Scale length

Standard scale lengths

Electric guitars

24.75“ (628.65mm) ... Gibson 25.00“ (635.00mm) ... PRS 25.50“ (647.70mm) ... Fender

Electric bass

34.0“ (863.60mm) … Long scale 32.5“ (825.50mm) … Medium scale 30.0“ (762.00mm) … Short scale

Designing the Guitar

Designing a well-proportioned guitar is not easy, but I would none the less encourage you to try to design your own model and not just copy an already-existing design. Of course you can always take already-existing models as a guideline (others do so as well!), but you should always try to remain individual. If you are interested in original designs, you may find two books mentioned on page 75 useful. Some guitarmakers' suppliers offer blueprints of certain guitar models.

My personal favorite as far as shape is concerned is the Fender Telecaster. Especially the shape of its peghead is, in my opinion, an ingenious choice, and it is therefore not without reason that it is registered as a trademark, as are other shapes of other models, too. This is also why other companies had to develop slightly differing shapes to avoid having to pay licence fees for selling their guitars. Not always do these designs, however, match or get near the beauty of the original; in fact, some guitars look rather inelegant and ugly, which just goes to show that designing a guitar does require a good sense of proportions.

Scale length

The choice of the scale length is a fundamental step in the designing process and as such has repercussions for the final sound of the guitar. The scale length is the distance between the two points on which a string rests, i.e. the front edge of the nut and its saddle on the bridge. This length determines the total length of the guitar: a guitar can never be shorter than its scale length. A headless guitar may be the answer if you are looking to build a very compact model. These guitars have the tuners fitted on the body so that no peghead is needed. As a result, the total length of a headless guitar is only marginally greater than its scale length.

Scale lengths are normally given in inches and not in metric units. The original Stratocaster, for instance, has a scale length of 25.5 inches. Although the differences between the standard scale lengths used by different manufacturers are not very big - 3/4" between Fender and Gibson, for instance - these do none the less result in differences in sound and playability of the guitar.

In theory you can, of course, choose any scale length you like. But if you intend to use finished standard parts such as readymade pickguards, bridges or pickups, you will have to stick to the dimensions of the “original” more or less closely.

After you have decided on the scale length you can start calculating the distances between the frets. If you choose one of the standard scale lengths, you can find the distances in the table on the facing page; otherwise you will have to work them out

A shorter scale length ...

.. means that the distances between the frets are shorter, and therefore fingering chords is easier for players with small hands or short fingers. On bass guitars this difference can be particularly noticeable. Unfortunately, a long scale length emphasizes especially the lower-pitched tones of a bass; therefore a long scale length should be preferred.

... gives a somewhat more brilliant, trebly sound.

... means reduced string tension.

... means a shorter neck sticking out from the body and, as a result, slightly less strain on the neck.

... results in the strings vibrating less. The sound produced by the guitar is therefore lower in volume, and the strings can be placed relatively low above the fingerboard (i.e. the action can be set lower).

A longer scale length ...

... means slightly longer distances between the frets, which favors players with longer fingers.

... makes the overall sound somewhat bassier. The longer the scale length of a bass is, the bassier it will sound.There are even basses with scale lengths of 36" (915mm), which were built to get more “power”, but because these can create neck stability problems, their necks have been made thicker than normal. When it comes to long scale lengths, however, the traditional double bass is still in a league of its own: 1200mm (47,24") is its impressive scale length, and its extremely strong neck does not stick out of the body too far. Additionally, the double bass has a high bridge that helps to transform a lot of the string pull into pressure exerted on the top of the guitar.

... means a longer neck sticking out from the body and more strain on the neck.

... increases string pull.

... makes the instrument louder as the strings can vibrate more; the action can therefore not be set as low as on a guitar with a shorter scale length.

NOVAX fingerboard

The NOVAX fanned-fret, or multiple scale, system is one way of reconciling the advantages of a short and a long scale length.This system, which was patented by the American Ralph Novak, has concurring frets, and the nut and the bridge are not parallel to each other. Thus a guitar could, for instance, have a bass-side scale length of 25.5" and a treble-side scale length of 24.5". On a bass guitar this will result in both basses and trebles being emphasized. A five-string bass could have the following scale lengths:

B: 37" E: 36.25", A: 35.5", D: 34.75", G: 34".

Baritone guitar

This special type of guitar is tuned lower than normal. It consists of a standard-sized body with a longer neck and, consequently, an increased scale length. A typical scale length of baritone guitars would be 27.67" (702.82mm).

When a standard scale-length guitar is tuned lower than normal, the strings become slack and lifeless, which seriously affects the tone of the guitar. The longer scale length of a baritone guitar avoids this drawback. The instrument can effectively be tuned to a low B without sacrificing tone.

Baritone guitars require special (longer) strings.