# Is there a noticeable difference between 25 and 25.5 inch scale lenghts?



## Solaris (Jul 28, 2012)

I'm reeeeaaaally leaning towards ordering one of these new Carvin DC600's but I'm kind of worried about the scale length affecting the way I play ESPECIALLY on the higher frets. Would it feel like my fingers are being smashed together? Also, keep in mind I'm going to be playing in D standard/drop C. Thanks guys!


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## TRENCHLORD (Jul 28, 2012)

Nah, you won't notice a difference much in the fret spacing aspect, but if you are a low tuner who also likes sleek enough strings on your 6th so that you can flutter with tighter tension, then you'd probably wanna go the other way (like 26 or 26.5ish scale).

edit; D standard for example, 
If your at 52 gauge on a 25.5 and it's barely tighht enough to suit you, then you'd maybe wanna go 54 on a 25 scale.
So it kind of boils down to how big of 6th string you can live with.


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## bob123 (Jul 28, 2012)

I pretty much always play in standard tunings... I WILL say I DEFINITELY notice an effect going from 25.5 to 24.75 (gibby), but when I play a PRS (25") I dont really have any issues at all. Seems transparent to go from one to the other. 

I know it sounds ridiculous but thats how my hands work


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## ChronicConsumer (Jul 28, 2012)

I have a Carvin CT6m, also 25 inch. You hardly notice ANY difference, if anything I like it better than 25.5!
As far as downtuning goes, I play in C standard with 12-56 and it's perfect for me.
My advice, get the Carvin, see if you like it (you will) and if not, return it - afaik their return policy is pretty nice!


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## LLink2411 (Jul 28, 2012)

I find 25" much more natural than 24.75", but I find 25.5" to be kind of an awkward stretch. It is neither long enough to truly stretch nor short enough to allow you to keep your fingers close together.

24.5" is the worst though, your fingers will be running into eachother all the time.


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## vampiregenocide (Jul 28, 2012)

Personally I notice the difference. Things are just a little bit smoother with regards to the high end.


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## MetalDaze (Jul 28, 2012)

I think some people can detect any difference and it bothers them. It reminds me of the old story of the princess and the pea 

However, I think most people are adaptable (one of the great benefits of humanity) so chances are you'll like it and never look back.


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## mcd (Jul 28, 2012)

MetalDaze said:


> I think some people can detect any difference and it bothers them. It reminds me of the old story of the princess and the pea
> 
> However, I think most people are adaptable (one of the great benefits of humanity) so chances are you'll like it and never look back.



second this, the only thing i ever notice is neck thickness and fingerboard curve, and i get over it fast.


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## potatohead (Jul 28, 2012)

This was my biggest concern buying my first Carvin as everything I have ever owned was 25.5". As everyone else had said, it turned out to be pretty minor. I find it easier to play near the nut actually, and soloing up the neck is a small adjustment but nothing an hour or two of practice can't take care of.


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## Andromalia (Jul 28, 2012)

Most guitar specs are a matter of habit. Yes if you learned guitar on a Gibson with 08s, a 25.5 with 10s can feel uncomfortable, not even talking 27s with the golden gate cables.
It's all a matter of habit, what I found true was the heavier you strum the more tension you need.


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## bob123 (Jul 28, 2012)

MetalDaze said:


> I think some people can detect any difference and it bothers them. It reminds me of the old story of the princess and the pea
> 
> However, I think most people are adaptable (one of the great benefits of humanity) so chances are you'll like it and never look back.




Pretty good mate... PRETTY DAMN GOOD!!!!!!!


Rep if you know what thats from...


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## Rhoadkiller (Jul 28, 2012)

Eurotrip! Hahah good one man. Anyways thanks for all the responses and info. I guess ill just go through with the order. Ive got some pretty awesome ideas for this build: ) i usually use 11's for d standard on my 25.5 jackson. Would i be able to get away with the same gauges on the carvin?


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## Solaris (Jul 28, 2012)

Oops sry guys. That last post was mine. I didnt realize my buddy rhoadkiller had left himself logged in on my computer. But yeah thanks for all the responses so far!


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## ChronicConsumer (Jul 28, 2012)

Yes, definitely. I used to play in D standard on my Carvin with 10-52 and I thought they were a little too thin (I like 'em tight). 11s should be grand.
Honestly, you can't really go wrong with a Carvin.


