Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
If she's already playing acoustic, a Fender scale length isn't going to be a problem - she's used to playing much higher tension and action already. Any electric is going to feel like heaven. As a fairly small person myself, I can tell you that body size/shape/depth is more of an issue than scale length or hand size - which can also be offset by how high she plays (look at Poison Ivy from the Cramps, rocking Gretsches, bud doing it fairly low). Oh yeah - and weight's a biggie.
As to humbuckers or single-coils, what style of music is she playing? Then again, you can learn to use just about anything in any style.
So my short list is still:
Musicman
Telecaster
Les Paul Junior
Les Paul Special
Gibson Nighthawk (just thought of that - remembered seeing Nancy Wilson with one)
I agree that the scale length isn't going to be a problem, though she loves playing on my Taylor GS Mini so she definitely seems to enjoy playing on shorter scale lengths, but I'd like to recommend something that she'd take to as easily as possible. Style of music is all sorts, pop/rock, blues, covers... great thinking on the Gibbo Nighthawk, that one hadn't occurred to me but I hear it's a very versatile option and they do look rather cool!
Budget is around R8000, hence looking at 2nd hand and at options like Les Paul Jr or a lower-end SG model. Not sure how many 2nd hand Nighthawks there are out there, what sort of price do they go for new, do you know?
