Scale lengths for fanned frets

[loneguitarist]

Hi guys - I've been talking to Mike Sherman recently about having a fanned fret neck built. It's going to be for a 6 string guitar in standard tuning, to be used solely as a controller-guitar for 13-pin things like the AXON by Terratec and the VG-99 By Roland. It's having RMC Piezo bridge-saddles and no magnetic pickups at all so the angle of the fan at the bridge doesn't really matter, and since there is no neck pickup to accomodate, the number of frets is really only limited by what Mike will do for me

The thing I really want all you guys advice on is scale length. What 2 scale lengths should I fan between? Bear in mind that for proper use with the VG-99 etc the guitar has to be in standard E A D G B E so the fanned frets are more for comfort and even string tension than for extended-range,

so whaddya think?

 

[Papa Shank]

~27-25.5" would be my choice.

 

[dpm]

agreed, somewhere around what paul suggests. Maybe down to 25" - 26.5" if it suits you better

 

[loneguitarist]

What do you guys think of 24" to 27.5" with a perpendicular 5th fret?

 

[msherman]

Check your PM.

 

[RGGR]

Read thought process I went through with planning my 8 stringer:

Rg-8 Fanned - Project Guitar Forum

 

[ElRay]

Read thought process I went through with planning my 8 stringer:

Rg-8 Fanned - Project Guitar Forum

Hope this doesn't turn into a thread hijack, but did you ever make your own Q-Tuner clones?

Ray

 

[loneguitarist]

Check your PM.

Clear your PM inbox - it wont let me reply

9-46 to answer your question

 

[Durero]

the fanned frets are more for comfort and even string tension than for extended-range

Well the string tension is completely under your control if you use the String Tension Calculator and choose appropriate single-string gages for the tension you prefer - regardless of whether you have a multi-scale or straight fret guitar.
String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998

Or is your idea to keep using some kind of standard string set and affect the tension by your scale choices?

imo you'd want to control the individual gages of each string with any guitar if even tension is your goal.


In the scenario you're describing - standard-tuned 6 string - I'd probably go with 25.5 for the low E (assuming you like that scale & tone for your low E) and make the high E 24.75 or less, say down to 24" depending on how much you want to "mellow out" or reduce the "twang" tone of your high E string.

Edit: on second thought - you mentioned that you're using piezo pickups only - are you having no audio output at all? Just Midi messages? If so then the scale choice is completely a comfort issue. Definitely a job for Fretfind 2D & paper fretboard mockups...

FretFind 2-D

 

[RGGR]

Fretfind 2d is definitely the way to go....

 

[loneguitarist]

Well the string tension is completely under your control if you use the String Tension Calculator and choose appropriate single-string gages for the tension you prefer - regardless of whether you have a multi-scale or straight fret guitar.
String Guage and Tension Calculator - Version 0.1.4 - 26 apr 1998

Or is your idea to keep using some kind of standard string set and affect the tension by your scale choices?

imo you'd want to control the individual gages of each string with any guitar if even tension is your goal.


In the scenario you're describing - standard-tuned 6 string - I'd probably go with 25.5 for the low E (assuming you like that scale & tone for your low E) and make the high E 24.75 or less, say down to 24" depending on how much you want to "mellow out" or reduce the "twang" tone of your high E string.

Edit: on second thought - you mentioned that you're using piezo pickups only - are you having no audio output at all? Just Midi messages? If so then the scale choice is completely a comfort issue. Definitely a job for Fretfind 2D & paper fretboard mockups...

FretFind 2-D

It's not just for MIDI - I'm planning to drive a Roland VG-99 with it so the sound quality of each string does matter but I've found that having a slightly tighter string tension on the lower strings gives better performance with roland GK equipment (I did some experimentation with my MIDI equipped SG. At the same time, the roland equipment seems to like lighter gauge strings on the high end and the string tension can get away with being a bit lower, which also makes bends more comfortable etc.

I'm planning to use either 9-42 or 9-46 strings and the decreased scale on the highs and increased on the lows is what appeals to me with this.

I'm now thinking 24" - 26.5" - and I also need to think about a number of frets - I know I want more than 24 but I don't want a silly amount. The guitar is going to be a neck-thru with either flamed maple or zebrano body wings, single cutaway, deep on the treble side and extending to 13/14th fret on the bass side.

 

[bostjan]

The longer the scale length, the easier it is to fit in more frets.

24" is a not long for a sixer.

I always thought that at some point someone would do something like 24.625" to 25.5", but that's almost nothing, so it's not really worth the effort, IMO.

Roughly how many frets?? Like 26 or like 30?

 

[guitarplayerone]

umm... 26.5 at most for bottom scale. imo anyway

even that was a bit much for me with stretching far on low frets. In any case, it will definitely tighten up the bottom end

 

[Stan P]

24 3/4 treble - 25.5 - 26 bass side? Ralth Novack does it this way ... kind of Fender bass strings with PRS mid strings and Gibson trebles!

 

[Durero]

^ sounds subtle but tasty