Help choosing the right scale length for a 7 string. Please help.

[AshtonXIII]

Alright, so I am thinking about buying the Agile Interceptor 727 RN CP or the Agile Interceptor 725 RN CP and the only difference is the scale length. One being 25.5 and the other being 27. To help you guys on answering me, I will be playing downtuned, probably Drop A for the most part.

 

[TRENCHLORD]

IMO 27" for that low tuning, especially if you like tighter string tension.
There's no right or wrong answer, and it depends on too many factors to name.
With the 27" at dropA you could run your big string a few numbers less (like a 56-62), and with 25.5" you'd want more like a (58-64).

 

[allshallperishfan]

Id get the 27. The high frets are a lot easier to solo on but the lower frets are gonna be a little big at first. After you get used to it youll like it a lot cause youll have that string tension for the low tunings!

 

[DeathPaupiette]

It´s just a matter of trying and personal preference , but i gotta say that thelonger scale length (currently 26.5 on my Jackson DKA7) feels reallyyy great for me, the tightness with thinner strings and the clarity you get out of it are really comfy and good sounding.

 

[Aghasura]

27 for me! Tension, but more importantly, tone and intonation will be better at that scale length. Keep in mind that reaches are only like a fret down on a 25.5. So if you play a stretch from 2nd to 6th, it'll be like a 1st to fifth on your 25.5. Its really not bad at all. Benefits definitely outweight the nominal stretch for me.

 

[7slinger]

had a KxK 27"...gave it lots of chances...27" just didn't work for me. The stretch at the low frets was too much, and soloing never felt right either

25.5", even with a substantially thicker neck, is way easier for me to play on than the 27" KxK was

 

[Aghasura]

definitely not for everyone. I would say try playing your songs a fret position down to get a sense of how it would feel.

 

[rikomaru]

Find a similar scale guitar to try if you can. The most important thing is the feel, so if you're used to vintage-ish 21 fret strats the 27 will likely feel even more comfy. This is obviously super nice up higher on the neck, but as said above, the home position may require a little work. You may not be able to find a 27 in your local shop/chain but the 26.5 jacksons are all over the place so you can get an idea....

 

[ElasticPancakes]

I went from a 25.5 Ibby to my Jackson 26.5 and didn't notice much difference (I have average/small sized hands). I vote for 26.5. It's somewhat of a compromise between 27 and 25.5.

It's all about what feels comfy for you. Plenty of people like 25.5 for 7's and get along fine with it. 26.5 will just allow you to use slightly lighter guage strings to achieve a similar tension as a 25.5 with thicker strings.

If you can, try them out and feel the stretch at the bottom frets, and feel the higher frets for soloing and decide which is more comfortable.

 

[7stg]

27 for normal tuning or lower.

 

[s2k9k]

25.5

 

[vilk]

If you're just going to be dropping to A then 25.5 will work fine. Yeah, with 27" you can use lighter strings, but if you're just going to A or G# the strings wont have to be so big anyway. Remember that people are using 27" for freaking 8 string guitars tuned to F and even lower, so imo drop A and the like don't really constitute the need for having to adjust to a longer scale. It's not hard to adjust to a longer scale, but even if you do a standard scale will still feel more comfortable every time you pick one up. This is just based on my experience.

 

[mongey]

drop A I say 25.5 personally. I rather just deal with getting the low string right then have to adapt to a whole new scale for the other 6 strings. from 25.5 to 27 is only half step tension difference so its not a huge difference for 1 string

for A standard and below I'd say 27

 

[Nag]

you gotta know that 27" scale is EXACTLY one fret bigger than 25.5" scale (that's how it was designed). So basically the 1st fret on 25.5" scale is the same size as the 2nd fret on 27". It does feel bigger but it's really just like playing one fret lower

there's no rule as to what's better. the same string gauges will have more tension on 27" obviously, but you can use lighter gauges too to have less tension on the longer scale. There's plenty of people who thing 25.5" is enough for drop A, but here's what I would recommend :

If you like tight strings, you'll have to get thicker gauges. But thicker gauges don't intonate as well on shorter scales and they'll sound bassier. So if you want tight strings with a good sound, get the 27" scale. But if you have trouble stretching (small hands for example), go with 25.5" cause it makes no sense to buy a guitar that you'd have trouble playing. As said before, 25.5" is good enough for a low A. and remember, the size difference is exactly one fret.

 

[MrPepperoniNipples]

Try them out yourself, this is not a question that someone else can answer for you.

Lots of people prefer 27"
Lots prefer 25.5"

For what it is worth, I definitely prefer the 25.5"

 

[Blood Tempest]

I used to tune to Drop G on my LTD Viper 407 and had no issues. If you are concerned about comfort, I'd consider the 25.5" scale. That being said, I feel like both will work for you. You just may need to adapt your playing style to a longer scale. That's all. Good luck!