Guitar Scales; what do you like, and why?

[jazzyvee]

Just had a look on line and found my strat is supposed to be 25.5" alembic guitars are the same, my Eggle Berlin pro is 25" and my Ibanez i am guessing it is 24.75 since it is a copy of the BB King style semi acoustic guitar. The all feel different to play since no two have the same neck profiles but after having them so long I don't need to consider the difference. I just pick up and play and my hands know which guitar it is. But since I've played the strat Ultra the most I guess that would feel the most comfortable.

[edwin]

I love the sound and snap of Fender length guitar scales, but when I was thirteen years old, I ended up shredding the tip of my left hand ring finger, so it's much more painful to play Strats and the like. Especially when bad weather is coming in. Bass is easier. I love the sound of short scale. Now that I'm so used to it, long scales sound kind of boingy to me.

I have a '56 Gibson ES140T which is a short scale guitar and that's very easy to play. It doesn't help that I have small hands.

[edwardofhuncote]

Those are very interesting guitars Edwin... don't see them here much either. I've never played one that I know of, and had only read about them enough to know it's a 3/4-size guitar from my Kalamazoo collection days. (22-3/4" scale) I did have an acoustic in that scale, sold/traded long ago.


I have logged a lot of playing time with guitars this week, playing only guitars with the 24.75" scale. As usual, I found myself gravitating toward a plain-jane Les Paul Special, a flat mahogany body with two P-90's, finished in what our buddy Joey calls "Robitussin Red". I just love that Craigslist rescue guitar. Ever play one that just has that juice? This one has it. Also had a plug-ugly headstock break. I fixed it up and touched up the cough-syrup hued lacquer and it's become a go-to.


I plan to spend this-coming week and an equal amount of time playing only 25.5" scale guitars. I want to see what happens when I just play the guitar that's there.

[jazzyvee]

Reminds me of this one.

[jazzyvee]

I've never owned a Les Paul guitar, or any Gibson for that matter. I had the opportunity to a number of times in the past, but something just didn't click for me. They are great sounding guitars for sure. I've been playing my guitars a lot too over the past few weeks after being offered a dep gig with a friend's band who have lost both guitarists.

[hankster]

I've had strats, teles, les pauls and a 335.  Overall I've come to like the 24.75" scale the best so my LPJr. and my 335 are my favourite guitars at the moment, for electrics anyway. My 335 seems to put the neck just where it feels comfortable to play.  I love my Martin M36 which is just a bit longer, 25.4", but the way the guitar sits on the strap puts the neck farther out to the left and makes for a harder reach for closed chords in the lower frets.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I've had strats, teles, les pauls and a 335.  Overall I've come to like the 24.75" scale the best so my LPJr. and my 335 are my favourite guitars at the moment, for electrics anyway. My 335 seems to put the neck just where it feels comfortable to play.  I love my Martin M36 which is just a bit longer, 25.4", but the way the guitar sits on the strap puts the neck farther out to the left and makes for a harder reach for closed chords in the lower frets.

I've said it before and I'll no doubt say it again - the M body was Martin's best idea since X-bracing!

And I finally got around to measuring mine:
24.5" - 3
25" - 2
25.5" - 1
25.25 - 2
34" - 1
26.75" - 1
24 different scales on 36 strings, from 19.25" to 8.125" - 1

Turns out the 3 I play the most are all 24.5" - and they have radically different profiles.   I'd say that lends itself to a conclusion that 24.5" is my scale of choice, especially since they are also widely divergent beasts overall; 6-string 000-size, 12-string dread (yeah - a short-scale, 14-fret D; who'da thunk it?), and a 6-string semi-hollow.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

Don't quote me on this, because my product knowledge is waaaay behind. And things change quickly.


C.F. Martin & Co. in their classic style of confusing everyone who isn't a total guitar nerd, [raises hand, sheepishly] offers two nearly identical guitars; M-body, and 0000. The key difference being scale length. M (Coz' likes the Style 36, and I agree, quite a sweet axe) comes with the same long scale as a D, 25.4". The 0000 comes with the shorter scale, 24.9".


Same thing happened with the long-scale but small body OM (Orchestra Model) and 000 back in 1933. (yeah, this has been going on for a while) Somebody decided hey, this 14 frets clear of the body is a cool idea, might even catch on... but... how 'bout a shorter scale like our 00 guitars? Nah, that's just crazy talk... nobody wants that! For a short time, they made two identical guitars stamped with different models though. (they're worth a fortune now)


Now they are both a standard. That extra half-inch of string-pull seems to make a difference whether we are aware of it or not. I kinda' wish I didn't know. Me and my OM-18 are having a spat over it. Some days... I wish it was a 000. But we got a history together.

