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Post new topic About those 'long scale' steel guitars................
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Author Topic:  About those 'long scale' steel guitars................
Ray Montee


From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2010 12:15 pm    
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Would anyone have any particular interest in a long scale, double-8 neck, Rickenbacher with a faux horseshoe pickup?

I didn't realize they even made such an item.....

It's truly a beautiful guitar but for the slant work I prefer, I've found it to be a little more difficult for me to make those three string slants that I'm used to. Too olde to change or adjust, I guess.

It's beauiful dark wood finish looks beautiful in my music room.

How desireable do you find long-scale g'tars?
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Alan Brookes


From:
Brummy living in Southern California
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2010 4:43 pm    
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I like long-scale instruments. In fact I've built some that are 6" longer than a long-scale Stringmaster. Admittedly I don't do much slant work, but if you think of the geometry of it, a long scale instrument will have more flex to the strings.

Imagine an instrument with a 12 ft. string length. The deflection of the strings at the center would be enormous compared with an instrument with a 4" string length. Those are extremes, of course, but the principle still holds true: the longer the sounding length the more the deflection, and the longer the string will sound.

Ray, if it looks good in your music room you should keep it. If you sell it it will become conspicuous by its absence. Sad
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Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2010 8:04 pm    
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Quote:
How desireable do you find long-scale g'tars?


Long scale doesn't work for me. It is difficult, if not impossible, to play 3-string slants in tune on the lower frets on a long scale guitar.
There's no doubt that long scale rings richer, longer, more sustain. The tone is excellent, but if you play 3-string slants you're better off with a shorter scale. I think it's a matter of style. If a player doesn't use many slants he will probably opt for the sustain of a long scale guitar.
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Mike Neer


From:
NJ
Post  Posted 1 Aug 2010 8:57 pm    
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I really do like the long scale guitars better, personally. I've only played a few short scale guitars that really worked for me. Yes, the slanting is much more of a challenge, but I enjoy the tone better generally, with the exceptions being the A-22 Fry Pan I had, a Rickenbacher B-6, and the Fender Triple 8 Custom I own. Those guitars lack nothing in tone. I've been disappointed with every short scale Fender Deluxe I've owned, except for a D-6.
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Dan Tyack

 

From:
Olympia, WA USA
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2010 4:02 am    
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I'm a big fan of long scale guitars. My favorite lap steel is an English Electronics, a long scale Supro.
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Ryan Barwin


From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 3 Aug 2010 6:04 am    
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I don't currently own any long scale steels (besides a dobro), but I like the tone of the long scale.
What Doug said about slants being difficult is true...however, the solution is to use heavier strings and tune to a lower key. If you'd usually tune to C6th, use heavier strings and tune to A6th. Then your C6th scale length starts at the third fret, and it's short enough for easy slants.
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