a kid and just getting into some of the Shrapnel shred guys, so one day I ordered a bunch of CD's, cause they were not readily available at the local record store. I think I bought Vinnie Moore's first album, Cacophony and the first two Racer X albums. That first Racer X album was pretty good, but Second Heat really hooked me hard. I didn't get into Mr. Big until later, actually I had no idea he was in Mr. Big at first. It's like you said, you hear that song and you pass by it, kind of like Extreme and their biggest hit. It's like the sappiest music ever. But when I'm restring or working on guitars, sometimes I'll throw on that live concert in the background you mentioned. You have to dig a little deeper to find the good stuff. Never was a fan of short scale guitars though, I have a friend who let me borrow one and it was a total piece of junk.
The Rickenbacker 325 played by John Lennon had a 20 3/4 inch scale length.
Was just about to comment this!
@@CeolDeamhan You should have seen the sprint I made to the PC to verify the facts :D It's not often I have a relevant point to make and manage to get it made in time before everybody else :P
Im so glad you’re finally getting recognized, you deserve it. Please never change.
For those interested, some fender mustangs are only 20”. I scored one and immediately realized why Cobain liked messing with that scale length… feels effortless to play.
Great video
I have the light metallic green one of these. I love it. It was actually setup pretty good from the factory.
I have a Squier Mini Strat. I tune it a step high, to F# instead of E standard, and this makes the scaling same as a "real" Strat with capo on 2nd fret. Much better tone, feel, and tuning stability! Guitar was nearly unusable in standard tuning; the giant thick strings (13s?) that the previous owner tried did not help.
I came upon Paul Gilbert from my guitar teacher giving me a copy of Paul Gilbert guitar lesson in the early 90s. I think it was called like Intense Rock. Anyhow he was everything I loathed in that he had the teased hair and the day glow and on and on but his personality and his ability to play kept me watching. Hes always seems so nice and laid back. I never forgot.
Lovely, the Ibanez GIO Mikro is also a short scale (mini) guitar and I can assure you (as the owner of one of those) that the target isn't kids
I have a sunburst one, it is a lot of fun. I put 11’s on it. It seems to help with the low E intonation. If you want a high end short scale, you can get a Rickenbacker 325 (like John Lennon’s) for about $3500.
I have two Ibanez MiKro guitars, one for me (black with upgraded chrome hardware) and one for my 10 year old daughter (white with upgraded black hardware). On hers, I installed neon purple and green Dimarzio pickups, neon pink knobs and switches, multi-colored neon strings and locking tuners. I also polished the frets and dressed the fret ends. Did the same to mine, except not neon colored components. They are both awesome playing and sounding shred machines, which my daughter loves! 🎸 🎸 🎸
Dude with a collection like that- I'm coming over to jam! ha ha cheers from Los Angeles.
Harmony also produced a series of short scale guitars in Lucite or Acrylic. I have a blue acrylic Harmony that I use when I'm traveling. I plug it into a Vox AC30 headphone amp if I'm in a hotel room somewhere and it works great.
My Ibanez Mikro Gio is one of my favorite instruments! Super cheap guitar with super cheap GFS pickups, plays and sounds surprisingly fantastic.
I have soom GFS too. I have the Redactives and I really like them. Which ones are you using?
@@strumminronin A Fat PAT in the bridge and a Lil Killer in the neck. I had to widen the neck pickup route and make a special adapter bracket for the Killer, since its a Strat size pickup, but this combo absolutely nails the tones I was going for.
Rickenbacker's 325C64 scale is 20.75". Obviously they're over priced and you can expect to wait a long time if you order from them. Don't think anyone would consider it for kids, though. You can just do some things with short scale necks you can't normally do, and you get a pretty unique tone out of them also
I built a 24" scale, 7.25" radius, "Parts-o-Sonic" - I love it! One of my favorite guitars. It's right here next me. Fender made some 22.5" scale Duo Sonics and Mustangs back in the pre-CBS days. I've played one, it's really short! I like the 24" better. A Strat is 25.5" , 1.5" don't sound like much but it is huge in scale length. The Baritone Strat is 27" !!
I'm building one of those soon enough, got the neck and a Jazzmaster body.
24" actually are shortscales too, and in which case, they're fairly popular now with how every other indie band has a Fender or Squier Jaguar, Mustang, or Duo-Sonic. I just have to be a bit more careful playing them, because the force you put in does go a longer way in bending etc.
That's cool. I think I will get one, for my grandson.
I love this format of videos, I need more
I have 2 shortscale guitars,
- Epiphone Mini-Vee (the Zakk Wylde signature, with Marshall mini stack)
- Aria Pro-II Urchin Junior.
The first is aimed at kids, but it's also a signature guitar with bullseye print and Zakk's silhouette on the back.
