For those Byrdland Owners......

[smips65]

:-

 

 

Got to really looking at my Sorento today, and as I haven't really ever had the option of playing

with one of those very fine Byrdlands, I started playing around with the tape measure, and suddenly thought, you know, this sorento really isn't that far off.

 

 

Yes yes, I know, the electronics, the materials, so on and so on, but in general,

the scale, body size, and shape are very similar.

 

 

Specifications: Byrdland

* 1 11/16" wide bone nut

* bound ebony fingerboard

* block mother-of-pearl fingerboard markers

* 23 1/2" scale length

* bound peghead

* 16 7/8" wide lower bout dimension

* 2 1/8" deep sides

* solid carved spruce top

* solid carved flamed maple back

* solid flamed maple sides and neck

* multiple bound body

* bound f-holes

* bound tortoiseshell pickguard

* two '57 Classic humbucking pickup

* Florentine cutaway body design

* gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish

 

All the things I underlined in the spec list, mine is, or close enough to count, (in my imagination anyway)

Mine is only 1 5/8 deep", and the bout is 16 1/4"

 

 

A while back I developed my own shortcut way of figuring out the scale.

Not from the manufacturing point of view, rather a playing perspective.

I just simply measure from the nut to the 12th fret.

Usually most come in around 12 5/8" or a bit over, this one I have measures at under 12 1/4"

 

This may seem like a convuluted way of looking at scale, but the whole thing with the Byrdland was the size, and scale, so it would be easier to play "more quickly". Speed was the factor for Hank and Billy, not that they needed something easier to play. With that idea in mind, it's the music around the nut that's hard to play, with the frets so far apart. the difference between 12.7" and 12.3" may not seem like that much, but when you have short stubby fingers it really is.

 

So you multitudes out there with Casinos, and the few Byrdland owners, what is the measurement from nut to 12th?

 

 

 

 

Why am I asking this, well I have long gassed for a Byrdland, Mostly because of it's size, and scale.

After playing around with the Sorento, and trying to compare, (albeit, on the net), seems these Sorentos, and Casinos aren't so far off from the Byrdland size factorwise.

 

Maybe I (and some of you) don't need to be GASSING for a Byrdland anymore........