Deep Thoughts on Scale Lengths

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Permalink Reply by spencer on April 14, 2009 at 2:28pm

I dont have deep thoughts

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on April 14, 2009 at 4:25pm

How about just use the E,B,D strings on your existing instrument?.... have to tune to open D to get about the same tension, but open E would probably work too.

Getting down to EBE with A,D,G strings would make for a really long scale - about 34". Are the strings available that long? Maybe... i think the big lowebows are that long.

You could also tune your existing strings to BEG# for a "Spanish" type tuning. (Or ADG# if that makes for too much tension).

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Permalink Reply by Ben on April 15, 2009 at 8:14am

Hey Doc,
Thanks for your input. I like the tension of the A D G strings and since I don't use a truss rod I was worried about the low E bowing my neck a bit too much. (Besides, if harmonica players get to change instruments, we should too!) I was also wondering how you cam up with 34" for the scale. If I've got a G on a 25" scale now, I'd like to essentially extend it by 3 frets. I was figuring that probably put me more in the 28-29" range. Maybe more like a baritone guitar which I believe are about 27-30" depending on how much string tension you want. Its my understanding that 34" is more of the standard bass guitar range. Also if anyone else is reading this and jumping in...ADF# for "Spanish" in A right? I know you meant that. I spend all day teaching beginning instrumental music and sometimes by the end of the day my brain hurts from all the treble/bass clef, Bb/C/Eb/F transposing. Thanks so much for your input though. I love to flesh things out on here. Helps me think about stuff better when I write it down and see what other people have to say!

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Permalink Reply by ChickenboneJohn on April 16, 2009 at 2:38am

Just made a 3 string 27" scale 'baritone' fretless for a customer, using the bottom three of a regular set of strings, and it worked out really nice. He wanted it fretlesss for fingered rather than slide playing, as he's a double bass man. I actually tuned it EBE, so there was a little more tension in the strings than if I had used a regular scale length..but it seemed play just fine.

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Permalink Reply by Bluesdog on April 16, 2009 at 3:52am

Nice discussion...

What strings do you use? Some heavygauge strings might do the trick on your current cbg, if your using a pack of 10's now some 13's or 14's should be about the same string tention 3 steps lower (E) as you do now with the G.

You could try cutting the neckpiece in two lengthwise and put a hardwood strip in between of about 3/4 inces thick (making it a 3-piece neck), that will sort of act like a Thrussrodd so you could tune up to E or lenghten the scale without worrieng about bowing the neck. It will look nice too.

Besides making it longer, you could also make it shorter by about a fret or two and use The Doc's tip about using the heavier strings from the pack and get basicly the same stringtention as you do now.
And a better playing ballance in your guitar itself, most cigareboxes ar not that big and putting a long neck on could make the guitar tilt forewards while playing.

Hope this helps and good luck on finding the right scale.

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Permalink Reply by Ben on April 16, 2009 at 5:36am

Hey Dog,
Thanks for your input. I love this site because I had my head stuck on making the neck longer instead of doing a short scale CBG to reduce tension. Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Doc Oakroot on April 16, 2009 at 9:04am

Oh, I calculated it wrong. I was thinking A down to E, but it's really G down to E, isn't it? So the scale would need to be 7/6 the length - a bit more than 29" (For A down to E I used 5/4 which is where the 34" came from)

Ben said:

Hey Doc,
Thanks for your input. I like the tension of the A D G strings and since I don't use a truss rod I was worried about the low E bowing my neck a bit too much. (Besides, if harmonica players get to change instruments, we should too!) I was also wondering how you cam up with 34" for the scale. If I've got a G on a 25" scale now, I'd like to essentially extend it by 3 frets. I was figuring that probably put me more in the 28-29" range. Maybe more like a baritone guitar which I believe are about 27-30" depending on how much string tension you want. Its my understanding that 34" is more of the standard bass guitar range. Also if anyone else is reading this and jumping in...ADF# for "Spanish" in A right? I know you meant that. I spend all day teaching beginning instrumental music and sometimes by the end of the day my brain hurts from all the treble/bass clef, Bb/C/Eb/F transposing. Thanks so much for your input though. I love to flesh things out on here. Helps me think about stuff better when I write it down and see what other people have to say!

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