The Aria was made in 1983 in the fabled Matsumoku plant in Japan, and it's certainly not a kid's instrument - that little beast ROCKS! 🤘🤘🤘🤣
I always put regular guage strings on, but tuned up to either G or even A.
The tension is still a bit less than on a normal sized, so you'd get great bends as well as really high notes - I can easily push the high E string to an earsplitting A 😀👍
And they're just fun to play! 😎🙏
Cool. And now I know you're in Ireland, I'll subscribe.
Great to see another Irish metalhead!
LOVE these so much i've got 3...one i put some flat-wound / jazz strings , not sure what gauge , but they really are SO MUCH FUN TO PLAY
I bought my wife a 3/4 scale Ibanez bass, with similar design philosophy. It sounds and plays great.
How much did it cost?
I love my Ibanez mikro
You can get a mount for a single coil pickup that will fit into a humbucker surround, or you could make a small pick guard to load a single coil into. That might help improve the sound of the third switch position.
I have a Washburn acoustic guitar that has an 8.5 inch scale from the nut to the 12th fret. Truly tiny, and ALOT OF FUN! I have a set of 12's on it.
I own some First Act short scale guitars, they are approximately 21 inches in scale. They made some pretty cool shapes (ME276, ME3061) along with some full scale guitars as well, including the Adam Levine (Maroon 5) signature which I also own. They even had a USA custom shop line at one point, run by some ex-Gibson employees, that was highly albeit briefly, regarded. You may have to get one second hand as they may possibly be out of business, as they last few times I checked out their website it was not fully functional, which should not be an issue, as they are usually sold for less that 100 dollars US (excluding custom shop models)...
Durango Guitars specializes in 24 inch scale guitars for those who may be interested.
also Vox SDC-1 has a super short 18 inch scale length. I played some Black Metal on one at a Guitar Center, but it was too overpriced IMO (over $200!) Other well known short scales are listed by others in the comments.
Hmmm, never seen a quartersawn neck with cathedral grain on the back. A good quartersawn neck will have straight grain lines running along the back to match the straight lines top to bottom at the heel. You have a flatsawn neck there, my dude. Also those ray flakes would be on the back of the neck if it was quartered, not the side.
Small pedantic quibble aside, thank you so much for doing a video on shorties! My favorite axe at the moment is a 21.5" mini strat with tremolo that I built up from a kit; originally building one for my kiddo then loving it so much that I made one for myself.
My first electric guitar was a '63 Fender Duo-Sonic that had been repainted red that I got when I was 16. The problem was that I knew very little about playing guitar beyond a year of lessons I had when I was 11. I eventually rectified that problem and learned how to play, albeit on a 94 Peavey Predator.
I still have it, though, even though I don't really play it much, I do like to bust it out every few years. Of course, now that I know how to play, I appreciate it a lot more than I did at 17.
paul gilbert, was one of the first shreddy guitarists i recognized…he is a cool guy!
aaaand dont forget the esp/edwards mini guitars
I went to the Paul Gilbert event here in California where they included with the cost a PGM guitar and his signature JHS pedal. We had a blast playing the mikro guitars... jamming in the wee hours. I tuned mine to open G and ripped slide on it since I have had an ongoing arthritic condition on my left ring finger (I'm right handed, so this is my fretting hand that is bad).... your advice about playing a short scale to help reach frets while suffering a hand riddled in pain seems like a good idea.
I got a Blackstar Carry-on and that is a lot shorter, i think it's 20.75" scale. I bought it for a very specific scenario but honestly I practice with it constantly because it's so easy to carry around. It's just easier to sit on the sofa and practice parts.
3/4 is a great size. So many guitar players play in the upper positions that they don't really need a full-size guitar.
I got a Harley Benton 3/4 scale for my two girls (6and 9). Looks a bit like an rg. Agree it’s great fun, and so light. Does fall out of tune easy though. I’ve got wee hands so it’s great for that too.
Really enjoying this series of videos by the way.
I have an Ibanez Mikro for teaching kids, it's great, but I had to fix some sharp frets. One of the schools that I teach at has a few squire minis too, they're also great for kids and seem to stay in tune pretty well. I also tried to buy a second hand Jackson minion in the local classifieds, but he wouldn't sell it for some reason, would have been good to do a comparison.
I have one of these. Fantastic little guitar. I was going to put locking Gotohs on it, but mine actually doesn't need them. I had it set up and the pickups wired like on a normal RG, with some Alnico 2s. In hindsight I probably should have stuck with ceramics.
I love short scaled guitars. So easy and fun. I've got a small spanish guitar. I take it with me everywhere. Doesn't need to be big and expensive to be fun. I do need to adapt my style to it. I'm a heavy bender, doesn't go well on that. Otherwise great fun. Cheers.
It's a superb deal you've got there. Looking to buy one here but no luck.
