Scale Length Question

Virgil Franklin · From: Indiana, USA

Potentially a dumb question warning: (I have 2 Stringmasters with 26" scale lengths)

1.) What are the benefits of a longer scale length?

2.) What are the draw-backs of a longer scale length?
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Virgil Franklin
Organizer: Southern Indiana Steel Guitar Show www.southernindianasteelguitar.com
2023 Justice Pro-lite 4 x 4,2020 Justice Pro-Lite 4 x 4 , Fender 400 6 x 2, Stringmaster Mk1 Clone, Gibson Console Grande 520, Boss Katana 100 Mk2 with Basslite 2012 speaker

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Benefit:
-- superb sustain, superb tone

Drawback:
-- it takes more extreme angle to achieve bar slants
-- lacks the traditional pickup balance wheel (but has 'balance' built into the tone circuit)
-- needs care to get a high G on a C6 tuning (but it can be done)

I just sold my 1954 26" Stringmaster and it was a great, great sounding guitar. People will respond that they have no problem getting bar slants with the long scale and people will respond that they have no lack of sustain on the shorter scales. So there you go.

Noah Miller · From: Rocky Hill, CT

I prefer the sound of a shorter-scale steel, but that's just subjective. I find slanting easier on longer-scale steels because your intonation doesn't have to be as precise.

Tony Oresteen · From: Georgia, USA

The longer scale makes setting up a baritone tuning "better" as you can use thicker strings. YMMV.
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Tony
Newnan, GA

Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

The benefits of the long 26” scale to me are if you are playing tunings with lots big strummable chords and heavy bass strings - they excel at this undisputedly

I am a 22” scale player because they are just more fun to play and scoot around on - and I’m not using bass strings very often- I could play @90% of what I do on 5 strings
When I got my first ric b6 (22” scale) it was a revelation over the 25” I had been playing- everything except the lush full chords was better

For me - I will play / think a long scale totally different from a short scale - one I tend to play more vertical in set positions with a straight bar and the other I’m horizontal scooting all over the range staying mainly on 4/5 strings using every bar manipulation trick possible
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Mike Christensen · From: Cook Minnesota

Have had many different kinds of lap steels. I see it as a personal thing. Some have said they feel cramped on a short scale. I am now playing A Gibson BR2 and two Rics with another Gibson BR6 arriving today. All are short scale,all are full of tone and all have more sustain than you would ever need. I would not turn down a sweet guitar deal because of scale length. Jam on.

Joe A. Roberts · From: Seoul, South Korea

Another benefit is that harmonics jump out easier on longer scale guitars!

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