neck scale

[wasabe19]

hey guys can someone tell me what a neck scale is what the different measurements(?) mean? thanks in advance.

 

[62jaguar]

scale is the length from the bridge to the nut

Fender ussually have 25 1/2" scale

and smaller number means the scale is shorter

 

[deathism]

apart from the tension..wad does the difference in scale affect?

 

[dhalif]

playability

 

[subversion]

with extended scale length (baritone models), some manufacturers would shift the guitar bridge further to the edge as oppossed to lengthening the neck exclusively. this requires certain adaptability.

 

[MadWerewolfBoy]

There are three main normal scale lengths you might want to familiarise yourself with:

Fender Strats, Strat Copies (eg Yamaha Pacifica) and Superstrats (eg Ibanez RG) usually have 25.5 inch scale length. This is the standard long scale length used for most Dreadnaught acoustic guitars too...

Gibson's Les Pauls, Epiphones and the likes usually use 24.75 inch scales. This is the standard short scale length used for Les Pauls and SGs etc.

Last 1 is Paul Reed Smith guitars which tend to use 25 inch (the in-between) as their standard scale.

There are other scale length but it won't be covered here as they're considered custom and are qutie rare..

For starters, short length means the spacing between frets are relatively smaller than long scale length guitars (because frets divide the guitar up at some fractional intervals). This also means, for a guitar with short scale length, the tension strings (of the same gauge) will be less than that of long scale length guitars when tuned to the same notes (eg, EADGBE).

People have also said that short scale length guitars sound fatter than long scale length guitars... Well i can't really comment on that for sure but i'd like to point out that the type of wood, the gauge of strings and the pickups play a very big part in the tone of a guitar and imo, i think scale length does little to tone. Guitars with shorter scales may sound fatter because people can/may use strings of higher gauges without making the strings too stiff for bending and thus, the greater volume and fatness...

Overall, i think the feel, when playing the guitar, is most noticeable between guitars of different scale length, and this can be learnt/adapted. I wouldn't suggest selecting a guitar base on scale length though cuz the difference between the longest standard (fenders) and the shortest standard (les pauls) is very small...

Unlike basses where the short is really short and the extra long is reallly long...

 

[subversion]

these aren't custom models, they are quite readily available here:

*Fender Jaguar 24"
*Ibanez SZ series 25.1"

 

[snuffleupagus]

yesh and ernie ball musicmans' scale lengths are the same as fender stratocasters if im not wrong la.

 

[Elias]

Other short-scale guitars from Fender includes: Mustangs, Duo-Sonics, Musicmasters, Broncos, Jag-stang, Jagmaster, Super-Sonic, Cyclone, and Toronados