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Post new topic Longer scale questions
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Author Topic:  Longer scale questions
Stephen Williams

 

From:
from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA
Post  Posted 26 Jan 2015 8:59 pm    
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What happens if we lengthen the scale to say 25 inches and above? vs say 24 inch.
For a particular string and raise, say, is the lengthening of the string more on a 25 inch vs a 24 inch? Is the pull required, more on a 25 inch or less? I've heard it's easier to break strings on longer scale lengths.
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Ian Worley


From:
Sacramento, CA
Post  Posted 26 Jan 2015 10:06 pm    
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Hey Stephen, greets from, uh, Berkeley. There are a number of resources on the web, you might find this useful: http://www.mcdonaldstrings.com/stringxxiii.html. There is a tool that will calculate tension of different string gauge/scale length combinations. For PSG, you'll probably want to base the calculation on the highest raise pitch of a given string.

The bottom line is, the longer the string, the greater the tension for a given pitch. Same applies to heavier strings, the larger the string gauge, the greater the tension for a given scale length. The problem is obviously greatest on the lighter strings. A longer scale guitar should tend to break the lighter strings more, but YMMV. Most PSGs are ~24" - 24 1/4". I had a Sierra for a while with a 25" scale and never broke a string on it using standard E9 gauges (.011 G#).

b0b has a page here with some useful info too: http://b0b.com/wp/?page_id=259.

Hope this helps.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 27 Jan 2015 1:08 am    
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Here's another simpler page. Don't know if it's better, but it's already in inches. I used it when I was designing my Uni 12 and it took the trial and error out of choosing the return springs.

http://hikkyz.net/misc/stringassembler/

Odd thing is, it caters for .019p which I didn't think existed but not for .021p which surely does. Maybe it's a D'Addario thing.
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Ian Worley


From:
Sacramento, CA
Post  Posted 27 Jan 2015 1:26 am    
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That is a better tool, Ian. Pretty slick.
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