# 25.5" scale 7-strings. Worth it?



## jbab

I've been wondering, do you guys think it's worth getting a 25.5" scale 7? I always thought I'd rather go with a 27" to keep tension in the low B (or the low whatever if I downtune), but I've been seriously GASing Carvin DC700s, which are 25.5"


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## Maxx is

This is not a yes or no question, and you can chance the tension by simply using thicker gauges. The problem is, that the lower you go, the muddier and less intonated small-scaled guitars sound. There is no correct answer, but in my personal experience, 25,5 " scales work down to Standard A, if you want to go lower -> 26,5"+


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## MaxOfMetal

Personally, I think 25.5" works great for a 7, even when tuning down to G#. Past there, I'd probably look at longer scales for the sake of using thinner strings, but overall, 25.5" isn't bad at all. 

Honestly, with a proper setup, a well thought-out string set, and decent pickups and amp settings any scale will work.


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## Winspear

It all depends how tight you like your strings. I like mine no less than 19lbs, which means running about a 62 or 64 gauge for B on 25.5". Then it's a case of tone - I am perfectly happy with the tonal performance of strings that thick on 25.5". 
I can just about stand the tone of a 68 too, which means I can downtune to A fairly happily. 
Beyond that I'd be considering a baritone though, because strings above 70 simply don't sound that great to me on standard scale.
Some people are happy with floppier strings, which means you can tune lower using the same gauge and still get a bright tone. Not for me.


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## sear

I have zero problems with 25.5-inch scale. I use 10-60 Dunlop Heavy Core strings and have zero problems with tension. Yeah, the low B could be a _little_ tighter and brighter tonally speaking, but it intonates fine and there really is nothing wrong with the tone at all. Personally, drop A is as low as I'd ever want to go, but I think lower than that and you _might_ start to have troubles with intonation, depending on how much you can adjust the bridge (Tune-O-Matic would suck, for instance).


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## Chi

25.5 works great on my Ibanez, really. I'm currently playing 60's on A - a little loose but it works for the kind of stuff I play on it. Lowest I went was G, with some 76's. Was a pain in the ass to intonate with a TOM and well, the sound was really lacking when recorded, but that could have other reasons, too.

I like the scale on my ibby, might want to get something longer sometime though. That's what she said.


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## EricSVT18

I have a 25.5" and 27". I play in mainly G# and it works just as well for both.


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## Konfyouzd

25.5" works just fine. The only reason I like 27" more on guitars is that the frets are spaced farther apart which I find more comfortable for the weedly weedly zone... 

I have a 25" ARZ307 that I tune lower than my 27" 7s...


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## hairychris

I don't like anything above 25.5 as I have cranky joints on my fretting hand...


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## wat

Definitely worth it. Longer scale guitars are cool, especially if you're really tuning low but the sound isn't for everybody


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## kgerbick7321

2 things

1) Carvin will be offing a 27" scale by the end of this year to a few models if you can wait.

2) You just have to try it out for yourself. Me personally, i don like anything over 25.5". 

I had a 26.5 scale RGD prestige and sold it because i didnt like thescale. Everyones different though


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## Konfyouzd

Also... Less ppl wanna play your guitars bc they're "too big."

Most seem pretty damn fascinated by fanned frets tho.


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## jbab

kgerbick7321 said:


> 2 things
> 
> 1) Carvin will be offing a 27" scale by the end of this year to a few models if you can wait.
> 
> 2) You just have to try it out for yourself. Me personally, i don like anything over 25.5".
> 
> I had a 26.5 scale RGD prestige and sold it because i didnt like thescale. Everyones different though



I used to have an Agile 8 string with a 28.6 scale, which was a tiny bit too much for me. I think 27 would be fine, but I'd have to try one first...



Konfyouzd said:


> Also... Less ppl wanna play your guitars bc they're "too big."
> 
> Most seem pretty damn fascinated by fanned frets tho.



I'm a lefty, so no one wants to play my guitars already


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## Given To Fly

I'd say an Ibanez Universe, EBMM JP7 or the new Jem7V7 would be worth it.


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## CrazyDean

I think that adding an extra string _and_ extending scale length on a new guitar will cause some objection. The guitar won't feel similar enough. 

My experience is mostly in 25.5" scale 7s and I have never thought I needed anything more. The only other ERG I owned was a 28.625" scale, 8-string Agile, and it just wasn't comfy.


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## mongey

for me if you are downtuning all strings then longer scale makes sense. I tune to ADADGBe so I dont want to reduce or change playabiltiy acorss the whole guitar just to get maybe a better A string sound .I'd rather just sort the A string out with gauge choice and keep the feel I know for the rest


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## Matt_D_

i prefer 25.5" scale necks because i have small hands and playing 3 note per string scales on anything larger than that sucks.

I also like light tension strings. and find 10-59's about right for standard, or one step down. but thats me.


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## edsped

25.5" scale with a 52 B is perfect for me


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## AliceLG

no problem at all with my 25.5 in A, 11-70


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## noUser01

MaxOfMetal said:


> Personally, I think 25.5" works great for a 7, even when tuning down to G#. Past there, I'd probably look at longer scales for the sake of using thinner strings, but overall, 25.5" isn't bad at all.
> 
> Honestly, with a proper setup, a well thought-out string set, and decent pickups and amp settings any scale will work.



