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Is a gibson les paul really a 24 3/4" scale length


cudamax2343

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I was reading (yes I can read) an old article in guitar centers holiday platinum edition 2007, about an Interveiw with paul reed smith ( now I know recently there was some bad blood between prs and gibson AND I'am not trying to start anything) Specifically he was asked: What was the inspiration for the new sc 245?

PRS answered, I got a whole bunch of old les pauls and new les pauls and old gibsons out and started measuring the scale length. It's not 24 3/4". It's not 24 5/8" It's 24 9/16". It's 1/16" longer than 24 1/2." 24 1/2 is what I've been using on the santana model for ever, It's the old scale. So 245 means 24 1/2" scale.

 

So PRS has got me conserned with this statment of his, and my Question is: How do I verify that my Gibson les paul is a 24 3/4" scale as gibson say's it is, and not more like a PRS santana model 245. I know or I should say that I have heard to measure from the nut to the 12th fret, times 2, but can someone tell me exactly where on the nut, is it the fretboard side of the nut to the bridge, and if so were exactly on the bridge.

 

I need someone to spell it out for me. A exact point "a" to an exact point "b" so I can go and measure and see for myself.

 

I know for sure a lot of punch on a gibson does come from the 24 3/4" scale length and they do say every gibson will not sound the same and everyone is different, just please dont tell me that this guy is right and they are all + or - a 1/16" or 3/16" or more and that some are under or over 24 3/4" scale. I just might have another episode on this forum. Because if that's true and I would have know that, well the next time I'm out for a new paul , I'll be bring the measuring tape with me, and measuring gibson's for the shortest under scale I can find.

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Nut to saddle on low E. From there it gets less for the other strings.

 

Don't forget that you are buying wood. +/- 1/16 would be realistic, but there is about 3/8" adjustment in the saddle.

 

I think your addiction has you in a fog if you are trying to be this perfect. Take the cotton out of your ears and listen to the guitars you buy, or do you even play them?

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Cuda, you were given the answer. If you're still unsure and really need someone to measure for you, I suggest you take it to a luthier who will measure it for you and charge you around $25 for the service, and then talk to his cohorts about the customer who came in and paid $25 over a concern about scale comparisons he read in some article...

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No My point is, If PRS is indeed correct and gibsons are coming in much shorter than than 24 3/4" and may be inbetween 24 3/4" and 24 9/16 or 24 13/16" I personally would measure my next gibson to find one that's closer to 24 1/2" scale for a little added punch.

Is the scale determined solely by its high "e" scale lenght.

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Is the scale determined solely by its high "e" scale lenght.

 

I believe Alien8 mention the low 'E' string to check scale length.

 

 

Good point about the saddles. Could be one scale length in the summer and another scale length in the winter. But I suspect that would be the same for almost all guitars, even PRS's.

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Hmmm....

 

After over 45 years of playing...I never bothered or even knew about the scale length or what difference it makes. I had used strats, jazzmasters, rickens, and gibbies; but just played the ones that sound good to me. I learn something everyday.

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Actually, the scale length should be measured from the inside edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret. This is half-scale length, so double this measurement to obtain the full scale length. This takes out the variable of the position of the individual string saddles.

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This thread was interesting to read, but it does bring one question to mind.

 

Why do I care?

 

As someone already stated I have never picked out a guitar because of it's scale length, and tend to play what I like listening too. So what differance does this really make? I should add that I do not mean this sarcasticly. I read the same article, and it was a point PRS kept going back to.

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This thread was interesting to read' date=' but it does bring one question to mind.

 

Why do I care?

 

As someone already stated I have never picked out a guitar because of it's scale length, and tend to play what I like listening too. So what differance does this really make? I should add that I do not mean this sarcasticly. I read the same article being refered too and it was a point of PRS kept going back to.

[/quote']

 

 

Same here... I knew the shorter scale made fretting easier... but this is the first I have heard that it could affect the tone as well.....

