Shortening Excel Scale Length with new neck?

[Christopher Hillman]

I was thinking the other day about how I've struggled for years with string breakage on my Excel (Keyless) U-12. Theres a lot of info here on this being a more common problem with these guitars so I wont go into it in massive detail but, I used to use George L's Reinforced 11s which are now discontinued and yet to find a suitable replacement string.

My questions is has anyone here bought a new neck from Excel and taken it from 25 1/2" to 24 1/2" ? There doesnt seem to be any photos of a dismantled Excel but I'm guessing with a new neck butted up to the pickup routing you could re-drill the two bolt holes for the head stock to the desired 24 1/2" ?

I have read how tensions on keyless guitars are less than keyed but the fact of the matter is even Mitsuo doesnt recommend ordering the longer scale length these days.

Other than this problem its an amazing Guitar, sounds way better than my other Steels so maybe this is a way of future proofing it.
Interested to hear thoughts on this. Oh and by the way when the string breaks it doesnt break on the bridge, more in mid air.

Heres some photos of the Headstock, Neck and under the headstock.

Screenshot 2026-01-07 at 11.04.51.png

Screenshot 2026-01-07 at 11.05.02.png

Screenshot 2026-01-07 at 11.05.12.png

[Toshiyuki Shoji]

When I was working at Excel, I did this modification only once—replacing the neck of a Superb model of the same type as yours with a 616 mm (24 1/4") scale neck.

It’s not impossible, but it was a very involved and time-consuming job.
Also, your guitar’s headstock is fitted with the anti-cabinet-drop system, correct? That adds another layer of complexity to the work.

As a first and much simpler step, I recommend trying a D’Addario NYS011 for the 3rd string only.

For reference, I personally own the same type of 25 1/2" scale Superb model, and I use it tuned down a half step, which has worked well for me.

[Christopher Hillman]

Thanks for your reply Toshiyuki ! Great to get some first hand knowledge !

Mine does have the anti cabinet-drop system but I have it set so it doesnt do anything currently, I thought maybe I wouldnt replace it if I did this conversion.

Out of intrest does the neck slide in-between the Red arrows or is the whole thing 1 piece ?

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Other than tuning down and the string are there any other ways to fix the string breakages on these Excels? I will try the D’Addario NYS011

Its my main Guitar so hopefully once I get something that can take over for a while I can start to play with this even if it Is just trying different strings.

[Ian Rae]

For what it may be worth, Chris, I use GHS strings as originally fitted. With the 3rd string I proceed with extreme caution, putting plenty of turns round the post and bringing the tension up part way, leaving it overnight and finishing the next day. Not much use if you have a gig that night.

[Dennis Detweiler]

I haven't broken any strings in several years. I use SIT.

[Christopher Hillman]

For what it may be worth, Chris, I use GHS strings as originally fitted. With the 3rd string I proceed with extreme caution, putting plenty of turns round the post and bringing the tension up part way, leaving it overnight and finishing the next day. Not much use if you have a gig that night.

Thanks Ian, yeah i usually have to let it sit a bit but most of them snap before getting to tension if they're going to break. Sounds like yours has a different set up to mine? The ball end is at the headstock on this one. You have to pull it tight before clamping it (to around C#) then bring it the rest of the way up with the headstock tuner.

[Steve Lipsey]

Pete Burak came lip with a clever solution for his Excel...tune down a half step and simply replace the fingerboard with one with the fret 3/5/7 etc. markings moved one fret up....(he could probably tell you where he got the new board).
So it is intuitively easy to play and has the other advantage that former notes at the nut move to the first fret....easier to do and add vibrato, etc.

[Toshiyuki Shoji]

The neck of your Excel has the shape shown in this image.
It is not integrated with the large changer holder; however, the neck is not designed to slide.

For this neck, the large changer holder—made from a casting—was first machined, then measured precisely, and the neck was fabricated based on those measurements.

The position markers on the fretboard of my Excel, which I attached earlier, are placed one fret higher than normal.
Because of this, even with half-step-down tuning, it can be played with the same feel as E9 tuning.

[Pete McAvity]

Toshiyuki, thank you so much for weighing in. Christopher & I discussed this a few years ago. I have a circa 2010 Superb D10 (per Fujisan) that has the same issue. I in no way blame the maker, I know its the limitation of physics at play, along with the phenomenon of the quality of metal used for strings (streaks of breakage of unwound strings tend to ebb and flow, I've come to understand).

I have tried the NYXL .011- broke like nearly every other string. Had success w/ SITs until a few years ago, then couldn't get an .011 to stay alive at pitch.

Sonny Jenkins did his own shortening mod w/ a new 24.5" scale fretboard he purchased from Excel & documented it here:

viewtopic.php?t=390956&highlight=excel+++scale

I think I will end up dropping everything a 1/2 step w/a fretboard overlay as Steve suggested & improve my quality of life. I change strings fairly regularly, but have left the high G# on for over a year fearing I won't be able to get another one to survive.

[Larry Allen]

My 3 Superbs (2 1/4”)S10s, never break any strings. NYXL. .012 for 3rd.. I play pretty hard…..back when I used Cobras then Live strings the 3rd was a breaker 0.11,.0115, .012..