Whats your prefered scale length for a 6 string?

[weepingminotaur]

I will readily admit that Gibson-scale guitars aren't quite as comfortable to play above the 12th fret as Fender (can't comment on 25" scale guitars as I've never played one). But a lot of that is dependent on heel joint too. My Epi Les Paul, with its chunky heel, isn't easy to play up high. My Gibson-scale LTD is a different story.

I enjoy Gibson-scale guitars closer to the nut. Things are just a bit closer/within reach.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Easy answer is up above the 12th fret things get more cramped the higher you go. Playing really high up the neck I find the 24.75 really tight above the 17th fret.

Just did a measurement to support my last statement:
Between 2nd and 3rd frets; Gibson = 31.50mm, Fender = 32.66mm. Difference = 1.16mm
Between 16th and 17th frets; Gibson = 13.96mm, Fender = 14.50mm. Difference = 0.54mm (Pretty doubtful you can feel a half mm difference.)

But if you're playing a chord that requires a span across 5 frets, that's almost 6mm difference between a Gibson and a Fender...enough that may make it impossible for some to play the chord on a Strat. But playing a chord on the higher frets could only be a difference of about 2-2 1/2mm which isn't nearly as bad.

Conclusion: up high on the neck there isn't much difference between a Gibson scale or Fender scale (or PRS scale)...they ALL feel cramped; lower on the neck the difference in scale length becomes very noticeable.

 

[weepingminotaur]

Just did a measurement to support my last statement:
Between 2nd and 3rd frets; Gibson = 31.50mm, Fender = 32.66mm. Difference = 1.16mm
Between 16th and 17th frets; Gibson = 13.96mm, Fender = 14.50mm. Difference = 0.54mm (Pretty doubtful you can feel a half mm difference.)

But if you're playing a chord that requires a span across 5 frets, that's almost 6mm difference between a Gibson and a Fender...enough that may make it impossible for some to play the chord on a Strat. But playing a chord on the higher frets could only be a difference of about 2-2 1/2mm which isn't nearly as bad.

Conclusion: up high on the neck there isn't much difference between a Gibson scale or Fender scale (or PRS scale)...they ALL feel cramped; lower on the neck the difference in scale length becomes very noticeable.

Neat post. Appreciate it, even if I disagree on a few points.

First, you are assuming that people are playing chords only. Up high, you could well be playing single-note lines (soloing), in which case the issue of chordal spacing isn't really relevant.

Second, you're also assuming an absolute value to difference in mm in two dissimilar cases (case 1: playing near the nut. case 2: playing above the 12th fret.). And I'm not sure about that assumption. Think about trying to push a couch through a door -- that's a case where even half an inch could make all the difference to whether you can squeeze it through. Similarly, on higher frets, that extra 0.54mm could be really noticeable, especially for players with thicker fingers.

 

[NegativeEase]

I love Gibson scale for O to 12 Fret chordal riffin

I love Fender Scale for 12 to 24 Fret note Riffin

I love 27" -28" Baritone scale the best -it's the most comfortable for my long fingers and big hands.

 

[GuitarStv]

You actually feel a difference between 24.75" scale and 25" scale above the 12th fret? Scale length difference is more noticeable at the lower frets.

I could tell you the difference between both scale lengths just playing up above the 15th fret for sure. 24.75 feels cramped up there.

 

[solspirit]

I like the 25.5, my thick fingers get too bunched up in the upper register of a 24.75

 

[alex1fly]

After having gone down the comparison rabbit hole these last few years I can say that neck shape and fret size impact the feel for me more than the scale length.

Upper ranges of a 24 fret SG does get a little tight.

 

[GuitarStv]

The close frets problem might be related to the type of frets you like. Most of my guitars have 6100 frets, and there just isn't much wood between them up high on Gibson scale guitars. Narrower frets might make a really big difference as far as playability goes.

 

[beaubrummels]

24.75 for rhythm chords
25.5 for leads

but I also prefer vintage spacing on both of those to go with it. So 25.5 + 53mm bridge width, and 24.75 + 49mm bridge width.

I can feel a difference in my hands while playing. I can play lead lines easier and cleaner on Fender dimensions. I start making mistakes if I try the same lines on a Gibson. And vice-versa: I can chord away complex chords all night on a Gibson, but I start getting tension and cramps doing that on vintage Fender dimensions. So I'd say that half millimeter/whatever does make a difference for complex digital manipulation. (Also worth noting I have chronic tendonitis, so I feel the difference more immediately than someone else would.)

 

[solspirit]

After having gone down the comparison rabbit hole these last few years I can say that neck shape and fret size impact the feel for me more than the scale length.

Upper ranges of a 24 fret SG does get a little tight.

Neck profile & fret profile & size are extremely important to me

 

[jeremy]

i have at least one with 24", 24.75", 25", 25.5", and 27" and like them all. if i had to stick with one for the rest of my life it would be 25.5. i started on a strat so that feels like home

 

[GuitarDoc]

Neat post. Appreciate it, even if I disagree on a few points.

First, you are assuming that people are playing chords only. Up high, you could well be playing single-note lines (soloing), in which case the issue of chordal spacing isn't really relevant.

Actually, no. Playing chords "only" was a worst case scenario. My measurements were between frets which will affect soloing only slightly, but will have a greater affect on playing chords because the space differences are additive...your fingers have to stretch when playing a chord whereas your hand can move as needed when soloing. I tried to point out that in the upper frets there is very little difference between a Gibson and a Fender. The difference is far greater in the lower frets.

Second, you're also assuming an absolute value to difference in mm in two dissimilar cases (case 1: playing near the nut. case 2: playing above the 12th fret.). And I'm not sure about that assumption. Think about trying to push a couch through a door -- that's a case where even half an inch could make all the difference to whether you can squeeze it through. Similarly, on higher frets, that extra 0.54mm could be really noticeable, especially for players with thicker fingers.

Of course they are "dissimilar cases", they are two different scale length guitars measured in two different locations on the neck and a comparison was made between them. There is NO assumption at all! It's a fact that a 24 3/4" scale is 24 3/4" and a 25.5" scale is 25.5". I made a comparison in mm between a Gibson scale and Fender scale at the lower frets, AND I made a comparison between those two scale lengths in the upper frets. They were measured accurately in hundredths of a millimeter on each guitar...no assumptions.

Your example of a couch does not apply here because your finger does not have to completely fit between the frets...it just has to be behind the fret you are playing. Try fitting your finger between the 20th and 21st frets on either guitar. Unless you have pencil point fingers, you won't fit. But that's not the important factor. What is important is how easy it is to play relative to the fret spacing. What I tried to point out is that there is relatively no difference between a Gibson and a Fender the higher up you are on the neck. The greatest noticeable difference between those two scale lengths is at the lower frets. That's all.

I wasn't assuming you were playing solos or chords. I wasn't assuming that you had fat or skinny fingers. I wasn't assuming that you are a proficient player or not. I wasn't assuming that you had such long fingers that it doesn't matter what scale guitar you play. I wasn't assuming that you have such short fingers that there is no way you could ever manage to play a Fender. I wasn't assuming that you were sober or high when you were trying to play either guitar. I wasn't even assuming that you were holding your guitar rightside up or upside down. It was just math...you know, like 2 + 2 = 4.

Any assumptions on playability are made by each individual player.