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Getting used to a longer scale length...

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length scale
4K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  Variant 
#1 ·
Me Before buying a 26.5" scale length guitar:
:flex: I got dis

Me after practicing scales on one for an hour:
mommy help.

I have been struggling with my new extended range fiddle a bit. Everything is slightly off just enough that it is messing with my muscle memory.
I actually had to slow_way_the_hell_down because I was feeling some odd pain from stretching.


Any of you guys have a hard time making the transition to longer scale length?
 
#2 ·
Yeah, I had an Intrepid, an RG8, RGA8 and an Omen 8, all hoping that maybe a difference in the neck profile would make them more comfortable, and to some extent they did but then I'd go back to a 6 or 7 at 25.5" and those felt like home. That's why I do the have anymore 8s or anything over 25.5" at least for now. Hoping fanned fret fixes that issue for me.
 
#3 ·
I found the M80M fine for some things but unusable for others it was 29.4 scale so massive - I was mostly using it for playing along with meshuggah and sections like the clean part in future breed machine (im aware that is played on a 7) were unplayable as its all extended chords on the bottom frets.

I recently picked up a fanned fred 8 thats 27.2 - 25.5 and my issues are pretty much resolved. It can still be a bit of a challenge but I guess I am huge and have big hands so a bit of practice and it was fine.

Id recommend fanned fret as there is very little learning curve but make sure you get fret markers (I didnt) as an 8 string fanned with no markers can be pretty fucking confusing :lol:

If Im honest I doubt I'd have any issue with 26.5 at all but as I say I am 6ft 6 and have much larger than average hands.
 
#4 ·
I haven’t spent a whole lot of time on 26.5 but I did have a hell raiser 7 for a while and it didn’t bother me at all. I also had an agile 727 and 828...the 727 was ok’ish But it was definitely noticeable. The 828 was downright difficult to play for some things. However the trade off was that playing my riffs that are usually in the 1-7 feet range on a 6 or 7 up towards the 5-12 range but a string or two lower felt and sounded phenomenal. The extra breathing room up in that area was welcome and the tone difference was pretty cool too...sometimes desirable sometimes not.
 
#5 ·
At one point I was like "this is only an inch difference so why does it feel like I am playing a Bass" :lol:

I practiced for about 2 hours yesterday and the last 45 min or so things were clicking a good bit better.

My Thumb was the main pain culprit which is no surprise as It seemed like that is where my troubles arose. I couldn't get my thumb in the right position. I tend to wrap it over the top of the fingerboard when I shouldn't and had neck transition issues as a result.

Slowing down has helped a ton and as I am trying to play hyper clean, slow is definitely the way to go there.

I actually shopped the hell out of fan fret and basically had it narrowed down to the Ormsby Hype GTR, Kiesel, Balaguer, or RGD71ALMS but then did a complete turn-about and went for the Schecter. Was just something about it...
 
#7 ·
At one point I was like "this is only an inch difference so why does it feel like I am playing a Bass"


I practiced for about 2 hours yesterday and the last 45 min or so things were clicking a good bit better.

My Thumb was the main pain culprit which is no surprise as It seemed like that is where my troubles arose. I couldn't get my thumb in the right position. I tend to wrap it over the top of the fingerboard when I shouldn't and had neck transition issues as a result.

Slowing down has helped a ton and as I am trying to play hyper clean, slow is definitely the way to go there.

I actually shopped the hell out of fan fret and basically had it narrowed down to the Ormsby Hype GTR, Kiesel, Balaguer, or RGD71ALMS but then did a complete turn-about and went for the Schecter. Was just something about it...
Yeah wrapping your thumb around the top will not help. I don't do that ever as it feels totally unnatural, so I will never be s good classical player.

Also, having played one, the hype guitars are great.
 
#6 ·
If you're basing it off literally the first time you practiced with it, then yes it's going to be weird. It could take days, maybe weeks.

It took me months to get used to playing a strat again after singlecuts for a few years.
 
#8 ·
It took me less time to figure out the B string on my first 7 string guitar than it did to get my head around the extra inch on the old Loomis sig (hardtail, of course) that I traded Matt my RG7620 for. We traded back a month or two later :lol: :wub:
 
#9 ·
I thought it would, but so far it hasn't been a thing at all - now when I got the shorter LTD that messed with me... :lol:
 
#10 ·
Not really. I mean, there were a few songs in my old band that became a lot harder to play because my fingers already had to stretch quite a bit in 25.5", but then they had to stretch a lot more when I got 27". But other than that, I had no issues. I had a lot more problems playing the 8 string I owned for a few years than I ever did playing a baritone. Even when I first started playing it, I didn't really have any issues, but I've heard that some people take a little time to get used to it.
 
#11 ·
Thanks for the feedback everyone.

I've actually been trying to be a bit more disciplined when it comes to practicing instead of just jamming and it helping a good deal.

I played a 6 string for the first time in quite a while yesterday and I was a bit surprised that I missed the extra string.
 
#13 ·
Had a Schecter Riot 8 ltd a few years back; no biggie getting used to the rather smallish longer scale.
I have medium sized hands, pinkies a Bit shorter than wanted, but still no big deal.
I also sometimes used my Wolf 7 35" bass for ultra long scale baritone works; a Bit more scale getting used to.. ;)

For me, playing longer scales is mostly a matter of correct ergonomics and posture, and as such, classical position when sitting down, and having the instrument strapped a Bit higher when, well, strapped up - which also menas avoiding neck-heavy instruments.

I fully agree with those referring multiscaling, as this lends itself to more correct hand movements, especially when fretting close to the body, where the hand can't be angled too much.
Never had a multiscale one yet, but likely will have me a Jackson DKAF 8 mx, 26-28", next time.
 
#14 ·
I had an Iron Label 8 string and a Dean ML 8 string for a while and it wasn't the scale length the screwed with me, having smaller hands did with that massive fretboard, lol! Also has a LTD SC607b for a while, fantastic guitar, probably should've kept it, lol! My main guitar these days is my Ibanez RGIB6(28" scale)and it wasn't bad to get used to and it sounds amazing in drop A, I've also got a BC Rich Bich that has a 30" scale, now that took some getting used to, still working on that, lol! Kind of on the hunt for a 27" baritone 6 string to add to the toolbox. As has been mentioned posture, position has helped me a lot along with regularly switching around scale lengths.
 
#16 ·
So fast forward to now and I am so used to this scale length now that 25.5 seems off and odd:lol:

I am not obsessing over thumb placement either it clicked and now I do not think about hand position at all.

I'm making a conscious effort to play my other stuff more now so the scale difference isn't as jarring.
 
#18 ·
Yeah, acclimation really. I tried out this sick playing & sounding old Head (Korn) MIJ KOMRAD model that was a monetary steal over at the Daytona G.C. and I kept smashing my hand into the nut going for the 1st fret and open notes. :noplease:

I played 27" stuff for almost ten years, and every guitar I have now is 28" or more.
 
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