This. I find 25.5'' to be just great for Drop Ab tuning. I agree though I wouldn't go past that, and you need to know how to tweak things to get enough clarity out of that low Ab - but it's completely possible. I use 11-56 with a 64 for Drop Ab and it's good, not too heavy, not too light.


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## Dropsonic

sear said:


> I have zero problems with 25.5-inch scale. I use 10-60 Dunlop Heavy Core strings and have zero problems with tension. Yeah, the low B could be a _little_ tighter and brighter tonally speaking, but it intonates fine and there really is nothing wrong with the tone at all. Personally, drop A is as low as I'd ever want to go, but I think lower than that and you _might_ start to have troubles with intonation, depending on how much you can adjust the bridge (Tune-O-Matic would suck, for instance).



Why is it, that the Tune-O-Matic would suck?


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## WhiteWalls

Dropsonic said:


> Why is it, that the Tune-O-Matic would suck?


Because the isn't much room for the saddles to move, also you can't tweak the action on single saddles, both could be issues if your low string is big enough

Anyway 25.5 scales work great! the 7th string might need some work sometimes but I always solved any problem I had by simply putting a bigger string.
Baritone scales certainly behave better on the low string but the rest of the guitar becomes brighter and much worse for leads/solos in my opinion, both sound and playing wise


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## TomParenteau

sear said:


> I use 10-60 Dunlop Heavy Core strings and have zero problems with tension.


 
I had way too much floppiness when running .009-.054 set, standard tuning with a low B, 25.5" scale. So I tried my usual old S.I.T. .009-.042 set, but with a Dunlop Heavy Core .054. It had the extra tension I was looking for, but almost no sustain and the sound was awful (for me).

So I just changed to an S.I.T. .056 and MAN what a difference! Really brought my guitar back to life, and the tension feels right. An added convenience was that I didn't have to adjust the springs on the Floyd, or even the intonation. I just changed the string and it came out spot-on.

That's interesting that you're diggin' the Heavy Core because I had a bad result when I tried them.


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## baptizedinblood

It's preference. The addition of strings doesn't mean you need a longer scale length.


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## MetalThrasher

My DC 700 is tuned to A and I use 10 - 64 no problems for me and the tension is good.


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## NHo

Also depends on the size of your hands, but I'd say it worth it!


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## TIMEwaveXERO

I reckon it's great! Albeit i have small hands.My Caparison Dellinger 7 is 25.5 and it's suits my playing perfectly!


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## L1ght

All I'm gonna say is, I have tried MULTIPLE 25.5" 7's, tuned to GCGCFAD, and they all sounded like garbage. To me anyways. I tried a multitude of strings gauges, and many different pickups, some high output, some medium output, and some low output, and ran the guitars through a 6505+. Nothing ever sounded clear and articulate. Unfortunately, I don't have any experience with 25.5" scale 7 strings on anything other than basswood, so I can't say much for other types of woods.

27" scale on swamp ash? Pure sex.


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## Discoqueen

I have no problem with my Dc 727 (25.5) in drop A. I just use a set of balanced circle k's with a .61 on the top b string. I think if you want to go lower then an A you'd need a longer scale or heavier strings but if you are keeping it relatively 'standard' it is fine.


_Posted from Sevenstring.org App for Android_


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## EricSVT18

a 25.5" scale in G# will be just fine depending on the guitar, strings, and set-up. I have a 25.5" LTD and a 27" Agile and I can play them both equally as well in G#. I have small hands and at first the 27" scale was weird but after a few days I adjusted to it just fine and now I prefer it. When I had my RG7321 I played that in G# as well and it handled it just fine.


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## WhiteWalls

I experimented different tunings on my 7321 and I could go down to F# with a 74 with no real issues so it's definitely possible. As long as the bottom string is big enough I don't see why it shouldn't work out considering the other 6 strings are exactly like a 6 string in B standard which a lot of bands use


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## hineana

There's a reason most guitars are made with a 25.5 scale. Most hands can manage complicated fingerings at each end of the fingerboard with that scale, and it sounds pretty good even with seven strings. One finally has to give up and leave the low end to the bass player. If all you do is metal rhythm with simple chords, long scale will sound better. But if you do lead work in the same song you'll need to compromise tone for playability, bending, and floating tremolo. 

It's been a few years on this post but it's on topic for me at this time. It's difficult to locate 25.5 scale seven strings that also have a wide fingerboard and I'm looking for a fixed bridge to backup a 7-string floater. Ibanez understands the importance of a wide fingerboard, and I like the RG7421 with 48mm at the nut. Floyd Rose Original 7 also has wider spacing, and a Carvin DC727 can be ordered with that. I really like maple fingerboard of the Jackson JS22-7 Special but it's a 26.5 scale and that's messed up if you play acoustic guitar too. The JS22-7 has a narrower nut than the Ibanez. 