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## potatohead (Jul 28, 2012)

Rhoadkiller said:


> Eurotrip! Hahah good one man. Anyways thanks for all the responses and info. I guess ill just go through with the order. Ive got some pretty awesome ideas for this build: ) i usually use 11's for d standard on my 25.5 jackson. Would i be able to get away with the same gauges on the carvin?


 
You only lose about 4 lbs of tension across all six strings going down the .5" in scale. It's not enough to worry about.


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## GTailly (Jul 29, 2012)

Pretty subjective I guess. My Carvin DC127 had 24.75" and moving to the Carvin DC727's 25.5" was like no change at all.


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## Solaris (Jul 30, 2012)

I had a dc127 way back in the day and my fingers would always get smashed on the upper frets. I'm thinking about just seeing if I can option 50 a 25.5 fretboard into my order. I'm gonna call the factory in just a few minutes. I'll let you guys know what they say just in case any of you were interested


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## Solaris (Jul 30, 2012)

Alrighty so I just talked to the factory and aside from being cut off multiple times while patiently asking questions, my ideas were all shot down. Looks like I'm not going to be ordering one of these: /


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## potatohead (Jul 30, 2012)

Solaris said:


> Alrighty so I just talked to the factory and aside from being cut off multiple times while patiently asking questions, my ideas were all shot down. Looks like I'm not going to be ordering one of these: /


 
Carvin gets about a billion scale requests, if you check their message boards there is a thread on this all the time. They won't do anything other than 25" unless you want a bolt on.


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## Strobe (Aug 1, 2012)

I go back and forth from 24.75" to 25.5" to 26.5". I notice the difference every time, but it does not bother me. The longer scale lengths are more comfortable at the upper frets for me, and the shorter at the lower frets - but all are still playable and the difference becomes less noticeable after a few minutes.


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## Hollowway (Aug 2, 2012)

Are you guys who notice a 0.5" or 0.25" difference spread over the entire string length sure you're not just feeling a difference in the guitar itself? (ie comparing a Les Paul with a Jackson)? The difference between 25" and 25.5" is 0.5mm per inch of scale length. So on the higher frets you're going to have less than a quarter mm of difference in fret spacing. I'm going to come out and say I doubt anyone can detect that difference. Tension? Yes. Spacing? No. Once again I think we really need a Pepsi Challenge on something like this to remove obvious bias.


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## myampslouder (Aug 2, 2012)

There is a slight difference but not major. its about the same as going from 10s to 9.5 strings

I played a 25.5 inch scale SZ320 for years. the distance between the frets feels no different that a 25.5


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## Rook (Aug 2, 2012)

The smaller the scale, the easier it is to bend for a given tension. This doesn't just mean bending is easier though, the same reasoning dictates ease of fretting. If you like high gauge strings this is a useful trait. I could use my 12-60's for drop D on a 24.75", have that firm feeling under my picking hand but still really feel the notes, it's a nice compromise if you don't need to drop tune down to F or something .

Tl;dr you may not feel a difference, but if you do it'll probably be for the better


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## potatohead (Aug 2, 2012)

Hollowway said:


> Are you guys who notice a 0.5" or 0.25" difference spread over the entire string length sure you're not just feeling a difference in the guitar itself? (ie comparing a Les Paul with a Jackson)? The difference between 25" and 25.5" is 0.5mm per inch of scale length. So on the higher frets you're going to have less than a quarter mm of difference in fret spacing. I'm going to come out and say I doubt anyone can detect that difference. Tension? Yes. Spacing? No. Once again I think we really need a Pepsi Challenge on something like this to remove obvious bias.


 
Placebo effect. If our brain thinks it's there, it might as well actually be there.


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## Strobe (Aug 2, 2012)

Hollowway said:


> Are you guys who notice a 0.5" or 0.25" difference spread over the entire string length sure you're not just feeling a difference in the guitar itself? (ie comparing a Les Paul with a Jackson)? The difference between 25" and 25.5" is 0.5mm per inch of scale length. So on the higher frets you're going to have less than a quarter mm of difference in fret spacing. I'm going to come out and say I doubt anyone can detect that difference. Tension? Yes. Spacing? No. Once again I think we really need a Pepsi Challenge on something like this to remove obvious bias.


 

I have never ran a double blind controlled experiment in which I controlled for string tension between varying scale lengths. Going between them the spacing changes, the location of artificial harmonics changes, the fret wire changes (by fractions of a mm even!), the fret radius changes. That said, I am talking about a 0.75" change minimum. Maybe it becomes impossible to tell the difference in feel between a 0.25" change. I bet the string tension and location of harmonics would still give a noticeably different feel that someone could pick out - even if you had two extremely similar guitars (although the spacing may be too subtle to tell a difference in at 0.25" over the scale).