[cozmik_cowboy]

M (Coz' likes the Style 36, and I agree, quite a sweet axe)

For the record - I am also quite taken with the M-21-SE, M-30-JK, M-38, M-3-GM, & M-42-DB.*  My dream-and-always-be-a-dream custom Martin would start with an M-45 (which, of course, they have never made).

*For inquiring minds, the last 2 letters stand for Steve Earle, Jorma Kaukonen, George Martin (no kin), and David Bromberg, respectively.  Bromberg invented the size; the M body is copied from an old Martin F-7 archtop he had converted to a flattop.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

[sigh]

Well, after a good deal of experimentation, practice, over-thinking, casting about, and having finally cycled through another dose of whatever that magic juice they shoot into my spine every so often, I have arrived at the following conclusion;

Regardless of the scale on a particular guitar, you either love it, or you learn to, or you just live with it as-is. Whatever you can't do isn't the guitar's fault.

With that being said, you darn-tootin' oughta' know what your preference is, and why. It does matter, it's just that other things matter more.

[cozmik_cowboy]

Don't quote me on this, because my product knowledge is waaaay behind. And things change quickly.


C.F. Martin & Co. in their classic style of confusing everyone who isn't a total guitar nerd, [raises hand, sheepishly] offers two nearly identical guitars; M-body, and 0000. The key difference being scale length. M (Coz' likes the Style 36, and I agree, quite a sweet axe) comes with the same long scale as a D, 25.4". The 0000 comes with the shorter scale, 24.9".


Same thing happened with the long-scale but small body OM (Orchestra Model) and 000 back in 1933. (yeah, this has been going on for a while) Somebody decided hey, this 14 frets clear of the body is a cool idea, might even catch on... but... how 'bout a shorter scale like our 00 guitars? Nah, that's just crazy talk... nobody wants that! For a short time, they made two identical guitars stamped with different models though. (they're worth a fortune now)


Now they are both a standard. That extra half-inch of string-pull seems to make a difference whether we are aware of it or not. I kinda' wish I didn't know. Me and my OM-18 are having a spat over it. Some days... I wish it was a 000. But we got a history together.

I'm sorry, Greg - I slid right by this one in Feb.   Now, OMs are, indeed, long scale, while the same body with a short scale is a 000 (but not always; there have been long 000s before; indeed, there were times in the '30s when you could buy a LS OM, a LS 000, or a SS 000 at the same time - but not for long & not many of them), but that doesn't seem to hold with their big brothers; Martin introed the size as the long-scale M-36 & M-38 - but after a while changed the nomenclature on all with that body to 0000 - still long scale.  There have been Custom Shop SS versions (ordered by Gruhn, etc.) called 0000, but many - indeed, I do believe most - 0000s are LS.  I disremember if I've ever seen a SS M; I don't think so.  But 0000s can definitely go either way, and I think there are many more LS than SS 0000s.

Peter

[edwardofhuncote]

See, I warned you not to quote me. I long since quit trying to keep up with Martin specs on guitars I don't have. My one and only experience with an M-body was a Style 38 that belonged to the guitar teacher at Fret Mill Music a loooong time ago. He swore by it. Then he got into harp guitars. And steampunk. Not sure what he's doing now.

[cozmik_cowboy]

I would love to get into harp guitars; they are the epitome of cool.  Alas, I can;t even really get the hang of six strings, so it is an impossible dream.


As to steampunk, well - check these out: https://www.tonycochranguitars.com/guitars-for-sale.html


Mr. Cochran is also a cartoonist; does _Agnes_.


Peter

[gtrguy]

As far as scale is concerned, fretboard radius also factors into the feel of a guitar. I once had a killer Washburn A-20 neck through with an almost flat fretboard that felt kinda funny, but sold it. It would have been great for slide too.

[edwardofhuncote]

Here he is;

Yeah, that can't be easy.

As far as scale is concerned, fretboard radius also factors into the feel of a guitar. I once had a killer Washburn A-20 neck through with an almost flat fretboard that felt kinda funny, but sold it. It would have been great for slide too.

Absolutely true. And I think it's a lot of why I don't seem to get along well with Fender guitars. Something about that fingerboard radius bugs me, especially when combined with the neck profile. I like wider, and flatter. Fenders, at least most that I have experienced, are narrower, rounder, and more arched. (it's a compound radius ain't it? I know I oughta' know...)