Surprised you never mentioned up-tuning as a benefit. Like you could put a set of 9s on it and tune it up to F# or G standard easily. Play like you've got a capo but with the proper open string sound and everything. That's what I'd do with one of these, use it for more creative tuning options. I'd also probably prefer trying Fripp's "New Standard Tuning" on one instead of a normal scale guitar because of the high G string.
My back hurts just watching you work at that short table.
Paul is still one of the greatest..my student loves my 2011 Les Paul custom prophecy gx so I pointed him to the Epiphone power player series.those are great 3/4 guitars the pick ups actually sound close to the pro buckers.hes 7 so it fits him we'll.cool guitar.cool video.🤘
As a grown-ass man with tiny little baby hands, I need one of these immediately.
No, the neck pickup is not flubby because of where it is located. It is located in exactly the same place relative to the size, and that's what matters. It is like that because the strings are loose and... it just sucks.
I got the metallic green one for my son. Bit of attention to the fret ends and some cheap locking tuners and it's a great fun guitar.
Good practice for beginner's because there's not much tension. So it forces you to learn the proper way.
Artist guitars (Australia) sell a 3/4 st type with 3 pickup 5 way switch and hard tail. Perfectly playable for slightly bigger people, I got one as a damaged(paint chip) return for $48 Aus with tuner,bag and spare set of strings
You're welcome for the code rock on
Don't forget EVH's mini Les Pauls he used on "Little Guitars". There are a few vids of him playing it here on YT and they're even smaller. Not sure of the brand (Lotus?), but you can find them online. Cheers.
Capo a regular super strat type guitar, and you got this.
The only thing I don’t like looking at this guitar is the fake f holes but it looks and sounds great apart from that, great video
Bends are really cool on these shorter scale guitars (although perhaps not great for muscle memory when you go back to a normal guitar) Got one for my son when he was young but I enjoyed sitting and playing it. Years ago toy small guitars like this (as well as any 'les paul copy') were really poorly manufactured and difficult to keep in tune and play etc, but now they usually play really well.
I'd love to try a short scale someday. I am disabled and have chronic pain, muscular weakness, and some dexterity issues. I can't play 25.5" guitars, only 24.75" has been doable to me. Not sure about the PRS 25.0". But I never really thought about trying a short scale guitar, which would make everything easier to play with super easy bends and the frets being more in reach. Thanks for showing this guitar -- it's really cool!
Same size as my first fender squire strat when I was 8 so I could play shorter scale ment easier for my fingers to reach frets and learn properly and he's it was a fender squire strat in black with white pick guard I still have it to this day I'm now 30 and it still sounds amazing
I got this guitar when it came out, then bought 4 Gio/Mikro' s. Just fun to play. Fast lead guitars. Cool that the PGM, is not a GIO. tho i love the Gio line, and have many.
Just bought Hohner Rockwood Lx30. 18,5" scale 6 strinf guitar. For.like 40€ (209PLN). It's not premium. Has cheap ass single coil pickup which picks up vibrations of my phone, plastic keys and is made from MPL, so is heavier than my 7 string schecter omen.
But it's so fun. I have it tuned to GDGCEC, so i can play rythm octave higher than my other guitar, and with C5 i can reach A6 on the last fret.
It's so fun guitar.
I have that guitar and the Squier Mini Strat in Red....not playin them very much, but they look extremly cool on the Wall😎
When I was a kid I got a Erlewine Chiquita Travel Guitar, which is a 19" scale guitar, but was to me like a perfect fit until I finished elementary school. Unfortunately he had to sell it, but one day I will have one again. I would like to hear your opinion on these. Hope your eye is ok, great videao, great series!
btw the only red guitar I ever had and will ever acquire..
I used to have a mini strat and it was pretty fun.
Rickenbacker has the 325C64, even shorter at 21 inch scale
That short scale guitar would be perfect for nailing the outro solo to “bark at the moon”….thats a hand cramper for sure!!!!
I have extremely small hands coupled with pretty bad arthritis. I love 22" scale guitars.
Awesome video dude. I love the format and you deserve this comment for the algorithm!
Happy to hear you like it. Thanks for the support !
This could be exactly what I'm looking for since I'm currently dealing with a nail injury and don't just wanna stop practicing for a couple months.
Props for all the PG bits that you learned 👍
The Rickenbacker 325 that John Lennon played is 21.5 inch scale I think... Really tiny and pretty high quality if you like Rics...
As a life long machinist, please don't use steel wool. It doesn't polish anything, and leaves behind dissimilar metals, causing more corrosion and wear. A simple paste polish will make that soft fret alloy shine, and remove the minimal of material. Using steel wool on frets for 'polish', is like using 500 grit, metallic sandpaper to 'polish' a Ferrari. It's like painting a car near a railroad, you're BEGGING for more corrosion and wear, not less.
