How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

[Chistopher]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

It has a very big affect on tone. It is by far *the* most overlooked aspect in tonal analysis and discussion, IME on guitar forums.

For just one specific example, when people discuss chasing Brian May's tones, they want to obsess over the onboard electronic aspects, pedals, etc...but rarely do you hear anyone say something like, "The most important thing is to start with a short scale guitar" – which really is the case IMO. To me, a stock vintage-style Jaguar or Mustang sounds more like the Red Special than a Strat with the same exact pickups and same exact switches as the Red Special. It's not that the electronics don't matter; it's just that scale length has a *huge* impact, and it is usually ignored by tone seekers. There's a "rubberiness" to the attack that cannot be replicated with a longer scale guitar. And in addition to the raw tonal differences it causes, scale length also has a very large affect on how the guitar plays, which in turn tends to affects what one plays and how he/she plays it. Technique changes when going from one scale length to another, whether you realize it or not.

I don't want this thread to become a tonewood war, but what you just said IMO is the major reason people overestimate the importance of tonewood. I won't go into detail, but you can probably understand why. "Darker" woods have historically gone into shorter scale HB equipped guitars and "brighter" woods go into long scale guitars with single coils.

Bullet Mustangs are 24.75".

Then can we really call them Mustangs?

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Weird. My Bullet Mustang feels slinkier than my LP, even though I string the LP with 10's and the Mustang with 11's.

The tuner placement affects the feel of the string. Longer distance behind the nut for the treble strings on fender headstock provides more string to strech and a slinkier feel than lp headstock although it doesn't alter the amount of tension required to get in tune.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Then can we really call them Mustangs?

Different guitar for sure.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Would a capo cause the same effect?

If you capo up and then tune back down. Should be similar


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[Benjy_26]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

It's actually 22.5", which explains what you are feeling. Shorter scales lead to fatter tones and slinkier playing.

As a side note, if you're scale LP has a scale length of 24 5/8th inches or (preferably) 24 9/16th inches, it makes you a tone monster.

According to Fender, the Bullet Mustangs are 24". I'll have to measure mine next time I have a chance.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

I don't want this thread to become a tonewood war, but what you just said IMO is the major reason people overestimate the importance of tonewood. I won't go into detail, but you can probably understand why. "Darker" woods have historically gone into shorter scale HB equipped guitars and "brighter" woods go into long scale guitars with single coils.



Then can we really call them Mustangs?

My '65 Duo is a 24" scale instrument.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Yup. I thought I remembered Fender retracting the 24.75" scale statement.

 

[Clint 55]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Can't argue with that.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: How much affect does the guitar scale have in tone?

Duo-Sonics came in "regular" 24" short scale and "extra" short 22.5" scale back in the '60's (when they were Duo-Sonic II's). The '50's and early '60's ones were almost, if not entirely, all 22.5" scale. Mustangs were 24" scale only. 24.75" would be an oddity from much later years, if it truly did exist.