Most Fender electric guitars, including the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Esquire, and Jazzmaster use a scale length of 25.5 inches (650 mm). The scale length of that specific guitar will be twice as long as that length and also the maximum for the guitar you want to construct. I will assume the best means playability for a student in learning classical guitar. Smaller scale instruments are used extensively to teach younger players. 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. Antonio De Torres (1817–1892) used a scale length of 25.6 inches (650 mm), and later makers have followed suit. Players specializing in purely classical technique value wide fret spacing, as it enhances the effect of traditional vibrato. Concert grand pianos range in scale from about 7 ft 6 in (229 cm) to 9 ft (274 cm) or occasionally more. Most classical guitars describe their scale length in millimeters (mm). Others are intended for larger homes, and may have a simplified action lacking the repeat lever that is only useful for advanced players. As this is normally the lowest bass note, it is a single string. 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. However, from the mid- 20th Century luthiers seeking increased volume have moved to a 26 inches (660 mm) scale, which is now the standard for such leading makers as Ramirez. Nowadays, 650mm is standard which is also standard to many string manufacturers. The table below shows some of the standard scale lengths used by major steel string acoustic guitar manufacturers. That is why a Fender Telecaster (25.5” scale length) has very clean, clear bass tones and stinging treble, while a Gibson Les Paul (24.75”) is known for warm, full tone but some muddiness at the low end. Common sizes include 17 inches (430 mm), 16 1⁄2 inches (420 mm), 16 inches (410 mm), 15 1⁄2 inches (390 mm), 15 inches (380 mm), 14 inches (360 mm), and less commonly 12 inches (300 mm), smaller than a standard violin; These measurements are nominal and approximate. He typically builds 660mm scale length. (A full-size instrument is described as 4/4.). There are current manufacturers whose specifications indicate a 660mm scale length, although many of them “cheat it” just a little to make their instruments feel more playable to modern players. For example, a 3/4 size steel string guitar might have a scale length of 23 inches (580 mm). The specifications for any acoustic guitar include its “scale length.” In theory, scale length is the length of the freely vibrating section of any open string on the guitar—that is, the length from the nut to the saddle (specifically, the bridge mounted within the saddle). The result is a crisper, clearer, brighter (and some would say thinner) tone. Small travel guitars and guitars specifically designed for children can have even shorter scales. Required fields are marked *. Guitar sizes – The Classic shape: Dreadnoughts. Be careful to ask for kid's guitar. Notable concert grands include: Smaller grand pianos vary in naming. A player with shorter, narrower fingers will tend to find short-scale guitars more comfortable, whereas one with long and/or thick fingers will often prefer the wider fret spacing of a long-scale instrument. A Dreadnought, as its name would suggest is a big guitar that makes a big sound. String instruments produce sound through the vibration of their strings. ). The bridge will be slightly slanted, so that the vibrating length of one string differs from that of another. This article continues the series with useful information about modern acoustic guitars. You will find more options for kid-size guitars in Classical guitars. This is still often regarded as the standard length for a bass guitar. Guitars that have a scale length toward the upper end of the spectrum of common lengths are called long-scale guitars, while those toward the lower end of the spectrum are called short-scale guitars. I wondered how that compared to the guitars I know. (my guitar's scale length is 650mm) I was convinced that I couldn't do anything about my small hands and my inability to reach. Many guitarists mistakenly associate scale length with the number of frets on an acoustic guitar. The most common scale length for a classical guitar, particularly low to mid priced guitars from well known companies is 650 mm. Add Jazzy Chords and Progressions to Your Tunes. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Lutherie Info – Measuring Scale Length of Stringed Instruments", Liutaio Mottola Lutherie Information Website, http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Learn_About_Guitar_and_Instrument_Fretting_and_Fretw/Scale_Length_Explained.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Scale_length_(string_instruments)&oldid=986563321, Articles needing additional references from January 2019, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Fender's 3/4 Scale Guitars", a two-part article by Tim Pershing in, This page was last edited on 1 November 2020, at 17:02. 1/8, 1/10, 1/16 and 1/32 and even 1/64 violins also exist, becoming progressively smaller, but again in no proportional relationship. The two most famous violin makers, Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698–1744), both used an open string length of 12.8 inches (330 mm) for their violins, which had already been established a generation before by Jacob Stainer (c. 1617–1683). Players specializing in purely classical technique value wide fret spacing, as it enhances the effect of traditional vibrato. Classical guitars, compared to electrics and steel strings, are generally the largest guitars out there when looking at a combined scale length and nut width, so don’t feel bad about using a non-standard sized nylon guitar. This is the most ‘classic’ of the guitar sizes here. 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. This adjustment is necessary to preserve intonation across the instrument, due to the variations in string weight and tension, and the fact that the neck will inevitably bow slightly more on the bass side of the fretboard than on the treble side. A longer vibrating section of each string means that the strings have higher tension. Guitars in the Hill Guitar Company’s Torres crossover series, for instance, are available in 640mm (25.2”) and 630mm (24.8”) lengths. First, unlike that of the violin and the cello, the viola scale length has not standardised, but rather advanced players use whatever scale length best suits them. You can see the previous posts there: Basic physic principles of wavelength and frequency dictate that the 12th fret of a guitar, which marks a pitch one octave above the open-string note, falls at the halfway point of the free-vibrating section of the spring. Electric guitars reflect the range of scale lengths found with steel-string acoustics. Some players find long-scale instruments physically harder to play because of the increased reach. For acoustic players, scale length is above all a matter of comfort and personal preference. On a modern bass guitar, 30" (76 cm) or less is considered short scale, standard (also called long) scale is 34" (86 cm) for a 4-string and 35" (89 cm) for a B-E-A-D-G 5-string, and extra-long scale basses of 36" (91 cm) also exist. Generally, a string instrument has all strings approximately the same length, so the scale length can be expressed as a single measurement, e.g., the violin and most guitars. I will assume the best means playability for a student in learning classical guitar. However, a few years later and I scarcely notice that my guitar which was previously "too large" is now a very good fit, I can make most reaches quite comfortably (for example index finger on 6th string g, middle finger on 3rd string d and little finger on 1st string b) Violas are commonly described in terms of their body length rather than—as with other violin-family instruments—by a fraction. Instead buying a shorter scale guitar, I just tuned my current guitar two steps lower and put a capo at the 2nd fret. After reading posts on here yesterday, I stopped by the shop, and we discussed putting a 650mm on mine. There are also smaller versions of this "full scale" double bass with the same scale length but with a smaller sound box, intended for other musical idioms. The size of these is described by a "conventional" fraction that has no mathematical significance. The correspondence between National guitars and the guitars of Paul Reed Smith is no coincidence: Smith specifically designed his instruments to have a similar feel to classic steel guitars.
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