In my previous article I focused on the structure and materials used in building guitar necks. from stew mac: Gibson The Gibson 24-3/4" scale is also very common, but it is also the most confusing of all scale lengths—this is because it rarely ever measures out to be 24-3/4 inches! Scale length is the reason why (all things being equal) small string instruments like parlor guitars are easier to play than regular sized ones - the shorter scale length allows for strings to be relaxed and easier to fret. What are the Most Common Scale Lengths on Acoustic Guitars? However, reduced string tension results in lack of sustain and loss of some of the high and low frequencies, which gives short scale guitars a warmer mid-range focused sound. In fact Bob Brozman has a guitar named after him (I think Santa Cruz makes it) with a 27.x scale length that is specifically designed for playing in lower tunings to provide additional string tension. Share. Guitarsmith Richard Stanley has worked on guitars for several decades. Scale Length: 24-3/4" Position Markers: Pearl block inlays Pickups: 490 Alnico (R) and 498 Alnico (T) humbucking Controls: 2 volume, 2 tone Pickup Switching: 3-way selector switch Bridge/Tailpiece: Nashville TOM/Stopbar bridge/tailpiece Hardware: Gold Custom Shop case included Bound fretboard, body top, and body back UTILIZATION This is a perfect guitar. String tension and length operate together to determine harmonic content, as well as feel. Scale length. caused you problems. The longer scale length allows you have extra tension at these lower tunings. With that said it looks like E standard tuning (EADGBE) is safe on a small guitar like you have; but ultimately the bracing on the soundboard of the guitar will determine how much tension it will allow. This limited-edition Gibson Custom Shop model recreates Adam's #1 guitar - his prized original Silverburst 1979 Gibson Les Paul™ Custom. The 490R and 490T Alnico II pickups provide the power to drive. I've always played 24.75" scale length electric guitars common to Gibson, Epiphones and their clones. Gibson uses a scale length of 24.75 in (628 mm) on many of its electric guitars, including the Les Paul, Flying V, Explorer, SG, and ES-335. For those who view scale length as a meaningful part of the tonal recipe ... A key element of the Gibson-esque tone equation is a "short" scale ranging from 24.5" to 24.75". GOR) is a limited-edition self-tuning Gibson guitar, typically a Les Paul. It is also a wicked slide guitar. I just might have another episode on this forum. Hey, it's my list. I did not go measure the scale lengths of all these guitars. kludge The droid you're looking for. The J-45 is Gibson's best-selling acoustic of all time. Gibson's nominal "24.75" in scale length has itself varied, sometimes measuring 24 5/8" or 24 9/16" depending on the production equipment used. Scale length, fret positioning, tuning and intonation. AGF Sponsor : Join Date: Oct 2005. This sugguests that the fretscale on a Gibson guitar is 24.75" all the way up the fingerboard in every position -- a unified fretscale. Rob. My newest guitar is a Gretsch and is either 25.5" or 25.6". Its bridge is based on tune-matic and the knobs, which have gold inserts are based on black top hat while the machine head, (tuners), are based on green keys. Write a Review. Gibson examples have a scale length of 24.75" (62.87 cm) but flat-back designs have appeared with both significantly shorter and longer scale lengths (27"/68.58 cm on some Vega mandocellos). The G-45 Studio is designed to provide the perfect mix of tone, performance, and traditional Gibson style for all players and every stage. All my L-5 Signatures are the same. World renowned for its full, balanced expression, warm bass and excellent projection, the J-45 has been refined to carry this legacy to new heights. On most Gibson electrics the scale length from the nut to 12th fret is 24.562" No problem with that...but the scale length above the 12th fret is 24.75. This is the fretscale Gibson officially claims to use. Brian's scale length is 24 inches, or to people who use millimetres 610 mm. Fender scale length (25.5"), 6 saddle bridge, featherweight chambered poplar body & a huge variety of tones (complete with hum cancelling dummy pickup). This scale length is common on guitars specifically designed for children and for travel guitars. I wouldn't have thought .75" scale difference would be noticeable, but I struggle mightily to play the tele well. The Robot tuning system requires a three-a-side headstock configuration rather than the Firebird's traditional six-in-a-line layout, but the standard Gibson scale length is as comfortable as it's always been. I've got 9's on a Suhr Classic. There's already a long thread on that topic. I know for sure a lot of punch on a gibson does come from the 24 3/4" scale length and they do say every gibson will not sound the same and everyone is different, just please dont tell me that this guy is right and they are all + or - a 1/16" or 3/16" or more and that some are under or over 24 3/4" scale. Both the neck and middle pickups are built of single blade coils. You should be able to compensate your saddle for whatever string guage, tuning and scale length you choose - my short scale 12's (tuned to D) have have each string of each course compensated and its intonation is within a few cents. The Gibson EB-2 is an electric bass guitar model produced by the Gibson Guitar Corporation from 1958 to 1972, with a hiatus from 1962 to 1963. However, this is actually not the case. Location: Morral, Ohio. if you measure the scale with a ruler