Short Scale Dred vs Standard Dred?

[Tom Frei]

Ok, I have some nice wood, getting ready for my third guitar, so its a sloped dred, but should I make it short scale, with the bridge near the center? Will that give it more boom? Or is the standard dred boomier? I want reverb!

[Mark Swanson]

It isn't a short scale that moves the bridge to the center, but it's the neck joint being at the 12th fret that does it. If you use a short scale and 14 frets, that actually puts the bridge nearer the soundhole.
If you want to move the bridge into the middle then use a regular scale and make it a 12 fret neck join.

[Michael Lewis]

There is a reason the traditional designs are still around, they work. If you change some aspect you can expect some variance in tonal and or structural response. Try it, you might like it. For reverb you need electronics.

[Tom Frei]

Ok, language barrier. Does anyone know the difference in sound between say a Collings standard dread, and a Collings 12 fret dred- the one with the 'classical' headstock style.

Reverb as in nice sounding guitar.

[Greg Robinson]

Tom, do you mean resonance?

[Tom Frei]

Yea.

[Clay Schaeffer]

The 12 fret dreds have a longer body, which does seem to add a little more "boom", reverberation, resonance, or what ever you may call it. <g> The slotted headstock was used on the older 12 fretters, but a flat peghead will work equally well.

[Tom Frei]

Are you sure they have a longer body? They look like normal dreds.

[Clay Schaeffer]

Hi Tom,
I don't know what Colling's does for their 12 fret Dreds, but the old Martin guitars had a longer body. When they went to the 14 fret neck they shortened the body as they did with the other models.

[Michael Lewis]

Collings 12 fret dread is a longer body much like the Martin 12 fret models.

[Tom Frei]

Ok, so are there plans available? I guess Blues Creek guy would have them?