Scale length

The distance between the nut and the saddle, which sets the spacing of the frets and the tension at which the strings sound.

It is the single specification that most affects feel: a longer scale increases string tension for the same pitch and gauge, giving a tighter low end, more sustain and stiffer bends, while a shorter scale is easier to bend and warmer with a less defined bass. Common figures run from around twenty-four inches on some short-scale instruments to twenty-five and a half on the standard bolt-on designs. Fret positions are calculated from that length, so it cannot be altered without refretting.

Example: the same set of strings on a short-scale guitar feels noticeably slacker and bends more easily than on a long-scale instrument.

Scale length

See also