Schecter's change from 26.5" to 28" scale length...

[mnit1965]

Perspective from someone who is primarily a lead player: I don't even like the 26.5" scale very much. The 28" they used on the C8 with Floyd Rose was extremely uncomfortable for lead work IMO. That's why I didn't buy one. Going to 28" for all of their 8's is a mistake IMO.

A solution as mentioned above is to play things at a higher position, which is what I do with my 9-strings. They are 27.5" scale but have 30 frets which helps a lot. I basically just tune it a whole step lower than I'd like, capo the 2nd fret, and effectively have a 28-fret ~25" scale guitar tuned F#BEADGCEA with the low note clarity of the 27.5" scale.

I would love to play them side by side and check for myself if 28" would be too uncomfortable to play some lead stuff and fast riffs on the first frets (I'm talking riffs like this one, very first song Termination Proclamation from Nevermore's Obsidian Conspiracy, although this is a 7 string).



I think Schecter should at least have some 8's with 26.5". I didn't read all the specs of the 8's they have now, but the ones I saw are all 28".

 

[mnit1965]

If you want to get a good idea of what it's going to be like playing lead on the longer scale you could find some lead parts which don't employ open strings and play them 2 frets lower on your current guitar (according the chart above there is roughly 1 fret difference between 26.5" and 28" scales so add another one for good measure). That will give you a feel for the fret spacing on the longer scale - well, the higher frets at least.

Thanks for the tip, I'll try this!

Another concern of mine is playing on the first frets and low notes some fast death metal riffs. I think the spacing on the first frets would be more noticeable...

 

[mnit1965]

28" is just fine for lead work, you may have to tinker with your string gauge a bit, but really, it's not a very big difference in the fret spacing up high on the fretboard anyway, so the only thing that might trip you up is the different tension, but all that takes to correct is a slight drop in the gauges you normally use.

This table is awesome, thanks!

 

[Go To Bed Jessica]

I have the 29.4" Meshuggah sig, and while the extra length is definitely noticeable for playing stuff low down I don't find it uncomfortable. It's a bit more work at times, but the tone imparted by the longer scale is (for me at least) completely worth the additional effort needed.

 

[Stuck_in_a_dream]

I love watching the trends shift on this place. A couple of years ago everybody was outraged that 27" was too short a scale for an 8 string and what was Ibanez thinking etc

Now suddenly 28" is too long

That said I've played 8s at varying scale lengths and had no problems at 28" scale. YMMV The extra 1" spread over the length of the fretboard between 27" and 28" really isn't that significant

You make a very interesting observation, and I wonder if these 'fads' have to do with the quality of 8-string sets available on the market. Maybe (I'm guessing here) that the reason many people go for 27" these days is that it is easier to find strings maintaining good tension.

 

[insanebassninja]

^that's some rocket science...

If you don't mind some 'getting used to' thing - no it's not a problem at all. You will just have to 'stretch' the memory of them finger muscles.

I can't even play a 25.5" anymore, to be honest.

I play a 35" bass so 25.5 feels insanely small for me. Am willing to frock out the money for a 30" scale 8 stirng those.

 

[Luppin]

Switched from a 25.5" RGA7 to a 28" Schecter Blackjack SLS C8 almost exactly a year ago. Honestly the biggest change for me was in the width of the fretboard, other than that the only differences I've noticed that could be considered negative would be that strings seem to be more flexible at the same tension on the longer scale (Makes no difference to me really) and stretches down low are slightly more difficult. In my opinion the tone that the extended scale gives you more than makes up for any small annoyances I may have found so far.

Also, the extended scale is going to make your plain strings sound more harsh than they used to, which is mitigated by switching to the neck pickup but is something to consider if you do a LOT of noodling in the higher registers.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I think Schecter should at least have some 8's with 26.5". I didn't read all the specs of the 8's they have now, but the ones I saw are all 28".

All of their 8-strings were 26.5'' for years. A lot of people complained because of the short scale length. They changed that in 2011 when they introduced their first 28'' scale 8-string. A lot of people liked that so they introduced more 28'' 8-strings, and then eventually converted all their 8-strings to 28'' this year. They did it because apparently more people wanted 28'' guitars, so they're just going where the money is.

TL;DR: People bitched about the 26.5'' model so they extended it. Now, like Techno is saying, people are bitching because it's too long.

 

[troyguitar]

TL;DR: People bitched about the 26.5'' model so they extended it. Now, like Techno is saying, people are bitching because it's too long.

2 different kinds of people buy 8-strings and they generally prefer very different scale lengths... call them "shredders" and "chuggers" if you will.

From a business standpoint it makes sense for them to have more long scale options than short, since by far there are more chuggers than shredders - however I don't see why they can't keep 1 model with the shorter length: particularly the one with the Floyd Rose.

Introducing the long scale with the Floyd still seems like it was a stupid move to me. Shredders are more likely to want the Floyd but they also want the shorter scale. Chuggers just want a hipshot and a long scale.

(Obviously there are exceptions to all of these generalizations)

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

They do have one model, unfortunately it's the Omen model.

 

[Hexatticus]

For big bends, long reaches, and wide vibrato any extension of scale is highly noticable to me.

