How long?

From the above pic, which guitar is longer?

The Les Paul is longer

It's rather obvious that the Les Paul is longer when it comes to end-to-end measurements. The LP features a headstock so it adds significantly to length.  

The Kiesel is longer

That's right, folks. When it comes to scale length, the Kiesel is longer. It is 25.5" as opposed to the LP's 24.75". Scale length here refers to the measurement from the nut to the bridge. 

Why is this important? It dictates tone. The LP, any LP for that matter, has its strength in the lower frequencies. It just gives off that kind of warmer sounding notes in the lower / lower midrange especially with overdrive in the mix. The Kiesel has that Strat-type snap for single note clarity but in this case, it's a little compounded by its overall dimensions. The weight is not that substantial to manifest what a Strat could. Also, the type of pickup matters. In this case, Alan Holdsworth preferred a deep sounding pickup in his guitars for his smooth legato works. So this is a reminder to everyone, myself included, when it comes to dimensions, scale length considerations should be factored in.

Hello, April 👋

DCSGJ

Had been cutting it with my SG for the last few days or so. Really enjoying how the shorter scale length coupled with slight de-tuning (Eb) opened up heavy riffing ideas with ease. Sometimes, we need to get into the right frame of mind to trigger ideas & a different tuning helps.

The DC was out to offer a different feel/ tension. A wee bit more reach compared to the SG in terms of scale length but the neck profiles are somewhat similar- both rounded with substantial chunkiness without going overboard. Strangely, my legato was more efficient here compared to the SG so the sure take-away here is that a shorter scale length does not translate into playing efficiency for sure.

Extended

Have not been playing in standard tuning for a week. Had a good time in extended territory. Nothing too excessive but a 26.5" scale length. According to the manufacturer, the Ibanez RGDIX6MRW sports a nitro Wizard profile. To the uninitiated, Ibanez necks are notoriously skinny & lack the beef for those with bigger hands. The 'Wizard' label is synonymous to a skinny adjective in the Ibanez realm but if you have handled an RGD Iron Label model personally, the neck is anything but skinny. In fact, it feels substantially beefy while maintaining the D-profile. A thick D-profile if you will, a profile more generous depth-wise. But the players out there won't be easily swayed by mere description, playing one in person will address this misconception. I'm just glad that I own this version of the RG. In fact, I prefer the RGD to the standard RG in terms of feel.

Standard & extended

Last weekend, these two were the most played guitars: Ibanez RGD321 (t), RG460 (b). They both feature Seymour Duncan pickups but the RGD is of a longer scale length.

The RG460 is one of the many instruments here featuring my typical set up, namely a low action & a set of 009s strings. The RGD on the other hand, does not sport a low action, merely something that helps me play well & it's a set of 011s in there. I find having something different, a variation of my preference in this case, helps me focus on some aspects of playing. In this case the RG460 was all speed & very little feel. The RGD slowed me down a little, due to the quick onset of lethargy (longer scale length), & focuses on single note precision. As such, the RGD helps my 4-notes-per-string legato stretches with more clarity focus than the 460. As the saying goes; different tools for different jobs.

8-string guitars: Scale differences

Everytime I hear or come across someone who wants to invest in an 8-string guitar, I'd ask him for his preferred scale length (distance from nut to bridge NOT how long the guitar is, mind you). Why is this crucial? Assuming you are employing standard tuning, the tension would be different. For an 8-string model, the thicker strings would manifest quite the difference if you A-B test it with another brand name guitar with a different scale length. The above is a summary of 3 popular models sporting the differences; Ibanez's RGA8 has the longest scale length of 27" which is 0.5" longer than their RGD make. The Ibanez would manifest the tightest feel in this line-up. Schecter's Hellraiser 8 sports a 26.5" version, making it an in-between offering, followed by LTD's H-338 25.5"; this one is the 'normal' member here. 

The different scale lengths would necessitate string gauge consideration, fitting a .65 8th string in the Ibanez would manifest an acceptable tension but try that in those 2 other guitars- it'll bee too floppy & affects note definition. In terms of feel, I note the Ibanez has its bridge moved back a tad (this is after my RG2228 experience) to accommodate the longer scale length. This would mean a picking hand adaptation, that's the reason why you feel a little more lethargic playing the Ibanez especially if you chug notes by palming your picking hand at the bridge. This is the reason why I make it a point to own a Schecter 8-string, to feel the difference & very recently, I enjoy playing the LTD 8s. 

The unschooled/noobs among us would then equate the shortest scale length with the most playing ease- that shouldn't be the case. It's all about preference, if we return to the 6-string domain, we know that there is an arguably equal appeal when it comes to the Les Paul (24.75" scale length) and Strat (25.5" scale length); the Strat can't produce that dense bottom end & the Les Paul can't pull off (no pun intended) that tight snap. So all in all, it's a matter of knowing what your tool has to offer & using it in a learned context.

Phoenix scale length

 

As evident here, the ESP Phoenix II's scale length is 25.5" as opposed to Gibson Firebird's 24.75" for those of us who think the former guitar is a perfect alternative to the latter.

RGD scale length

If you are intending to get the new, absolutely attractive Ibanez RGD, be informed of its scale length: 26.5"

The 'D' in RGD implies 'Drop-tuning'; the guitar sports a longer scale length to prevent excessive tension slack due to lower than standard tunings.

Is that something new from Ibanez? No, the discontinued RG1077XL had a 27" scale length...

... the (discont'd) Mike Mushok signature model was 28".