 

Y'all keep talkin'... I'm all ears... er... eyes....

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Nut to saddle on low E. From there it gets less for the other strings.

 

Don't forget that you are buying wood. +/- 1/16 would be realistic' date=' but there is about 3/8" adjustment in the saddle.

 

I think your addiction has you in a fog if you are trying to be this perfect. Take the cotton out of your ears and listen to the guitars you buy, or do you even play them?[/quote']

 

Maybe you yourself are unaware of how a certain scale lenght's affect sound and the advantage's and disadvantages of both. I'll tell-ya a few, for starters one for example is the gibson RD reissue. Gibson's advertisement states: The RD's longer 25 1/2" scale lenght Increases sustain. On the shorter scale models such as the 24 3/4" found on the les paul. When you hang a say .42 on the low end and you hit it hard, it goes "wo-oh-oh". It goes almost up to F and back and on the 25 1/2" scale it really doesn't do that and we will not even talk about scale lenght feel and playability and hand size.

No I dont play my guitars, I chase alien's around and bash-em over the head with-em.O:) O:) [-X

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Actually' date=' the scale length should be measured from the inside edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret. This is half-scale length, so double this measurement to obtain the full scale length. This takes out the variable of the position of the individual string saddles.[/quote']

 

Good-one. Thank-you for that answer.

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  • 7 years later...

Hi Folks,

 

I am new to this forum but I may have some insight to your discussion. I've been a guitarist for over 40 years and the one thing about scale length that I know for sure is that it has everything to do with intonation. I have heard it affects the tone for some but I have never really noticed any difference, but that's just me. The scale length has to match the position of the bridge. If you install a neck or fretboard with a different scale length than the original, getting the intonation will prove to be difficult if not impossible. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

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Hi Folks,

 

I am new to this forum but I may have some insight to your discussion. I've been a guitarist for over 40 years and the one thing about scale length that I know for sure is that it has everything to do with intonation. I have heard it affects the tone for some but I have never really noticed any difference, but that's just me. The scale length has to match the position of the bridge. If you install a neck or fretboard with a different scale length than the original, getting the intonation will prove to be difficult if not impossible. Anyway, that's my 2 cents. Hope this helps.

 

And this is why longer scale guitars are preferred by a lot of people who play in really low tunings. It's not so much tbe tone, but the intonation and more importantly the playability. Lower tunings with longer scales makes the string tension better and easier to play....less floppy.

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Hello!

 

Some info from StewMac:

 

"WHAT IS SCALE LENGTH?

 

A guitar's scale length is calculated by measuring the distance from the front edge of the nut, where it butts against the end of the fingerboard, to the center of the 12th (octave) fret, then doubling that measurement.

 

what_is_scale_length.gif

 

The Gibson 24-3/4" scale is also very common, but it is also the most confusing of all scale lengths—this is because it rarely ever measures out to be 24-3/4 inches! This scale has gradually changed over the past fifty or so years due to changes in production equipment.

 

gibson_timeline.gif

 

Being shorter than the Fender 25-1/2" scale, the Gibson 24-3/4" scale has a lower tension/easier to play feel, and a warmer tone."

 

Source: http://www.stewmac.com/How-To/Online_Resources/Fretting/Scale_Length_Explained.html

 

Cheers... Bence

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Yep. This old thread is full of nonsense. Scale length is fret side of nut to 12th x 2.

Yes. Like already said here:

 

Actually, the scale length should be measured from the inside edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret. This is half-scale length, so double this measurement to obtain the full scale length. This takes out the variable of the position of the individual string saddles.

 

Anyway, my Gibsons are definitely scaled a bit shorter than 24.75" which indeed took me by surprise.

 

Thank you, Bence, for making me curious with your post! [biggrin]

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Guest Farnsbarns

Here is something you can do take out a tape measure and see for yourself.

 

Who? The people who were asking 7 years ago and are long gone or the people who have posted more recently and seem to know already?

 

[flapper]

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  • 2 months later...

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