Scale Length

[vinlander]

If I compare both Epis the Joe Pass being 24.75 and the Regent being 25.5, it appears the low mid are more defined and ballsy on the Regent than on the Joe Pass. The JP plays great and is very comfortable but the 25.5 scale Regent's tone is closer to the vintage tone I seek.
Tone being subjective, for me the ultimate Jazz tone is the laminated "thunking" Gibson 175 tone with a bit more low mid emphasis...one day I will get that TF...

[Stringswinger]

OK, I have 20 guitars. Here is the scale length break down:

24.7 One
24.75 Four
25 Two
25.5 Ten
25 5/8 One
26 3/8 Two

I am comfortable on any of them, but I do find that I can play the fastest with the 24.75 scale length with a slim neck and a 1 11/16 nut. Probably why my 97 ES-175 is my main gigging guitar.

BTW the 25 inch scale length was not created by Johnny Smith, it was created AFAIK by John D'Angelico.

[Groyniad]

i had a 24.75 jim hall and now i have exactly the same guitar except with a 17'' bout and a 25.5 scale (LS 17) - the difference is very significant. there is much much more clarity and snap in the LS 17 - the slightly thumpy muddiness of the short scale 16'' laminate is largely gone (just enough left to let you know its a laminate). i love the shimmer of the higher registers and the clarity of the lower ones.

[krusty]

I find my PRS SC245, with its 24.5" scale length is a dream to play. I often wonder why I tortured my average sized hands with 25.5 for so long. When I go back to one of my 25.5 guitars, I cannot play nearly as accurately or quickly, it seems. I adjust, but the 24.5 just seems right for me.

[rio]

I have been using a Telecaster (25.5) and Eastman (25 and a 1 3/4 nut) for years. Just recently I got a lawsuit ES-175 and man, what a difference! I immediately was playing cleaner, and not just a little bit but really noticeably better. I always thought the difference would be less. I have big palms but small to average fingers - I've developed a big stretch with my left hand from those guitars (and upright bass) so the 175 is a breeze - it's so cool.

[D.G.]

Last Sat I brought my 24" short scale MP Tele and my 26.5" gypsy guitar. It was a bit of a disaster as I found it took an entire tune to adjust between the 2 radically different scale lengths! I ended up doing most of the gig on the Tele which has a pretty fantastic jazz tone. It really drove home why I prefer my usual method of 1 guitar, 1 amp, 1 pedalboard, 1 gig.

Mostly I prefer 25.5" fender length, but that's mainly because I prefer fenders I've played entire gigs on 24", 24.75", 25", 25.5", and 26.5" and had no problems. Nothing is either easier or harder because of the scale length. Now nut width is a somewhat different story. I prefer wider nuts widths as they allow me to squish my fingers in a bit easier I have "pianist" hands.

[Hammertone]

Many of my guitars have a 25 1/4" scale, as built by my Hofner pals in Hagenau, Germany.
It's swell!