As a life long guitar player, who plays everyday, and has a Strat, Tele, and PRS with the same frets for over 21 years, paste polish is BY FAR the way to go. Wanna keep those frets in even better shape, pure silicon spray lube, wiped on those said frets, before each session, will extend the life of the frets more than anything. Again, a 27 year old Strat, SAME FRETS AS DAY ONE, testifies to NEVER USE STEEL WOOL. FOR ANYTHING...and damn sure never bring it in my machine shop.
What do you think about those p4000 (I think) fret polishing sand papers/cloths?
@@mrcoatsworth429 I don't use guitar products for polish, so I can't really say. In consumer quantities, Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish are hard to beat. A can of silicon spray goes a long way to keeping the polished fret's wear to a minimum.
@@kennethc2466 thanks!
I don't use steel wool either, just look at the marks on fretboard if you go off target. Is fine scotchbrite any better???
@@colinstuckey1053 Fine scotchbrite is certainly better, but actual paste polish is far better than any abrasive media. At least scotchbrite won't leave ferrous dust in the open pore (rosewood) fingerboards, as well as imbedded in the fret alloy.
If I recall correctly the original Fender Mustangs as well as the Jags were 22.5 scale.
I've always wanted one of thise mikro tiny PG guitars to shred with ease with my long fingers
This is also a splendid travel guitar. The purposed travel guitars tend to be pricey compared to this one.
We need more guitar like this sold in asia
Hey, KDH, had some advice. And all guitar players, dont prop the guitar on a table by the neck. I have cracks at my heel joints on my guitars from doing this. Prop it up via the body.
Edit: re-read this.. didn't mean to sound preachy, but you have some gorgeous guitars, I'm sure you don't want to damage them unintentionally while, ironically, doing maintenance
I done damage to a few guitar while cleaning or repairing them your right about the neck
@@captaintony1227 yeah, I thought I had bad paint job on my Tele. Then I looked at my strat, which i knew was flawless when I first looked at it. Same crack, same spot. It's slightly upsetting that this isn't talked about more. I feel like there might be a lot of people with paint cracks at the neck and they blame the manufacturer, when it could have been from basic maintenance
If you ever get a chance, check out the 18 3/4" scale Vox SDC-1 Mini. Not perfect out of the box (the fret sprout is REAL), but they look good and sound decent. Quirky, but decent.
An overlooked benefit to short scale guitars is the opportunity to setup unusual tunings. A2 Nashville is calling to me.
Yeah I kinda would like one just for the insane stretches you can do but I also wish they did a normal size of this pg signature idk I'm sure they've done it before I just ain't seen it like recently.
I saw Mr Big open for Rush in ‘90 (maybe, it was the Presto tour). That’s it just sharing
Fender Japan has recently done a run of short scale strats, tele's and jazz masters, I believe also basses. They're proper high end fenders too.
The new Juniors are 24" though so not really that short. There are older shorter Fender Japan guitars though, MST-32 for example.
One of my first guitars was a 1993 Fender Duo Sonic that also had a 22.5" scale! It was a full size guitar with a crazy short scale length. I miss that guitar. If you ever see one try it out!
I’ve been looking for a 22.5” mustang for a while at a good price just cuz they look so funny lol
You pointing out that Mr Big is in fact Paul Gilbert himself opened my third eye.
The flubby neck pickup sound is most likely a result of the overwound pickups Ibanez likes to use. Plus the normal gauge strings. Which is also probably the cause of the "rhythm" problem you mention. Low tension strings get flubby and can intonate weird on any scale length. You can go up in gauge for more solid feel and intonation, but you might sacrifice those 5 half step bends you're getting.
I love short scale guitars. However, the Mikros are hardly the shortest intended to be tuned to standard E. The Erlewine Chiquita has been around decades and has a 19" (483mm) scale. It's intended to use heavy strings to compensate, but due to the very short scale, they don't feel overly tight. Harley Benton sells a similarly sized strat shaped one very inexpensively. They recommend using normal strings and tuning up to A. But with a little modification, it accepts heavy gauge strings and intonates to normal E just fine. You will never get a fatter guitar tone than a 19" scale guitar with a humbucker strung with heavy strings and tuned to E.
Definitely they most likely private label
DiMarzio pickups and are suited to Paul's shread style.
Agree a loss 2 inches isn't that much from standard scale length.
@@SionynJones According to the wiki, the PG Mikro ships with Ibanez Infinity R pickups. FWIW, I actually own two Ibanez Mikros, normal models, one from the first couple years they came out, and one the most recent revision with the five position switch and Infinity R pickups. Infinity R pickups are definitely wound hotter, higher inductance pickups than the humbuckers they used in the earlier version, known as their Powersound humbuckers. As pure humbuckers, I prefer the older Powersounds, however, the five position switch wiring that the Infinitys allow is really nice.