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Guitar Neck Scale length question

5K views 14 replies 7 participants last post by  MicJustMic 
#1 ·
Seems SO many guitars are 25.5 scale guitars 22 fret usually.
But My early years were spent on a 24.5 scale neck 24 fret.

Those numbers are Not exact I know but just sayin ....

Now what this simplifies down to is this (for absolute beginners) ....A 24.5 scale ,24 fret guitar will have frets SLIGHTLY closer to one another all the way up the neck. As to where a 25.5 scale neck you will have to kinda stretch a bit more to reach the same frets. Not much,just a tad bit more. Barely noticable.
BUT....its that tiny bit that makes my 24.5 scale 24 fret feels so much more comfortable playing along the neck. Tad less stretching involved.
So I found a guitar I love ..........but its 25.5 scale 22 fret,unfortunately .....but anymore Most electric guitars are seems like .....wondering whats everyone elses take on this?
 
#5 ·
I agree. but what feels bets to me is the 24.75 and I gues thats because thats what I played for around 15+ years or so up until I picked up a bc rich Gunslinger & now the Ibanez RGT42DX,otherwise ive always had the 24.75 guitars,so thats what feels most comfortable to me. Now im just a bit stuck because when looking at another guitar,in order to get THAT FEEL ,i need it to be 24.75 & Not 25.5
 
#3 ·
It's more common for guitars with the Gibson scale 24.75 to have 22 frets and ones with 24 frets are not so common.

The Jackson fusions had that scale, and the Peavey Vandenburgs, the esp and ltd Mavericks, and soome eclipses, viper models too, use the shorter scale, if anything its easier to play on the higher frets on the longer scale.....

I didnt notice much difference when going between the two scales with 22 frets theres still enough space to play comfortably...
 
#4 ·
I currently am playing an Ibanez RGT42DX neckthru 24 fret .... and the frets feel like I need biger hands or something kinda......yet I get on my American Neckthru Warlock 24 fret neckthru with a 24.75 scale neck & it is like Butter. An example would be....My Warlock I can reach from the fat string 3rd fret to the 7th fret quite easily .....on The Ibanez I feel like im gonna pull a mucles trying to the from the 3rd fret fat string to the 7th fret lol. its not a huge diference.......but its that minor difference that I like about the 24.75 scale. My freinds Les Paul...same thing I can get on there & reach notes easier than On my Ibanez.
 
#6 ·
I think I prefer 25.5 but understand there is a smaller distance to stretch, you may also prefer the lower tension, I dont have giant vai hands but have always played 25.5 and stretched without much hassle..

I dont like how cramped the frets start getting towards the 24th on the shroter scale that just doesent feel right too me if you have skinny figners it's probably less of a problem...

Fret size also changes the feel of the guitar one of the reasons I love the jesm so much is the 6105 frets they feel right for me..
 
#8 ·
Do you use long straps and go for the cool look when you play? 3rd to 7th should be fairly simple on all guitars if you are not twisting your arm like mad (guitar down to your knees). Go jazz style, chin, guitar THEN stomach. Everything will be easier to play, although you will have to work on your posing skills. :)
 
#14 ·
Floyd,Passive,24.75 scale ....found this old bc rich late 80s model that has an Awesome nice neck,for me, but its 25.5 .....very hard to find a guitar that takes a floyd & is 24.75 and Good passive p/u's ,since this stuffs so hard to find all in one guitar ...im looking for a beater with these features & will just put my own hardware on it to replace whatevers on it if need be.
 
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