Guitar scale length - what do you like?

  • Thread starter Thread starter dainbramage0
  • Start date Start date

Guitar scale length preference

  • 24.75"

  • 25"

  • 25.5"

  • 26"

  • 27+"

  • No preference

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dainbramage0

dainbramage0

Active member
These days there are many more manufacturer options for scale length than ever. Do you have a personal preference? why?

Inspired by the recent Steve Fryette podcast where he discussed not feeling any mojo from PRS guitars, despite the build quality of them. They touched on the 25" scale and how the harmonics would be slightly different from the standard Fender 25.5" and Gibson 24.75". I'm not sure if there is any truth to that, but I thought it was an interesting idea.

I hadn't really thought about it before but I feel most comfortable on the shorter Gibson scale and tend only to use longer scale guitars if I'm writing in a lower tuning intentionally.


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24.75 is just so comfortable, I can glide around easily and it feels great.
I only have a couple that length; a Tom Anderson and 2 Caparison Horus’s. I have a custom build in progress for a Skervesen 4AP with a 24.75 scale length, it’s the first time they’ve made that length.
 
I can deal with 25.5" and 24.75" pretty easily. There is something a little "off" about the 25" scale (PRS, Carvin CT's, etc.) that I can't quite put my finger on (pun intended). Scale length doesn't really bother me as much as 22 vs. 24 frets though. I tend to stay with 22 fretters, as the 24's force me to have to look at the neck.
 
24.75 is the easiest for my small hands but I prefer 24 fret guitars and 24.75 is too crammed to have 24 frets. So I go with 25.5"
 
I don't find much of a comfort difference between 24.75 and 25.5. Not really into extended scale/ baritone though. I find major comfort/ playability issues between nut widths. I prefer 1-11/16, can handle 1-3/4 and 1.65mm but I find 1-5/8 to be terribly uncomfortable for chording.
 
25.5 for drop C# + classic Fender standard toanz, 24.75 for classic tele-paul, 25 for 311 all day long. It depends.
 
Interesting, so to be a theme of people preferring shorter scale for comfort unless it becomes detrimental to tonality for tuning down. It's not a make or break situation for me, I can hop between scale lengths, string spacing and # of strings easy enough. There is an additional level of comfortable with the shorter scales though.

@Donnie B. how do you like that strandberg multiscale? With the nut being perpendicular to the neck it seems like it would be easy to adapt to. Does it have the asymmetrical neck carve as well?
 
I have used 22.5 to 26.5. I don't even notice the difference. I just play it. My favorite guitar is a 25.5, but i doubt the scale length has much to do with it. I would like to try a multiscale to see if I notice the difference on that .
 
It depends. I think 25.5" scale guitars are more likely to benefit tonally from Eb tuning or drop Db tuning (the two I use a lot) so I like them for that. But for standard tuning a 24.75" scale feels really great.
 
dainbramage0 said:
@Donnie B. how do you like that strandberg multiscale? With the nut being perpendicular to the neck it seems like it would be easy to adapt to. Does it have the asymmetrical neck carve as well?
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LOVE IT. Same goes for the unique neck. Took very little time to get use to.
And you are right, having the nut perpendicular does make it easier to adapt.
Not so much from a finger standpoint but more it's what your eyes are use to.
I had a Vadar that wasn't like that and it always just looked 'off'.
 
dainbramage0 said:
These days there are many more manufacturer options for scale length than ever. Do you have a personal preference? why?

Inspired by the recent Steve Fryette podcast where he discussed not feeling any mojo from PRS guitars, despite the build quality of them. They touched on the 25" scale and how the harmonics would be slightly different from the standard Fender 25.5" and Gibson 24.75". I'm not sure if there is any truth to that, but I thought it was an interesting idea.

I hadn't really thought about it before but I feel most comfortable on the shorter Gibson scale and tend only to use longer scale guitars if I'm writing in a lower tuning intentionally.


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Is there a guitar there???

I totally get what Fryette says about PRS lacking mojo.

Old BCR was yet another scale length (shorter than Gibson)

I have a Gibson Byrdland and those are 23.75 I think, great for complex jazz chords.
 
Nigel said:
25.5 for drop C# + classic Fender standard toanz, 24.75 for classic tele-paul, 25 for 311 all day long. It depends.
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I love 311. Tim's sig is the rarest guitar to me...I never see one or hear anyone talk about it.
 
I have bigger hands and learned on 25.5", but I've come to really love 24.75" for ease of playing. I love a good baritone too, but it really depends on what I'm playing.
 
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