# 25.5" vs 27" scale - how big of an adjustment?



## sakeido (Jan 17, 2007)

Alright so I have only ever played 25.5" scale guitars and now I am seeing that lots of 7 strings are available in 27" baritone scale. I've never played a baritone before.

Whats the different between 25.5" scale and 27" scale? Tighter strings seems obvious, which is no big deal, but what about the extra length? Would your average baritone play "slower" or can you not stretch as far across the frets... etc. How long did it take you to get used to it? 

I've been playing for seven or eight years now always on 25.5" scale. I got a 7 string as my first nice guitar so the extra string is no problem but I'm worried the extra length might throw me off since I am pretty set in my ways..


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## Metal Ken (Jan 17, 2007)

its pretty much 1 fret longer on the low end. For me, i barely noticed the difference, but it seemed to cause a big problem for some of the other guys on here who've had them.


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## Loserchief (Jan 17, 2007)

the 1.5" extra imo isn't much. I picked up several baritone scale guitars and had no problem with them. Maybe my sense of scale is a little off compared to other guitarist since i also play a 35.5" scale bass, but imo baris don't really feel different, but they sound tighter and more clear.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 17, 2007)

Agreed. i like the extra tension while still being able to use slightly smaller strings. As far as the neck being slower, it'd just depend on the guitar. the RG1077XL i owned for a while played pretty fast. the neck was a bit more C-shaped than the usual ibanez neck.


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## Durero (Jan 17, 2007)

I think many players wouldn't even notice the difference unless were told before hand that they are playing a longer scale. It can make a huge difference in clarity, especially on the lower strings - very much worth trying imo.


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## D-EJ915 (Jan 17, 2007)

I only really notice a difference on the first 3 frets or so, and that's only when I'm playing at like 220 bpm so, there's not really that huge of an adjustment imo.


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## SnowfaLL (Jan 17, 2007)

Yea I been pondering how I would react to 27" also... because on my RG7, it gets kinda sloppy with the B string at times... so 25.5 isnt really cutting it, but it Is livable I guess.. but for my custom guitar, Im comprimising and going with 26" and hoping its not too much of a difference so I can still feel comfortable and play like normal, yet get abit more compensation for that B string


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## Nik (Jan 17, 2007)

I've played many 26.5" Schecters, and I couldn't really feel a difference. At all. As long as you don't have tiny hands, you shouldn't have an issue with 27".

Your best bet is to go to your local guitar store and try some baritone guitars (if they got any).


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## metalfiend666 (Jan 18, 2007)

It probably took me 10 mins to get used to my 27" RG7421XL and about 30mins to be 100% comfortable with it. You only notice the difference on the lowest frets and I don't notice any difference at all if it's the first guitar I've played in that session. Obviously if you switch between guitars with different scales you'll notice it, but it shouldn't be a problem.


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## Nats (Jan 18, 2007)

it's really easy. i don't notice it, but then again it's probably cause i have a 5 string Warwick too


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## jacksonplayer (Jan 18, 2007)

It is an adjustment, particularly if you solo a lot. Playing high on the neck actually becomes easier on a 27", but soloing on the lower part of the neck becomes more difficult unless you have huge hands. Also, the difference in sound can be good and bad. You get more clarity, but almost too much so. I prefer Schecter's 26.5" scale to the 27" guitars I've played--the difference is noticeable.


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## HotRodded7321 (Jan 18, 2007)

Difference in playability is minor, if any...but the tone change is major. I'm a firm believer that all 7s should be 27" scale or longer and should be neck/thru.....but that's just my opinion. I'm not much of a shredder, so I know some would disagree...but the tone is just better on a string thru.

Besides...everyone always ends up locking the trem on em anyways 

...well...almost everyone.


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## noodles (Jan 18, 2007)

When I had the 27" KxK strat prototype, it was always an adjustment moving between it and my 25.5" guitars. I have small hands, so the stretches in the lower registers started to become unbearable with time. Higher up on the neck, I would spend the first half an hour landing on top of frets, since they are farther apart by just enough to throw me off.

I really loved the sound of a longer scale for rhythm work. The low B was extremely punchy, even down a half step where we play. I laughed myself silly at how evil drop-A sounded on a 27" scale. Moving back to 25.5" and playing low riffs was a bit of a disappointment. The long scale made the low B punch through exactly like the low E on a 25.5" guitar. Plus, I could use lighter gauge strings and get the same tension, giving me amazing definition. If you're looking for a tight, punchy sound for fast, aggressive rhythms, this is the best way to achieve it.

In contrast, up register work was vastly degraded. As jacksonplayer said, the definition was almost too much. Single note lines became cold and almost lifeless. All of my bends were thrown off, because the instrument just didn't "feel" the same. Every note became so distinct that even legato work sounded a bit like strict alternate picking, while alternate picked lines sounded almost like a keyboard playing the part. Moving back to 25.5" scale is where all this really became apparent, since the notes have a pleasing warmth and roundness that made solos flow more organically. If you're looking for that "violin sound", then this is the wrong scale for you.

