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Topic: Scale length versus string breakage |
ajm
From:
Los Angeles
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Posted 4 Apr 2017 7:07 am |
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There are two similar topics running right now.
- String breakage (in the Steel Players forum), and
- Stretching strings (in the Pedal Steel forum).
With respect to these two, especially the string breakage topic, the scale length is a big factor as well.
The longer the scale length, the more tension required to get a string to a given pitch.
If you have a longer scale guitar, and are breaking a lot of strings (it always seems to come back to the 3rd G#), those same strings may very well have been fine (or at least better) on a shorter scale guitar.
So...........
For those currently with multiple guitars with different scale lengths, or those who have owned each type, what has your experience been?
Do you find shorter scale length guitars to be easier on strings?
I'm sure that this has been discussed at some point in the past. Apologies if so.
Thanks in advance. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2017 8:23 am
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Following is a quote from John Ely's site regarding recommend string gauges and scale lengths:
"Scale length can be a factor when selecting gauges. If you use identical string gauges on both a short scale guitar (22-22.5") and a long scale guitar (24-24.5"), the string tension on the long scale instrument will be noticeably greater. From the chart below, you can see that for Middle C, a .017 gauge string is normal. On a short scale instrument, string tension is lower so you might consider using an .018 gauge string. Some instruments have a "super long scale", 26" and beyond. For these instruments you probably will need to use the smallest of the recommended gauges; string tension will be significantly greater on these guitars." |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2017 9:13 am Re: Scale length versus string breakage
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| ajm wrote: |
...For those currently with multiple guitars with different scale lengths, or those who have owned each type, what has your experience been?
Do you find shorter scale length guitars to be easier on strings? |
Even though a longer scale length puts more tension on the strings, in practice, I haven't found any noticeable difference: my long-scale doesn't break strings faster than the short-scale PSGs. And the long scale is my woodshed instrument. I hit it HARD every day.
This is because the difference in length is really small: 24" versus 24-1/4." It's different in the lap steel world, where various guitars can have quite different scale lengths (see Erv's post), but for PSG it's a non-issue since the lion's share are either 24" or 24-1/4." I think of those two choices as 'short' or 'long' scale.
In my world, string brand, not scale length, is more of a determinant of how long they last. |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 4 Apr 2017 9:24 am
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If you want to exceed 24 1/4" on a pedal steel, you need to go with a keyless head.
With a keyless head you don't have to deal with that extra length of string lying past the nut, especially on the 5th and 6th strings.
I believe Excel builds a pedal steel with a 25" scale length. |
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