# How big is the difference between 25.5 scale and 26.5



## felipe dengo (Feb 20, 2012)

HI! i m looking for an extended scale guitar like ibanez rgd7421,because i play down tuned metal, but i dont want use 0,56 to reach the drop A tuning.
im not sure how the scale can affect my playing technique or style, i like to do very stretched positions or chords, that i can perform well in a 25.5 scale guitar, but i don t know how is going to be in a scale with an inch more.

i can stretch my hand about 23 inch.
can anybody help me with this?

and sorry for spelling mistakes
thanks!!


----------



## megano28 (Feb 20, 2012)

it isn't much of a difference, just an inch won't do too much to your playing style


----------



## JPhoenix19 (Feb 20, 2012)

If you notice the difference at all, it probably won't be a problem.


----------



## in-pursuit (Feb 20, 2012)

The difference is one inch. Try making up a full scale neck mockup out of cardboard to see how it affects your fretting hand, I'd say it wouldn't be a dramatic change.


----------



## Eclectic (Feb 20, 2012)

With an inch more, each fret will be about 1mm further apart from one another. It really isn't that much of a difference. Say you do a 5 fret stretch, it will be 5mm more than you are used to. A way to feel how the stretch is going to be, is just play a chord or passage you play, one fret closer to the headstock, and that will be roughly the same stretch if you got the larger scale length.


----------



## nheyne (Feb 20, 2012)

Depends on how long you've been playing maybe, it was noticeable for me when I went from 25.5 to 26.5 after playing only 25.5 for 10+ years. But "noticeable" doesn't mean bad or harder, you'll just retrain your fingers as you play. I definitely wouldn't let it stop you from getting a guitar that you want. Also, try Eclectic's suggestion of playing a riff one or two frets closer to the headstock, that emulates the feel almost perfectly.

Btw, did you mean 2-3 inches? Cuz stretching your hand 23 inches would be awesome...


----------



## Kwampis (Feb 20, 2012)

I doubt it'll give you trouble either. Frankly the first time I played a 26.5in scale I didn't even notice the difference. I'd do what other people recommended and play some riffs one fret down and see how it feels.

You can also try playing some Schecter 7 strings if you can find any. I think they all have a 26.5in scale.


----------



## AtomikBlueFire (Feb 20, 2012)

I own the same guitar and strongly endorse it. I have a CL/LF combo in mine and love the combo. 

That being said, when I bought the guitar I didn't even realize that it was 1.75" longer on scale than my EC-1000. Honestly, the transition actually felt right the moment I picked it up. The upper frets (for me) feel like the exact ideal width and the only time I have trouble stretching is when I'm doing something like add9 chords (5 fret stretch) near the 3rd fret or so. Right now I have instruments with 24 3/4", 25.5", 26.5" and 27", with the 26.5 being my favorite as far as fretboard feel. 

Hope this helps.


----------



## Tyler777 (Feb 21, 2012)

I just switched from a 25 to a 26.5, but I didn't even realize until I took the time to look up the guitars specs. Felt pretty unnoticeable to me.


----------



## Xplora (Feb 21, 2012)

The extra inch will barely be noticeable, but bear in mind that the tone isn't going to be much different as a result as well. It's an extra cm over the entire lowest octave of frets, so it's pretty unnoticeable. You'll notice more change with the tension of the strings, although with the Schecters they are so muddy in the lows that it won't make much of a difference.


----------



## vansinn (Feb 21, 2012)

Playing wise it's virtually nil - but you'll like the small extra space between high frets. though..


----------



## Brohoodofsteel75 (Feb 21, 2012)

It's not very different in fact I like the extra inch!


----------



## Asrial (Feb 21, 2012)

felipe dengo said:


> i can stretch my hand about 23 inch.



I didn't know Petrucci wrote on these forums. 

But the spacing getting increased? It's absolutely no problem at all, coming from 25.5".


----------



## celticelk (Feb 21, 2012)

Play a twelfth-position lick on your 25.5" guitar. Now play the same lick one fret lower. That's a bigger difference than the difference between playing the same lick at the twelfth fret on a 25.5" and a 26.5" guitar.


----------



## Eclectic (Feb 21, 2012)

Brohoodofsteel75 said:


> It's not very different in fact I like the extra inch!



That's what she said......... couldn't resist.


----------



## kcyrowolf (Feb 21, 2012)

When getting my Schecter C-7 Standard (26.5"), I noticed a slight difference, but this is absolutely nothing to worry about. Sure, if you're doing some wide three-note-per-string patterns on the lowest frets, you will feel the difference most, but it's nothing that you can't adjust to with some practise.

Also, when I first played the Schecter, I was pleasantly surprised by how much clearer the bottom string sounded, along with the intonation and tuning sounding more accurate than on my previous 25.5" seven string.


----------



## Brohoodofsteel75 (Feb 21, 2012)

Eclectic said:


> That's what she said......... couldn't resist.



Haha Nice!!!


----------



## felipe dengo (Feb 22, 2012)

nheyne said:


> Depends on how long you've been playing maybe, it was noticeable for me when I went from 25.5 to 26.5 after playing only 25.5 for 10+ years. But "noticeable" doesn't mean bad or harder, you'll just retrain your fingers as you play. I definitely wouldn't let it stop you from getting a guitar that you want. Also, try Eclectic's suggestion of playing a riff one or two frets closer to the headstock, that emulates the feel almost perfectly.
> 
> Btw, did you mean 2-3 inches? Cuz stretching your hand 23 inches would be awesome...



23 mm!!! XD


----------



## felipe dengo (Feb 22, 2012)

i mean 23 cm!!!


----------



## felipe dengo (Feb 22, 2012)

will choose the extended scale guitar! thanks!


----------

