The short scale guitar is the perfect instrument for musicians who want to keep their budget in check but want to get the sound and feel of a full-size guitar. This top 10 best short scale guitar has become increasingly popular in recent years, and for a good reason. Creating a warm, rich tone that’s perfect for any genre of music. If you’re looking for a short-scale guitar, you’ve come to the right place! (Find out the difference between short scale guitars and long scale bass guitars)
First off, it’s worth mentioning that short scale guitars are usually lighter than their full-size counterparts. It means they will be easier to transport, essential if you live in a small apartment with limited storage space.
Second offers higher quality components at better prices than some of their full-size counterparts. And Thirdly, many of these guitars are made from high-quality woods like mahogany or maple instead of cheaper hardwoods like pine or walnut because they sound better when amplified through an amp or PA system. Finally, many of these guitars come with built-in pickups, so you can plug them directly into your amplifier or PA system without needing additional cables or adapters.
Top 10 Best Short Scale Guitars
The 10 best short scale guitars have many great features, and we’ve got them all listed below.
- Squier Mini Stratocaster
- Fender Mustang P90
- Sterling by Music Man Cutlass
- Cordoba Mini II M
- Ibanez GRGM
- Fender Duosonic
- Jackson Dinky Minion JS1X
- Loog Mini
- Oscar Schmidt OS-30
- Rogue Rocketeer RR50
1) Squier Mini Stratocaster
Squier’s Mini Stratocaster guitar is a vibrant, compact electric with a short scale. It is an excellent choice for children looking for a smaller, more affordable instrument. The compact body and short scale make it easy for kids to play and allow them to learn how to strum, pluck, and finger picks without worrying about long fingers or a long neck.
Pros:
- Affordable price (starting from $150)
- Easy to play
- Built-in tuner
Cons:
- Not as durable
2) Fender Mustang 90
The Fender Mustang 90 guitar is a solid-body electric guitar with a distinctive double-cutaway body favored by many rock, jazz, and blues artists. The Mustang 90 is designed with a fast-playing neck and comfortable body shape, making it ideal for players of all levels and styles.
Pros:
- Great feel and sound
- Chrome hardware
- Durable construction
- Great for any player
Cons:
- High frets fingerboard
- Expensive for some newbies
3) Sterling by Music Man Cutlass
Sterling by Music Man Cutlass is an excellent guitar for beginners and intermediate players. The cutaway body allows you to reach the upper frets without getting on your knees, and the full-size neck makes it easier for you to play chords. It also has a rosewood fretboard with 22 nickel-plated frets, which makes it easier to learn new skills on this instrument.
Pros:
- Easy to play
- Excellent tone quality
- Affordable
Cons:
- Very fragile pickguard
- Not very durable
4) Cordoba Mini II M
Cordoba Mini II M is a guitar that has been improved and has many advantages over its predecessor. The body shape has changed, and the neck is now made of maple, which makes it more stable and durable. This guitar is suitable for beginners because of its compact size and ease of playability.
It can be used as an acoustic or electric guitar, depending on what you want to do with it. It is also suitable for intermediate players who want to upgrade their sound quality but don’t want to spend too much money on their new instruments.
Pros:
- Compact
- Easy to use
- Long cord
- Comes with an AC adapter
Cons:
- Fairly high price
5) Ibanez GRGM
The Ibanez GRGM is a solid guitar for beginners. The most impressive aspect of this guitar is its price tag. The Ibanez GRGM is much cheaper than most other guitars on the market and still delivers some of the same features as other guitars.
The body of this guitar is made from mahogany wood and stained black. It helps to give it a nice, dark look that makes it stand out from other guitars in its price range. It also feels solid when you pick up the guitar and hold it in your hand.
Pros:
- Comfortable
- Cool effects
- Abundance of accessories
Cons:
- Noisy pickups
- Hard to play
6) Fender Duo Sonic
The Fender Duo Sonic is a guitar that is designed with the idea of combining two different tones into one instrument. It’s meant to provide a more powerful sound than you would get from a standard electric guitar, and it does this by using two amps at once.
It is a guitar with a built-in amplifier designed to make playing easier. The amp has four channels: clean, lead, rhythm, and distortion. Each channel has its volume knob and tone control. You can also use your own effects pedals with the amp via an FX loop.