 

[7stg]

I really appreciate the extra scale length the new Schecters have and it was a great decision for several reasons. From a business since it distinguishes them from the competition there are several brands that make 27" scale 8's and a few that make 26.5" scale 8's.

The longer scale gives more clarity and note definition due to reduced inharmonicity. I play the m80m with a 29.4 inch scale and the way it sounds is amazing. I have never found a 27 inch 8 string where the lower notes did not sound muddy. According to http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/extended-range-guitars/10064-string-gauges-inharmonicity.html "The results have me thinking that a low F# is destined to be muddy as hell on any scale less than 28 5/8", no matter what gauge is used." And I would have to agree.

For a low F#1, a 30 inch scale will have 32% better harmonic content and 15% more tension than 28 inch scale guitar.

It's important to determine what scale length is comfortable for the styles desired to be played. If you can't find a guitar with a particular scale length to try and see how it feels, find a bass with a 34" scale and capo at the 2nd fret for 30.3, 3rd fret for 28.6, and 4th fret for 27, or a 35" scale bass can be capoed at 2nd fret for 31.2, 3rd fret for 29.4, 4th fret for 27.7, 5th fret for 26.2.

 

[Konfyouzd]

27" is my treble side limit. If going bigger the frets have to be fanned for me. I played a straight fretted 28.625" axe and wasn't into it. I've been told my hands are relatively big.

 

[Hexatticus]

27" is great for a Baritone Six as well. I had an RG470XL 27" Scale 6 String. Detuning and selecting the right strings can give great lows and extremely comfy tensions on the high side. I never miss the upper range that is sacrificed when playing detuned sixes. The high strings still seem appropriately high when going into shredville. The next best for easy/comfy playability is a detuned 7 string. When you go to 8 string you have so much range that the high side is usually not detuned and then you have really tight treble strings not comfy for shred. Its a trade off. The 8 string giveth and the 8 string taketh away.

 

[Suho]

I am also a bass player, and I play 34 and 35 inch scale basses. I have average size hands- maybe on the small end of average. Having said that, I find that 27 inch scale 8 strings are about the most comfortable length.

I started with a 28.625 inch Agile, and although it was very nice it was a bit beyond my comfort for chording. And I play chords a lot (so I guess that puts me between the chuggers and the shredders). I tried a fan fret 25.5-28 inch scale, and while also very nice it sucked for the chords. I then fell in with the Ibanez 27 inch S8, which was just the best all around. I recently sold it because I wasn't playing 8s enough and needed the money, but I will definitely look for another 27 inch scale 8 when my finances are better.

 

[mdeeRocks]

I have the 29.4" Meshuggah sig, and while the extra length is definitely noticeable for playing stuff low down I don't find it uncomfortable. It's a bit more work at times, but the tone imparted by the longer scale is (for me at least) completely worth the additional effort needed.

Same here. I had mine for about a week, playing it 2-3 hours a day. It does require some muscle, I take break when I feel any tension/strain, but it's just like lifting weights - need to get used to more "weight".. I already noticed improvement and I am sure that in about a month I won't even think about it.

You won't be bending much though....

Bonus: 25.5" is silly easy to play after playing 29.4".

 

[1337metalfan]

Personally, I have a Schecter Damien Elite 8 with the 26.5 scale. I have relatively normal size hands, and sometimes the scale length is a bit too much for me. I've actually changed from using my ring finger for the 5th of a power chord to using my pinky (for the lower frets) so it's definitely different. I would assume that a 28 scale would be even more stress on my hand.

For the sake of both arguments, I would find one benefit in a longer scale: the lower strings (the F# for the most part) CAN be a bit loose (I'm just using the Ernie Ball 8's), especially if you want to tune to Drop E or lower. I'm pretty sure a larger scale would remedy that problem.

TL;DR version: unless you ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO drop tune very, very low, I'd go for the 26.5 if you have smaller hands.

 

[DMONSTER]

I transitioned from my 25.5 inch 7 strings to a 30 inch agile and noticed it for the first 5 minutes, and now find no discomfort when playing unless im playing technical riffs in the lower frets (like 1-5). I absolutely love the tone that the 30 inch scale gives the low strings, I think 28 would be perfect

 

[technomancer]

It's 5.6% longer than 26.5" and 12% further than my 25" scale...

In what universe is 5-12% not significant?

In the universe where you look at the 1" change in scale length I was referring to from 27" to 28" and not the change from the other scale lengths you decided to throw in.

To put it in simpler terms since what I said obviously wasn't clear enough, if you can try out a 27" scale 8 string and get along with it, you should probably also be able to handle the 28" scale without huge issues.

 

[Explorer]

2 different kinds of people buy 8-strings and they generally prefer very different scale lengths... call them "shredders" and "chuggers" if you will.

(Obviously there are exceptions to all of these generalizations)

Being as I'm not either of the two types you mention, I'm glad there are exceptions to handle people like me. *laugh*

I've faced this conception for as long as I've been on SS.org, though, that many members can't really imagine someone using ERGs for something other than what that particular member would consider.

That idea is at the core of other discussions, like, "I play high gain distortion, and so there is no reason anybody else would even want a tone knob!!! Why do they put one on there?!!!" *laugh*

(end non-shred/chug content)