3/4 Guitar Build - Scaling help needed.

[spindlebox]

The singer in my band wants a flying V, but we need to build it 3/4 scale.  I am considering getting this template (or one like it)

https://www.electricherald.com/shop/guitar-dxf-gibson-flying-v-2016-t/

It needs to be a 22.5" scale length, I'm wondering if I can scale down this template as a starting point, until I get that scale length locked in and things are proportional?  Would that work?

I say it needs to be 22.5" because she's currently playing my Fender Duo Sonic and it's perfect for her.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Bizman62]

I've often said that an electric guitar is just a piece of 2x4 with some additional "wings" that serve both aesthetics and ergonomics - and a place for electronics.

Knowing the desired scale length is crucial, all the rest can be modified to fit that. Your plan to scale the template to a known scale length is viable, however I might not bother spending money on a blueprint since all the information would be wrong. In a 3/4 sized guitar there's still a bunch of full size things starting from all the hardware and electrickery. There's no 3/4 sized tuners or pickups or bridges! The only thing that comes in smaller sizes is the pots. Even the neck break angle in a downsized guitar is different to a full size one if you use the same bridge for both.

That said, there's free plans available which you can scale and use as an outline template to get the shape right. But you'll have to measure the places for the bridge and pickups to get them right and find tuners that fit to a smaller headstock. There'll be lots of redesigning involved! I suggest you take a full 3/4 sized drawing and redraw all the hardware over it to see if it fits The neck pickup is what worries me the most as the body is very narrow there.

Here's a quick and dirty comparison how the full size pickups and bridge would fit a 3/4 body:

As you can see, a 3/4 body would require drastic redesigning. A single pickup would fit better  etc.

BUT!!! Then I did some math! If a 22.5" scale is perfect for her, why go down to 3/4 (75%)? A full size V uses the 24.75" scale length and 22.5" is 91% of that. And voilà! You'd only have to push the stoptail a bit back:

Well, actually I downsized the right one to 90%....

 

[spindlebox]

Well I just used the 3/4 scale as a blanket term, not really as an accurate unit of measurement, the scale length is the key element.  YES!  Your 2nd drawing looks just like what we need.  Thanks for figuring that out for me HAHA.  So I'll get a free template and see what I can figure out.  I appreciate it my friend!!!

[Bizman62]

Glad I could help.

It actually seems that 3/4 is used for guitars that are just slightly smaller! Didn't know that, I was thinking about something closer to the half sized ones. Apparently the fraction markings in stringed instruments aren't accurate! A quick comparison at Thomann's revealed that a 1/8 size acoustic is about 76% of the length of a full size one! And a 3/4 of the same brand is 91% of the 4/4.

I stand corrected.

[spindlebox]

16 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Glad I could help.

It actually seems that 3/4 is used for guitars that are just slightly smaller! Didn't know that, I was thinking about something closer to the half sized ones. Apparently the fraction markings in stringed instruments aren't accurate! A quick comparison at Thomann's revealed that a 1/8 size acoustic is about 76% of the length of a full size one! And a 3/4 of the same brand is 91% of the 4/4.

I stand corrected.

Shoot, I was just repeating something that I'd heard others say.  It gets us in the ballpark!!!  

I definitely need to make some smaller templates to make guitars for smaller people!  One of my objectives is to make guitars for kids that can't afford them. 

[Bizman62]

1 hour ago, spindlebox said:

I definitely need to make some smaller templates to make guitars for smaller people!  One of my objectives is to make guitars for kids that can't afford them. 

Well, there's a luthier here in Finland that makes half sized electric three string guitars and one string basses for children - but the prices are 850 a piece! No wonder, though, I've met the guy and the build quality is excellent. But considering you can get a short scale six string strat type for 70 that's a lot of money. Now the big question is, can you build guitars below that? Agreed, the sub-100 guitars usually need some TLC worth another 100 before they're fully playable but so do much more expensive guitars. It may not pay.

Beautiful idea, though.

[spindlebox]

4 minutes ago, Bizman62 said:

Well, there's a luthier here in Finland that makes half sized electric three string guitars and one string basses for children - but the prices are 850 a piece! No wonder, though, I've met the guy and the build quality is excellent. But considering you can get a short scale six string strat type for 70 that's a lot of money. Now the big question is, can you build guitars below that? Agreed, the sub-100 guitars usually need some TLC worth another 100 before they're fully playable but so do much more expensive guitars. It may not pay.

Beautiful idea, though.

 It helps using reclaimed materials and I have a partner with a business that changes out a ton of hardware That he is going to send to me. Nothing wrong with the hardware, Just not the most expensive stuff.  That will help a ton!