Why is it that.......

[Cazmarzak]

A shorter scale guitar seems to have less tension on the strings than a longer scale?

My Jackson is a 25 scle and I had an Iceman that was 24- and something, I can't remember.

But anyway, the Iceman felt like it was easier to ben the strings on it with 10's than the Jackson does. I would have thought that a longer string would be less tension for a given length.

 

[TheProphet]

Re: Why is it that.......

Because to tune to the same pitch ... the strings have to be stretched a greater distance = more tension

 

[GHWelles]

Re: Why is it that.......

The Jackson is 25.5" "long" scale and the Ibanez Iceman is 24.75 "short" scale. The longer scale guitars have the higher string tension. You are correct.

Keeping the tension the same and shortening the length of the string will mean a higher pitch. So the shorter scale with shorter strings need to have reduced tension to meet the same pitch as the longer scale with longer strings when tuned to the same pitch.