GA4 vs GC4

[MikeRGR]

Need some advice please

Im looking at a GA4 and a GC4       The GA has a 25 1/2  scale length and the GC has a 24 7/8 scale length

I assume the fret spacing is the same on both  maybe with the GC having a shorter neck??   I realize the GC body is 1/2" shorter

My question is what differences may I notice in playability between the two even though the GC is only 1/2" shorter

Thanks in advance

mike

[Soaz]

Mike,

I have a 412 or GC4. It is my favorite guitar. It is easier to fret than a "full scale" guitar. The neck has 14 frets "clear" as any 14 fret guitar.
It's the bridge placement and body size that changes.

It is not a loud guitar. I strum mine mostly. It sounds great but I play softly. The GA will be louder, if you play for others or "Gig". I am a small person so a smaller guitar is nice.

It's a comfortable guitar to play and sounds great, not quite a year old. I prefer phospher bronze strings.

Play both if you can, it's a personal decision.

Good luck, Rick

The Ga people will chime in, they are great guitars too.

[robhanesworth]

Your assumption that the fret spacing is the same is incorrect. The frets will be slightly closer together on a shorter scale guitar. You can verify this by measuring from the nut to the center of the twelfth fret. The distance will not be the same on guitars with different scales. The fret spacing must be adjusted to maintain intonation over the shorter string length of a short scale guitar.

That small bit of scale difference is distributed over the entire fretboard so is very small between any two frets but starts to be noticed when you stretch across several frets.

[Jersey tuning]

The GC short scale has less string tension than the full scale GA, meaning the GC takes less finger strength to fret notes and allows for easier string bending than the GA.

[jerrytubes]

The GC short scale has less string tension than the full scale GA, meaning the GC takes less finger strength to fret notes and allows for easier string bending than the GA.

You are correct, Jersey.  I have a 314ce, and the GA size I love, because I play bare fingered (no picks or finger picks) and I like the slight increase in volume the grand auditorium provides.  But the guitar is a little hard to chord close to the nut, like in making a B7.  I'm not an every day player, and if I lay off the guitar for a while, it takes a little bit of time to get the left hand fingers back in shape.  When I first brought it home, I wasn't sure if I loved it.  But now I do.

A LOT.  She my baby. 

[MikeRGR]

To Soaz, Rob, Jersey & Jerry

Thanks for taking time to get back to me
Your input has been very helpful

Thanks again

Take care

mike