This has left my yearning for a 25.5"-27" scale fanned fret instrument, tuned like a standard 7-string.


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## Durero (Jan 18, 2007)

noodles said:


> This has left my yearning for a 25.5"-27" scale fanned fret instrument, tuned like a standard 7-string.


+1


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## God Hand Apostle (Jan 18, 2007)

How about the Jackson DK27 that you had Noodles? Not talking quality or whatever, but was it kindof a one trick pony per se? Like...a 7 string but loss of high register? I'm thinking of buying a baritone 6 thats 27.5 scale is why I ask. Although, I have a KxK coming too I can't forget about.


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## sakeido (Jan 18, 2007)

Alright then sounds like a 27" scale is not for me... I need my solos to sound good, tight rhythm sounds are cool and all but only about half of what I play.


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## Stitch (Jan 18, 2007)

I didn't notice it ata ll. At one of my first gigs i snapped a string on my RG7420 so i swapped to the 1077XL we had a s abackup from another band and i didn't have a problem. Didn't feel the difference, i hit all the notes by feel (no peeking at the fretboard). The only problem was that fucking GK-2A pickup getting in the way


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## noodles (Jan 18, 2007)

God Hand Apostle said:


> How about the Jackson DK27 that you had Noodles? Not talking quality or whatever, but was it kindof a one trick pony per se? Like...a 7 string but loss of high register? I'm thinking of buying a baritone 6 thats 27.5 scale is why I ask. Although, I have a KxK coming too I can't forget about.



This was a much more workable instrument, simply because it was more limited in the higher range, stopping at a high B. It still didn't have as much "sing" as a 25.5" scale instrument, but the high E is where those symptoms are most apparent.

For my last band, where I played in two different six string tunings (E standard and B standard), it was perfect. All of my solos in B were more in the middle of the range of the instrument, and since they were centered around the twelfth fret (as opposed to the seventh), they were more harmonically pleasing.

With Division, we play in the same keys, but do it all on one instrument. A lot of our solo work is in the upper registers, beyond the fifteenth fret. A 27" scale just doesn't sound pleasing to me in that range.

In the end, it is all about what sounds good to you. In my experience, the longer scale is best for work in the lower to mid registers, while a shorter scale is best in the mid to upper registers. For what we do, 25.5" is the logical choice. Currently, we only have three songs that make prominent use of the low B for the entire song. If Mike and I were made of money, we would have 27" scale instruments to take into the studio. Since we are not, what is the point of buying a cheaper 27" instrument? They are in no way going to compare to the custom 25.5" guitars we currently play. Keep in mind that I was comparing different scale length instruments of comparable materials, construction, and quality, from the same builder. IMHO scale length should always come secondary to the overall quality of the instrument.


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## Metal Ken (Jan 18, 2007)

noodles said:


> In contrast, up register work was vastly degraded. As jacksonplayer said, the definition was almost too much. Single note lines became cold and almost lifeless. All of my bends were thrown off, because the instrument just didn't "feel" the same. Every note became so distinct that even legato work sounded a bit like strict alternate picking, while alternate picked lines sounded almost like a keyboard playing the part. Moving back to 25.5" scale is where all this really became apparent, since the notes have a pleasing warmth and roundness that made solos flow more organically. If you're looking for that "violin sound", then this is the wrong scale for you.




Maybe its cause i didnt have it tuned to E, but when i had the RG1077, it didnt affect my bends or legato work.. i didnt have an 'upper register' issue, either. Might be because i had it tuned down a whole step, but i dunno.


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## jacksonplayer (Jan 18, 2007)

noodles said:


> When I had the 27" KxK strat prototype, it was always an adjustment moving between it and my 25.5" guitars.



I agree, but that KXK is the only extended-scale guitar I've tried that didn't feel like a total chore to play. Anyone who has ordered one of these as a 27" scale is going to be quite happy with the results.

I also had a DK27, but I cheated on that by using nines on it and tuning it down 1.5 steps from standard, rather than using it as a true baritone. The strings were quite floppy and playable all over the neck that way!


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## metalfiend666 (Jan 19, 2007)

One thing about the KXK Strat that would make it very bright is the X2N7 pickup it had. A 27" scale instrument with a darker sounding pickup sounds very nice indeed.


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## Aaron (Jan 19, 2007)

metalfiend666 said:


> One thing about the KXK Strat that would make it very bright is the X2N7 pickup it had. A 27" scale instrument with a darker sounding pickup sounds very nice indeed.



+1


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## jacksonplayer (Jan 19, 2007)

metalfiend666 said:


> One thing about the KXK Strat that would make it very bright is the X2N7 pickup it had. A 27" scale instrument with a darker sounding pickup sounds very nice indeed.



True, but it sounded that way even unplugged. Those longer-scale strings just don't have as much 'play'.


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## metalfiend666 (Jan 19, 2007)

True, they are naturally brighter, but my RG7421XL with Blazes is certainly "tameable" to attain a sweeter tone. A tone knob helps to darken them up and overcome the brightness too.


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