Scale length conundrum

[Redblur]

Big G style body with Big F scale length - ginchy idea or the equivalent of mustard on a Twinkie?

 

[Dr.Twang!]

It’s a great idea, and nothing new, really. Here’s my 25.5” 1968 SA-15. Super twangy & woody smooth

 

[cap10kirk]

Sure. Gibson has even made some 25.5" scale Les Pauls.

 

[Buddhist#6]

No thank you. Fender with a Gibson scale aka a cyclone… absolutely!

 

[bugzapper]

It's not for me, but I can certainly see how it would be just right for someone.

Not like mustard on a Twinkie, but maybe like anchovies on pizza.

 

[DiAmoroso]

I have currently guitars with scales ranging from 24” to 25.5”. I had a Duo-Sonic briefly with a 22.5” scale. I haven’t found scale to be all that important, for myself.

That said, my interest would be piqued by something like an ES-335 with a 25.5” scale. Not saying I’d necessarily buy it, but would love to try it.

 

[RRfireblade]

Big G style body with Big F scale length - ginchy idea or the equivalent of mustard on a Twinkie?

Why stop there...

27"

 

[NashSG]

My parts guitars are pretty much using G style woods and pickup styles with F body types. I have a Mahogany 2xP90 strat type body guitar.

I also got a mahogany esquire with a maple neck and an evenly voiced harmonic humbucker by Duncan. I got a 5 way switch with some stuff on the guitar. I could see people digging this type of setup as it is both similar to an Esquire on steroids and kind of has a Gibson Jr feel.

 

[Mark L]

My L-5 is 25.5" scale.

 

[Strummerfan]

I prefer the feel of a fender, but not so much because of the scale length. Just the neck feel, the way they hang, and I prefer single coil to humbuckers for anything but high gain. I have a 335 style guitar that I enjoy, and I don't really notice the scale length difference. OP, you should add a choice in your poll for "it just doesn't matter to me ".

 

[Tony Done]

There are a few reasons I wouldn't buy another Gibson-style guitar, but scale length isn't one of them.

 

[daizee]

I could tolerate the shorter scale if the string spacing was wider at both ends.

 

[Fowleri Is God]

An ES style guitar wouldn’t hurt my feelings.

I briefly owned a peerless wizard- like an ES-5 thinline. 25.5” scale, fully hollow, 3 p-90’s.

It is a dream guitar on paper for me- but they managed to find the lowest output, most muffled p-90’s to jam in there. Seriously miserable sounding plugged in. I bought the guitar cheap clearanced from Sam ash when I really shouldn’t have financially, and didn’t have the extra hundreds of dollars to make it right… So I did the responsible thing and returned it.

 

[NSDQRKR]

I prefer the feel of a fender, but not so much because of the scale length. Just the neck feel, the way they hang, and I prefer single coil to humbuckers for anything but high gain. I have a 335 style guitar that I enjoy, and I don't really notice the scale length difference. OP, you should add a choice in your poll for "it just doesn't matter to me ".

This ^^…string gauge…neck shape…fret size affect feel for me…scale length just not noticeable.

 

[piblock]

I have a Hamer Echotone with a 25.25" (yes, that's correct) which has been my #1 for 20 years. I'd prefer a shorter scale but love everything else about it.

 

[DGDGBD]

No, i like the standard gibson les paul/SG scale, would not. Would not buy a strat with gibson scale either, for that matter. i like each how they are.

 

[Buddhist#6]

I had a Duo-Sonic briefly with a 22.5” scale.

How did it play? I have smaller hands well for a 5-11 tall guy I do. And I love the 24 inch scale. Everyone says to avoid the 22.5 Duo Sonics but John Lennon played a Rickenbacker 325 which had a scale length of 20.75 so… I think it’s plenty doable and advantageous given the right circumstances.

 

[NoiseNinja]

Yes please, but not with a quite prominently arched Fender fretboard radius please, please stay at around the standard Gibson 12" relatively flat fretboard radius.

But all for longer scale length, how even about 26", or even 27" as someone else already suggested.

 

[Podicle]

The two Larrivee RS4s I have are essentially high-end Les Pauls with a Fender scale length.

 

[Terry McInturff]

The scale length is one of the important basic "recipe items" for any build.

OP...what sound do you wish to own?

The scale length is one ingredient...among a number of such... involved in achieving certain tonal goals.