What are the benefits of guitars with different scale lengths?
The best way to explain this would be to compare a Fender Stratocaster with a Gibson Les Paul. The Fender has a longer 25.5″ scale length and the Gibson Les Paul has a shorter 24.75″ scale length. If both guitars are setup exactly the same, the Gibson will be easier to play. This is because it takes less tension to tune each string to pitch with a shorter scale length. The frets are also spaced closer together which futher adds to the playability of the Gibson. There are some tonal differences as well. A shorter scale length will provide you with a warmer mellow tone, which may, or may not be desirable, depending on the style of music you play. So you can see there are no winners or losers here… once again, it comes down to personal preference. Q: How do changes in environment and temperature affect my guitar? A: Ok first lets start with humidity and seasonal changes. Sometimes these will cause changes in the amount of relief present in your guitar neck. The result may be minor fret
The best way to explain this would be to compare a Fender Stratocaster with a Gibson Les Paul. The Fender has a longer 25.5″ scale length and the Gibson Les Paul has a shorter 24.75″ scale length. If both guitars are setup exactly the same, the Gibson will be easier to play. This is because it takes less tension to tune each string to pitch with a shorter scale length. The frets are also spaced closer together which futher adds to the playability of the Gibson. There are some tonal differences as well. A shorter scale length will provide you with a warmer mellow tone, which may, or may not be desirable, depending on the style of music you play. So you can see there are no winners or losers here… once again, it comes down to personal preference.