Pros:
- One Duo-Sonic single-coil neck pickup; one Duo-Sonic humbucking bridge pickup with coil-split capability
- Master Volume and Tone controls; three-way pickup switch
- Adjustable tuning pegs
Cons:
- A not very accurate onboard tuner
- Difficult to use for some learners
7) Jackson Dinky Minion JS1X
The Jackson JS1X is an excellent guitar for beginners and easy-to-play body shape. It’s also affordable, so you won’t have to worry about the budget.
The overall tone is pretty good, with some crisp and deep lows that give you a full sound. The action is low enough that it’s easy to play chords but still high enough that you can get some nice bends and vibratos out of it without spending hours trying to figure out how to play appropriately.
Pros:
- Easy-to-use interface for setting up
- Built-in speaker
- Bluetooth connectivity
Cons:
- Not support CD/DVD playback
8) Loog Mini
Loog Mini is specially designed for small hands, with low string action, perfect intonation and nylon strings for a beautiful classical guitar sound. Loog Mini is a small, lightweight guitar that is easy to carry around. It is perfect for children ages 3+. It has a basswood body with a maple neck with adjustable guitar bridge. Making playing the guitar very comfortable, especially if your child just starting out guitar journey. With the Loog Mini, kids feel rewarded and encouraged to keep on playing and learning.
Pros:
- Easy to use for children
- Easy to transport
- Compatible with other Loog products
Cons:
- None as available in cheap price
9) Oscar Schmidt OS-30
The Oscar Schmidt OS-30 is an excellent guitar for beginners. The Oscar Schmidt OS-30 has a fast and reliable action with a brass bearing surface with more friction than steel, providing players with a superior touch. It is supported by an ergonomically designed bridge for comfort, enabling players to produce a smooth and consistent tone.
It offers a clean-cut look and is optimized for performance, which automatically delivers the premium sound you’ll love. The adjustable stop tailpiece provides the perfect resistance against the frets and enhances durability.
Pros:
- Good longevity
- Reliable
- Adjustable setting
Cons:
- Outweigh
- Lack of versatility
10) Rogue Rocketeer RR50
The Rogue Rocketeer “Mini” electric guitar is everything you need in an intermediate-sized acoustic-electric. It offers a whole acoustic tone with powerful sustain but without a fully hollow body for more accessible travel. The craftsmanship of the Rocketeer is second to none and built with top-quality components, including a high output humbucking pickup, die-cast tuners, and brass string saddle.
Pros:
- Cheaper
- Fairly reliable
- Comfortable to play
Cons:
- Lack of versatility
Buying Guide: How to Choose Best Short Scale Guitars
There are so many great electric guitars out there to choose from. However, it can be unclear to understand exactly which features to look for. If you’re interested in buying an electric guitar, you’ll first need to be familiar with the basic features of short-scaled guitars. The same rules apply to any other category of instruments.
1. Design
If you’re looking for a beginner guitar, it’s essential to understand that the scale length affects pitch. Short-scale guitars are designed for beginner guitarists to learn because shorter scale lengths allow for lower string tensions and more effortless playability. They’re known as acoustic-electric guitars but work just as well on an electric amp as they do through a PA system. Professional musicians should not use these instruments because they tend to underperform compared to the full-size models.
2. Scale length
The scale length describes the distance between the nut and bridge. It’s a measure of how long you can use each string. The shorter the instrument, the closer it is to each string’s fretboard – which means more access for playing bigger, heavier chords and scales.
When it comes to short-scale guitars, most of them are limited to only 12 frets. The smaller scale length can make the instrument easier to play and help you produce a more convincing tone than long-scale instruments.
3. Bridge
It is a very personal preference for bridge types. The most important thing about bridges is finding what feels the most comfortable in your hands, which will differ for each person. You don’t look for a short-scale guitar with a tremolo bridge at every cost. It’s better to have a more reliable fixed bridge than to risk it with a lower-quality tremolo. And finally, if you’ve never played before nor have no experience in playing guitar, don’t get an expensive model. It will just frustrate you if you can’t reach the strings so quickly on a beginner guitar.
Final thought
Best Short scale guitars are fun guitars with a lot to offer. And they’re not just for kids! These guitars can be great for any guitarist who wants a smaller guitar that sounds excellent, plays well, and feels good in your hands. Are if looking for a short scale guitar that punches way above its weight? The Fender Mustang, Ibanez Du-soft 7, and Ibanez MGB7 are all fun guitars that sound great and have lots of versatility.
