30" Scale

[Of Angels]

I've been doing all of the thinking necessary when planning to have a custom instrument built, and I'm hell-bent on having an 8 string built.

As far as I'm concerned, the longer the scale of the neck, the more I'm going to like the tone. This isn't a blind assumption, but I've never played on a 30" guitar neck.

Has anybody some experience with a 30" guitar neck? Obviously, the woods being used are going to have to be quite stable for such a long neck, but I'm wondering how difficult to play a guitar like this would be.

[Lefty Robb]

go to a store and pickup a bass, start around the 2nd or 3rd fret and go up, that should be about a 30" scale.

[fookgub]

Doubt that will help much. Bass is a totally different instrument. Blackmachine built a 30" scale 8-string, but I seem to recall him saying he thought it was too long. Have you considered fanned frets? Might help you get decent tone out of the low strings without compromising the high strings too much.

[Lefty Robb]

Of course it will help. Basses are usually like 34", if all he wants to know is what a 30" scale feals like in spacing, 30" will be about 3 fret and up on a bass, and unless he can get his hands on a 30" guitar neck, it will be the closest match.

[fookgub]

Well, I suppose I don't have a better idea, but it's still a very different instrument. Thinner neck, fatter strings, half as many strings, wider spacing, etc. My main bass is 37" on the B-string. I play it all day long with no problems, but I'd never want a 37" guitar. FYI, Squire Bronco's are 30" scale, and most guitar centers seem to have them in stock, so the OP could at least check one of those out instead of picking up a normal bass and pretending the 3rd fret is the nut.

[DavyH]

Have a look at a baritone or two. Not 30" - usually 27"-28" - but at least they'll give an idea of what a longer neck is like. The RG2228's a 27" scale as well and should give a reasonable idea of the neck profile.

Try taping an extension on to one of your existing necks just to get an idea of the feel of a 30" neck?

Your bottom end should definitely be better - tighter and less flabby, but unless you're downtuning you may find yourself replacing 1st and 2nd strings more often than you'd prefer. There could be a serious tension issue.

Playing around with string gauges on a bari neck may be a viable alternative.

[gaunten]

you could tune all the way up to high A if you'd want, even on a 30" neck. check out this:
roterguitars.com/10stringbaritone.htm

10 string, 30" tuned low C# to high A, no problem with 006 strings (custom made from garry goodman, the site is supposed to be octave4strings.com, but I can't get it to work now... )

[callen3615]

^^^wow

[Roland]

I've played around on a "30 MM OLP. Didn't quite like it for the tight tension, and the fret spacing was wide, but that was also before I started playing bass. With lighter strings, I'd definately like it more these days, but as far as the OP goes, don't pull the trigger until you've tried atleast one guitar with a scale length around the "30-mark. "28 on the other hand is a wonderful scale - nice tension and perfectly manageable for me.