The most important impact scale length makes is on the tension of the strings. Ged is editor-in-chief and founder of Zing Instruments. To measure the scale length of your guitar youâll need to measure from the nut (the font edge, the fretboard side) to the middle of the 12 th fret â and then double that measurement. But since we're dealing with parlor guitars, we will lower the limit to less than 25\" to better separate the long and short scale parlor acoustics.Short scale parlor guitars (less than 25\") follow traditional designs and as such they reproduce the vibe and feel of old parlor guitars quite nicely. String gauge also affects tension and you can change your string gauge to increase or decrease the tension as you need. The tension of the strings plays a big part in playability. While they’re rare on 6 string guitars, they’re very common on extended range guitars for a good reason. Here is a comparison of different types of guitars and their scale length: As you can see, there is no ‘normal’ scale length for an electric guitar. That means you can’t just measure from the nut to the saddle, as each string will be a different length! As a long scale guitar needs more tension in the strings to bring it to pitch, itâs tougher on the fretting hand to work with. You know that scale length affects string tension. A scale length of a guitar can be defined as the distance between the nut and the saddle. Similarly, electric guitars have adjustable saddles allowing for individual string adjustment. A guitar with ‘high action’ has a wider gap than a guitar with ‘low action’. This is the most common shorter scale guitar length. This is because as the tension of the string changes, so does the way it vibrates. String action is a result of the tension in strings. When strumming chords or playing rhythm parts, you would notice that the strings on the Fender feel tighter. The scale length of any guitar is the distance between the bridge and the nut. One advantage of less string tension is a âlooserâ feel, making bending and vibrato more fluid. Selecting your instrument also calculates the bridge position for proper intonation. If you play 8 or 9 string guitar, the answer is probably yes. If you have a question about scale length not covered above, ask it here. Every guitarist is different so if you’re considering a multiscale guitar, be sure to try one out to see if it feels right to you. Secondly, don't le⦠You can achieve low action with a short scale guitar, but it requires you to move to heavier gauge strings. Scale length affects the playability of the guitar due to the differences in tension the strings are subject to based on the length of string that is able to vibrate. This affects playability. Read more about fanned frets in this guide. Multiscale guitars offer a different solution. Scale length is only one half of the picture. As you know, when you increase scale length, string tension increases. The shorter scale length on the higher strings will make bends and vibrato easier. For example, let’s say you bought a 26.5″ scale guitar and you don’t like the increase in tension. The long scale guitar also tends to have more volume, especially strumming. This guide covers everything you would want to know about guitar scale length. Once youâve discovered the value, double it. However, from the mid- 20th Century luthiers seeking increased volume have moved to a 26 inches (660 mm) scale, which is now the standard for such leading makers as Ramirez. Q: What is the best scale length for metal? The scale length of an instrument is the distance from the nut to the bridge.Scale lengths vary depending on overall size of the instrument: mandolins have a short scale length around 14â³, guitars vary but on average are around 25â³, and larger instruments like basses have even longer scale lengths. The length between bridge and nut is not same for all the strings of the guitar, because strings have different starting points to compensate for intonation. If your guitar is in standard tuning and you tune down to something like Drop C, you will notice the strings become quite slack. Instead buying a shorter scale guitar, I just tuned my current guitar two steps lower and put a capo at the 2nd fret. Gibson features a scale that is close to a full inch shorter than the one on a Strat. 25.4" scale is standard on OMs, for example. Why scale length is measured between the nut and 12th fret. To be tuned correctly, strings fitted to a guitar with a 25½ inch scale length have to be placed under more tension than strings on a shorter-scale guitar. For example, Stratocaster and Telecaster scale length is the standard 25.5-inch length as you can see in the picture below. This is because the 12 fret position on any guitar is the exact halfway point of the entire scale, thatâs where you get your octave. Typically 19, 21, 22, or 24 What is scale length? Like that of the violin, the scale of the classical guitar was standardized by the work of its most famous maker. As an example, let’s compare a Fender Stratocaster (25.5″ scale) and a Gibson Les Paul (24.75″ scale). Does this mean you’re stuck with high tension strings on long scale guitars? The wound bass strings (bottom E, A, D, and G strings) have more length to compensate for the additional mass of the strings. A short scale length requires very little tension to bring the strings up to pitch when compared to a longer scale guitar. Hereâs how I solved the problem. But if you have small or large hands, you might find a different scale length guitar suits you better. Different types of guitars use different scale lengths. Donât confuse scale length with a smaller bodied guitar necessarily. 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