Scale Length

G

GreatOz

New member
Anyone put a Gibson Scale Length (24 & 3/4 inch) neck on a Stratocaster? How did the tone compare for you?

I have always played 24 & 3/4 or 25 scale necks and think they're fantastic for me personally. The 25 & 1/2 is just a tad too long for me, but I know changing the neck scale length effectively changes tone because relative to the neck, the pickups might as well be in different spots as well as the tension for the same string gauge is lower. I do want a slightly warmer tone compared to a "regular" strat, but not much warmer.

I am considering getting a Gibson Scale length instead of normal Fender length and wanted to know from people who have had both scale lengths in their instruments thoughts.

Thanks,
GreatOz
 
Re: Scale Length

I put this together for a customer. It’s a Kramer with a Gibson scale neck.

Longer scales are snappier and have more twang. You get more harmonic content on longer scales.

The shorter scale sounded a bit rounder and warmer. And the string tension is a little lower.

This is one reason why a Strat with humbuckers doesn’t sound like a Les Paul.

8ed311fc0a5cf121def3349323e295f8.jpg



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Re: Scale Length

Well, that's really not a good idea. The intonation will be off.

The scale length of a guitar is the distance from the nut to the saddles, it's not just determined by the neck. The frets are spaced dependant upon the scale length NOT the length of the neck. Look at an extreme example...put a uke neck on a bass body. Do you think it will play in tune?

It's all math. 5 + 4 = 9, you can't just change one of the numbers being added and have the equation still = 9.
 
Re: Scale Length

GuitarDoc said:
Well, that's really not a good idea. The intonation will be off.

The scale length of a guitar is the distance from the nut to the saddles, it's not just determined by the neck. The frets are spaced dependant upon the scale length NOT the length of the neck. Look at an extreme example...put a uke neck on a bass body. Do you think it will play in tune?

It's all math. 5 + 4 = 9, you can't just change one of the numbers being added and have the equation still = 9.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with you, but how do the Warmoth conversion necks work then?
 
Re: Scale Length

If stuck a Gibson neck on, it wouldn’t work. If you stick a neck intended to convert it to 24.75”, it’ll work fine.
 
Re: Scale Length

GuitarStv said:
I don't disagree with you, but how do the Warmoth conversion necks work then?
Click to expand...

Exactly. Like the guitar I pictured, which is a Warmoth conversion neck.

As long as the 12th fret is halfway between the bridge and nut it works perfectly.


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Re: Scale Length

GuitarStv said:
I don't disagree with you, but how do the Warmoth conversion necks work then?
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with them, but they would have to have a different fret spacing than either the Gibson or Fender necks...somewhere in between.
 
Re: Scale Length

GuitarDoc said:
It has nothing to do with the number of frets. It has to do with fret spacing.
Click to expand...

You measure from 24 3/4” the bridge. There’s your nut. Now divide that as you would any other guitar.

And that’s how conversion necks are made. You can put a 12” scale length on a Strat if you make the neck properly.

What you can’t do is just bolt on a neck from a different scale length guitar and expect it to work. It could, but probably won’t match up.




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Re: Scale Length

DavidRavenMoon said:
You measure from 24 3/4” the bridge. There’s your nut. Now divide that as you would any other guitar.

And that’s how conversion necks are made. You can put a 12” scale length on a Strat if you make the neck properly.

What you can’t do is just bolt on a neck from a different scale length guitar and expect it to work. It could, but probably won’t match up.




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Click to expand...

That's exactly correct.
 
Re: Scale Length

devastone said:
No, as you said, the spacing between the frets is determined by the scale length. The warmoth necks just move the scale to the right place.

http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/faq2.aspx (scroll down, they do "Gibson" scale length conversions and baritone conversions)
Click to expand...

Yes, that info is absolutely correct. You can't just slap a different scale neck onto a body and expect that it will work (intonate correctly).
 
Re: Scale Length

Oh okay, they do compensate for that. I thought they did.

Thinking about putting a normal neck on it anyway.
 
Re: Scale Length

I know the 21st fret on a Fender neck/FB is farther (longer) than the 22nd fret on a Gibson neck. I believe there is no noticeable difference in sound between a 25.5" and a 24.75" scale length neck. I think that is subjective. The only real difference you notice is the strings bend easier on a 24.75" scale length compared to a 25.5" scale length which makes the strings more stiffer (more tension).



;>)/
 
Re: Scale Length

im pretty sure there is a difference in tone between scale lengths
 
Re: Scale Length

Back to OP question, have done 2 warmoth conversion necks and the change in timbre was easily heard... Less snap, more Bloom and definitely more slinky... No longer straty, kind of like a mustang... (Never understood how Rundgren got such incredible sounds out of his stangs but that's a different story).

All of my reasons for owning a strat we're removed... I think this would work much better with hbuckers but clients seemed to like the results, so it's more a question of taste than anything.

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Re: Scale Length

zionstrat said:
Back to OP question, have done 2 warmoth conversion necks and the change in timbre was easily heard... Less snap, more Bloom and definitely more slinky...
Click to expand...

Exactly my experience.

No longer straty, kind of like a mustang... (Never understood how Rundgren got such incredible sounds out of his stangs but that's a different story).
Click to expand...

I have a killer ‘72 Mustang. Just a great guitar. I put old Lawrence L-250s in it. It has a great snarl.


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Re: Scale Length

There is an, IME, very big difference between full scale (Fender and others) and medium scale (Gibson). They feel different and sound different.

Conversion necks are a very cool thing that we have in this day and age. I would try one out, if you want a Strat, but can't comfortably play the Fender scale. It won't sound like a traditional Strat, but I'll bet it would still sound good.
 
Re: Scale Length

Thank you for your help friends.

I'm going to go with a regular 25 & 1/2 scale length so as to not affect the tone too much.
 
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