carousel182 Posted January 29, 2009 Report Share Posted January 29, 2009 Hey, I'm kind of bored and waiting to get to the lumber yard so I figure I'll do a neat little project for someone.. I'm thinking of using some of the spare parts I have and putting together a small scale electric. I have one question though, how small, in your opinion, should a guitar be for a 4-5 year old child? I was thinking like a 17" scale length. Any tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Carousel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 17" is a concert ukulele scale. I built one and it fits the 4 year old who's playing it perfectly. He'll outgrow it in a year or two, but he's big. My advice, only go with 4 strings. EBGD, but you'll probably tune up a fifth. A five year old has little hands. Also, use a zero fret, with the strings so short, you get big tuning/intonation issues at the first fret unless the action is super low. Lastly, I wouldn't bother with a truss rod. Go with carbon fiber or steel truss rod. I used a blue lace sensor because I didn't have to worry about string spacing, and the taper was pretty extreme with a 17 inch scale and 6 strings. Good luck! Todd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted January 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 Hmmm, I was hoping to go with something very cheap for pickups, and an adjustable intonation bridge. I don't wanna use anything expensive hardware wise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToddW Posted January 30, 2009 Report Share Posted January 30, 2009 (edited) Oh, I wasn't suggesting the lace, just saying it was how I got around lining up the pup studs and strings. If I did it again I'd use a cheaper PUP and put a cover over it. I'd also use a cheap fixed bridge, go for 4 strings, not six, and pull off the outside saddles. I was silly and used the Schaller roller bridge so I could narrow the spacing. 4 string chords are much easier for a kid, and they never just play the top 4, they always bang away on every string. Well at least that's what my kids and my friends did. Edited January 30, 2009 by ToddW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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