or tape measure 12 inches it comes to the 12th fret on the guitar which is half way on the scale, here you will find the harmonics, if you gently touch and pluck the string, for example B, the harmonic should be B. Buying a short-scale S-Type guitar isn't a way of solving tuning problems. I use 11s on my Gibsons with no problems, and also on my Telecaster. Gibson used a (roughly) 24.75" base scale length, but since they spaced their frets to a different system (an even 18 divisor rather than 17.817, the 12th root of 2 derivative used by most others), their 12th fret and bridge both end up a bit short of what you may expect. It is hand-built in our Bozeman, Montana factory using time-tested Gibson build techniques like hide-glued dovetail neck joints and domed top braces along with modern features like slimmer body depths and Advanced Response neck profiles. In my experience, the Fender likes one grade lighter string than the Gibson, but once again it's a small matter. The Gibson Robot Guitar (a.k.a. That way, the compensated string length is taken out of the equation. The fingerboard, which contains dot inlays, has a scale length of 24 with 22 frets. Because I don't like scale lengths that short. sometimes the listed 24.75 scale length was more like 24.5 and 25.5 was actually 25.3 or some such thing. Not looking to debate whether or not scale length affects tone. In the traditional sense, the Firebird X feels great to play. Of course scale length is only one factor that affects the tone and playability of a guitar. The first run of limited edition Robot Guitars was exclusively made up of Les Paul bodies. We all commonly think of Gibson guitars using the 24.75" fret scale. When production ceased in 1972, a total of 8017 instruments has been built, with 2102 of them being EB-2D's. average rating 4.9 out of 5. However I can tell you that's only .75" less than a standard Gibson scale length, it's much closer to a standard-sized guitar. The internal bracing also bears some similarity to the mandolin. I recent'y put a set of 10s on the Tele, and it seems to like those quite well. Adam Jones is one of rock's most talented and sonically innovative guitarists, from multi-platinum selling and multiple Grammy Award® winning band Tool. The inside of nut to centerline of 12th fret on my L-5 Lee Rit is 12.625" x2 = 25.25", which is what I'd call the actual scale length. The difference in scale length from Gibson to Fender is a small matter. Not a real raunchy P-90 sound, but kind of a cross between Strat clarity & P-90 thickness, with almost no hum. It stays in tune as well as any other guitar I've encountered. From inside of nut to centerline of properly-located bridge is 25.5", which is what Gibson calls the scale length. If you want to warm up a 25.5" scale guitar, you can try tuning down a half step, which thickens up its overtones and makes it sound a little closer to a 24.75" scale guitar. What I like is that with my shorter fingers and lack of flexibility in my hand there ate several chords that I cant reach well, if at all, on the longer scale. Incidentally, I went from 10's to 9's recently for the same reason that you did on your G&L and have been a very happy camper since the change. This time we’ll take a look at scale length, fret spacing, tuning, intonation and how the neck dimensions relate to tuning. In some cases there was contradictory scale length information posted by different sources. Lots of us play both. I find no noticeable difference in the feel of these, but I also have a telecaster which has a 25.5" scale. I'm surprised not to see any mention of the intonation problems associated with USA made Gibson guitars. Nicknamed "The Workhorse" and first introduced in 1942, this iconic acoustic has become the cornerstone of its round-shoulder, dreadnought line. The Gibson SG Standard rocks the classic looks and features associated with the late 60's style SG models sought after by many. A rounded profile mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard, long tenon 19th fret neck joint, and a solid mahogany body provide the backbone for singing sustain. The scale length is determined by measuring the distance from the front side of the nut (where it joins the front of the fretboard) to the center of the 12th fret, and then multiplying that measurement by two. fender scale vs. gibson scale: Smokey Blues: 9/29/01 5:56 PM: I prefer the Gibson scale and have most of my guitars (strat and tele clones) converted or on the way to be when opportunity arises. Longer scale length guitars should sound better in open tunings. Bowl-back instruments may have a shorter scale length, on the order of 22.5" (about 57 cm). #4 09-06-2007, 07:29 AM Tim McKnight. The most common scale lengths on acoustic guitar are as follows: 23” (580mm) Scale Lengths. Gibson has used other scale lengths on various models through the years. Standard guitars have a scale length of around 25"; standard basses are around 34". Also, I did not include any guitars with scale lengths below 23-1/2". Again, all my L-5 Signatures are the same. Scale Length: 21.5 inches, Overall Instrument Length: 32 inches, Body Length: 15.75 inches, Number of Frets: 17, Width at Upper Bout: 9 inches, Width at Lower Bout: 12 inches, Width at Waist: 7.5 inches, Body Depth: 3.3125 inches, Fingerboard Width at Nut: 1.25 inches, Fingerboard width at neck/body joint: 1.625 inches Share. Gold Supporting Member. I suspect the "24 3/4" figure was listed because someone in marketing measured the string length from nut to bridge and rounded off. 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