XL gloves fit me well or are a little large. I play classical guitar and metal. On classical, a Ramirez 1A is 664mm, or a trace over 26 1/8 inches. If you're doing more than "five" chords and pentatonic scales it's gonna hurt with that extra reach, it's weird how that bit of distance can crack you. But that's cause at the nut end frets are pretty far apart already at 25.5. So I switched out the Ramirez for a G207C. The distance between the strings is also important for chording and complicated melodies where you don't want to damp a string accidentally. And bending is better with wider spacing. The G207C is over 2 3/8 (61.2mm) at the nut, and it's my dream classical, perfect out of the box and affordable.

So why all this about the classical when you're asking about electrics and Carvin? Because if you want to be an all around great and accurate guitar player you need to train your hands for a particular scale length to benefit from the crossover. Finding an electric seven had been frustrating until I found the DC727 with German Floyd Rose. That Floyd has the widest string to string spacing which is important for me for accurate alternate picking, and also allows finger picking and better RH tapping. The nut end is relatively wide also.

If you're more than a rhythm player you'll want lighter gauge for leads. If you want float it means lighter gauge becuase Floyd's don't move as well and pivots wear out with heavier gauges let alone running one with seven strings. So I'm running standard extra slinky, adding a .052 on the DC727. The guitar I'm looking for now will have a fixed bridge and I'll run slinky, .010 with .056 for the bass. There are string tension charts. By matching tension across the strings the guitar will hold together better. For me, 25.5, .056 on A1 sounds pretty good - if it was to stay that way a thicker gauge would better match the tension of the other strings. For pitch B1, it sounds great and has matched tension.


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## prlgmnr

I don't suppose your XL sized hands were obscuring the date of this thread at all?


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## erdiablo666

I've never been able to intonate a low A on a 25.5" 7. 26.5 is just right. I wouldn't go smaller personally but I know I'm the minority here. For reference, I'm not a big tension guy - I tend to prefer from 15 to 17lbs tension on my strings.

EDIT: Whoa, 2013?


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## All_¥our_Bass

You can go down to about A or Ab on 25.5" and be just fine.

25.5" can do G but it's not as tight or defined, it can work for certain styles (probably a good fit for 'doomier' things) but it isn't appropriate for 'everything'.


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## Najka

Preference, I own a 25.5, 26.5 and a 27. (quality guitars)

26.5-
-Has become my personal favorite mainly because it feels comfortable
-The 26.5 feels comfortable in the upper registers and hardly noticeable in the lower.
-Easy to intonate and set up

25.5-
I've noticed it's a little harder to get a good setup and perfect intonation with the 25.5. and you'll be looking at thicker strings. I was having to use pretty thick strings on the low string and it started getting weird when higher strings were so much smaller. Requires a lot more though when setting up if you are drop tuning.

27-
Will make your fingers stretch, you will definitely notice especially in the lower registers a larger distance between frets. The definition of the lower string is really good however


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## ImBCRichBitch

Long story short: Personal taste. I prefer 27". My friend prefers 25.5". My old band mate thinks 24.75" is more than enough. ive met people that think they should only make 30 inchers.


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## Backsnack

I'm interested in grabbing a fanned fret 7. I have a 27" scale 8 string, and that scale length really solidifies the tone of the low strings. 

But doing bends and scale runs on 27" isn't quite as comfortable on the higher strings IMO.


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## Hollowway

Lulz that we're assuming the OP might still be researching whether a 25.5" scale 7 would work for him. 

3.5 years later.


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## hineana

Yes the OP is not reading, is that the point? 
The Forum is public, sevenstring allows it
to be indexed and so the thread becomes a FAQ
retrievable from Google. Maybe the moderator
can delete the previous off topic post and this one.


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## bostjan

hineana said:


> Yes the OP is not reading, is that the point?
> The Forum is public, sevenstring allows it
> to be indexed and so the thread becomes a FAQ
> retrievable from Google. Maybe the moderator
> can delete the previous off topic post and this one.



This forum has developed a sort of culture set against necro-bumping, unless there is something really new to add. I've been around here a while, so I've seen it a lot. It never honestly bothers me too much, but I still find humour in some of the responses sometimes.

Anyway, if you like 25.5" scale for low, then good for you! For the longest time, it was the only seven string guitar scale widely available. Personally, it was what I used from 1997-2006ish (well, my BC Rich was actaully 25.4"), but once I had the luxury to try bigger scales, I was sold on the practicality of them.

As the length of the vibrating string gets longer, the tone of the vibration gets clearer. A great deal of this is actually the thickness of the string relative to its length. An ideal string is a set length, tension, and mass, and a negligible width. For low tunings, people tend to use thicker gauges, and then, what happens, is that the string goes from being an ideal string to something in between an ideal string and a long cylinder, which has different vibrational modes, so that overtones are no longer determined by the vibrating string equation, but perturbed by a small amount of error, called "inharmonicity."

Anyway, for a low B, there really shouldn't be any problem with 25.5" scale. I think a lot of us might prefer the tone of a longer scale, in general, for more aggressive musical styles, but the inharmonic overtones of thick strings on short scale lengths can lend itself to sludge/stoner-metal styles quite well also.

Whatever floats your boat, as they say.


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