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## MJS (Aug 2, 2012)

Hollowway said:


> Are you guys who notice a 0.5" or 0.25" difference spread over the entire string length *sure you're not just feeling a difference in the guitar itself? *(ie comparing a Les Paul with a Jackson)? The difference between 25" and 25.5" is 0.5mm per inch of scale length. So on the higher frets you're going to have less than a quarter mm of difference in fret spacing. I'm going to come out and say I doubt anyone can detect that difference. Tension? Yes. Spacing? No. Once again I think we really need a Pepsi Challenge on something like this to remove obvious bias.




I think that's pretty much it. I have 24.75, 25.5 & 27 inch scale guitars. The 25.5 & 27 feel the most similar to me, even with the bigger jump in scale length, because they're different scale versions of the same guitar. 

I notice more difference between the shorter of those and the 24.75" guitar, but I'm pretty sure it's because the 24.75 is just a better guitar with smoother fretwork, ebony board instead of rosewood like the other two, etc... 

In fact, I did a pretty neat test with it. My brother had played the 25.5" guitar I have and I didn't tell him when I bought the 27" version--which is even the same color. He never played a 27" guitar before. I handed him the 27 and told him to play it and tell me if it felt any different than the last time he played it (putting it in his head that it was the same 25.5" guitar he had already played). 

He played it for a while and kept looking at it but couldn't tell anything was different. So, then I opened it up a little more and asked, "Okay, instead of just feeling different than last time, is there anything that feels different than every other guitar you've ever played?" Still nothing. 

Then I said, "You never played that guitar before. It's a new one." Knowing it was a different guitar still didn't tip him off, so I told him it was a 27" scale. He just laughed and said he still didn't notice a difference, even after being told it was longer. 

So, seeing that he didn't noticed a 1.5" difference when the guitars are the same, I doubt most people (without super tiny hands) would see a 3/4" difference when comparing otherwise identical guitars. 

Personally, I'm fine with anything in the 24.75 - 27" range, but I can see where someone with smaller hands might have stretching problems in the 1 - 5 fret range with longer scales.


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## Nag (Aug 4, 2012)

25" scale length will feel kinda like 25,5" to play on, it's gonna have a LP-ish mellowness in the sound but with the attack and bite of a standard scale. in case you really worry, play a PRS and find out yourself 

25" is a great in-between IMO


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## Carl Kolchak (Aug 5, 2012)

If you're used to standard scale lengths I don't think you'll really start noticing a difference until you get upwards of 26.5".


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## maxz (Aug 7, 2012)

OH YA BIG DIFFRNCE! ive got carvin v220 & rg550 like night & day.
the carvin is closer 2 a lp than a strat. tone & feel as well.
carvins are grrrrrreat never trade mine but the new ones use differnt wood now. if u need a strat type sound the ibanezez are way better for function 4 many styles. but for a pure dead on srat sound the carvins are better & usa .better custmr care as well/ try to get through to japan. makes diffnce in feel & tone-the origanal randy rhodes model was a (les paul custom neck copy 24-3/4) the later ones were 25-1/2 he never playd the newer 1's much they lost the tone he liked. most vids show the concord (orig rr v) or les paul custom or poka dot v(24-3/4 )scale as well
and going to baritone scale buy a short scale bass put gtr strings on it!


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## maxz (Aug 7, 2012)

MJS said:


> I think that's pretty much it. I have 24.75, 25.5 & 27 inch scale guitars. The 25.5 & 27 feel the most similar to me, even with the bigger jump in scale length, because they're different scale versions of the same guitar.
> 
> I notice more difference between the shorter of those and the 24.75" guitar, but I'm pretty sure it's because the 24.75 is just a better guitar with smoother fretwork, ebony board instead of rosewood like the other two, etc...
> 
> ...


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## maxz (Aug 7, 2012)

yea it does affect tone & feel/but youll have no problem /i have both scale's 25-25 1/2 .the 25 is more ls paul to me than srat as well as tone/ its carvin v220 luv it mine is an older custom one /u wont b disapointed!


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## gogolXmogol (Sep 4, 2012)

I do notice a difference in the means of tension and tuning. I have PRS 25' and Carvin 25.5'. Things like pinch harmonics and overall playability is different imo


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