Tell me about "Scales"..as in 25.5.. 24.75 short..and

[Robert Burns]

Baritone guitars. Ive read some on these...but would like input from
owners? Is the 24.5 a real bender? maybe 2/1/2 octave bends?
And does the Baritone produce ultra low dark mayhem! Thanks in
advance.

[soc_monki]

most Baritones are longer scales than 25.5 (which is the standard "fender" length...and 24.75 is the "gibson" scale). Baritones usually go from 26.5 to 30 inches, and the longer the scale the more tension the strings have, making it harder to bend.

shorter = lower string tension
longer = higher string tension

[Robert Burns]

most Baritones are longer scales than 25.5 (which is the standard "fender" length...and 24.75 is the "gibson" scale). Baritones usually go from 26.5 to 30 inches, and the longer the scale the more tension the strings have, making it harder to bend.

shorter = lower string tension
longer = higher string tension

***************** How are they to play though? Curious more
with the short scale 24.5" Any hands on experience?

[toejam]

Shorter scales put less tension on the strings, so if you play on a 24.75" scale, the strings will be slinkier, easier to bend than the same gauge strings on a 25.5" scale. Also, Carvin and PRS make guitars with a 25" scale.
I've got guitars with all three scales, and I've got no problem switching between them, but some people do, as they could potentially shoot to a higher or lower fret than they're used to, and bending up to a note will feel different, too.

[kelly user]

it is all about finger dexterity, and ears i have little trouble going between jackson and gibson scale lengths but i feel it is easier to bend on the jackson, but that may be because of the trem.

[toejam]

it is all about finger dexterity, and ears i have little trouble going between jackson and gibson scale lengths but i feel it is easier to bend on the jackson, but that may be because of the trem.

Could be due to the trem. On a Gibson or any guitar with a stop tailpiece, you can raise the tail for less tension as well.

[LastInLine]

Shorter scales put less tension on the strings, so if you play on a 24.75" scale, the strings will be slinkier, easier to bend than the same gauge strings on a 25.5" scale. Also, Carvin and PRS make guitars with a 25" scale.
I've got guitars with all three scales, and I've got no problem switching between them, but some people do, as they could potentially shoot to a higher or lower fret than they're used to, and bending up to a note will feel different, too.

I also own guitars with all the scales, the 25" on my Carvin DC135 being my favorite. I've encountered the problem you mention of "overbending" on my Les Paul due to the reduced tension, although on the plus side those wide stretches are a bit easier. Tuning down 1/2 step on a 25.5" is a popular alternative to ease the string tension somewhat.

[kelly user]

Could be due to the trem. On a Gibson or any guitar with a stop tailpiece, you can raise the tail for less tension as well.

Really, neato. i wondered what that was for, most said it was better to keep it low to the body for better resonance. although i found i could get the action even lower if the tail piece was closer to the body. speaking of which fucking gibson left paint all over the stud piece in the body which inhibited the screw from moving, it was completely stuck!

[toejam]

If your tailpiece is down on the body already, yes, raising it will lower the tension. Some people do claim you get more sustain and resonance if it's down on the body, but Gibson neck angles can be weird from model to model, so that's why sometimes you'll see them up higher anyway, mainly to avoid the strings hitting the back of the bridge which can kill sustain.
Lots of people also like to remedy that situation by putting the stoptail down and just top-wrapping the strings over it (like Zakk Wylde).

[kelly user]

i have mine all the way down, more or less. and it doesn't come anywhere near the back of the TOM. the Zakky method, doesn't that scratch the crap out of the stoptail piece.

[toejam]

Yes, it could scratch it, but most people deal with it and can always replace it if necessary. There's many threads about top-wrapping on the Les Paul Forum.

[straycat]

Use a light weight tail piece and wrap over the top and your LP will have tons more ring to it and be quite slinky feeling even with 11-56s.I use 10s on my LPs and wrap over the tail piece it seems to acousticly open up a LP.JMO It also puts less tension on the TOM if you have one with the small treaded studs on the TOM.

[kelly user]

i will try next string change but its an explorer not an LP, by the way, which way are the intonation screw supposed to face, to the pick-ups or to the tail piece, it came factory facing the tail piece, but it is impossible to adjust that way.

[VitaminG]

I've got guitars with all three scales, and I've got no problem switching between them, but some people do, as they could potentially shoot to a higher or lower fret than they're used to,

I have a bigger problem with that when switching between 22 & 24 fret guitars, than with different scale lengths. Y'know, when you go to grab that big bend on the last fret, only on this guitar you've got two more? Apart from wide stretch stuff, which I don't use much, I don't notice much difference changing scale lengths.

[Sunbane]

I generally prefer shortscale for the stretches, but I'm currently in love with the clearer sound of the 25.5" scale.