A Question of Scale vis-a-vis GAS

[BluesDisciple]

Hello. Not wishing to be heretical, but I have been flirting with the idea of eventually adding a Les Paul to the family.

I play a Fender Am. Dlx. Stratocaster HSS in 3-tone sunburst with a rosewood neck. I also play a Martin HD-28. Each have an approximate 25.5" scale length. The Les Pauls typically have a scale length of about 24.4"

Sometimes the Fender and Martin feel too big, but incredibly playable while the Les Paul (when I bum time at my local GC) can "fit" just right, but my fingers feel cramped on the fretboard.
My concern is what is going to happen to my playing technique when jumping back and forth between scale dimensions?

I really love the sound of the twin humbuckers on the Les Paul, just as much as I do the single coils or the bridge humbucker on my Strat. Does anyone have any insights or experience, if I go down this path?

[rudutch]

I can use them both with no issue, give me one with a narrow nut
(ric or some 40mm tele necks) and I struggle

[Erock_Germany]

Playing Gibsons, specifically Les Pauls is OK 'round these parts. Just beg forgiveness from St. Leo for your carnal sins and go about buisness as usual...

I personally play a 1957 Les Paul Historic Gold Top. Switching between the two is second nature now - once you have them and switch back and forth on a regular basis it is second nature.... I also switch between the Fenders and an ES 335 with no issue. It will have more of a positive on the way you play in my opinion as it makes you more versatile.....

I never feel cramped. The only issue I sometimes have on stage is while singing and using the fingers at the same time, I have to be a bit more aware of the differences and concentrate a bit more not to put the fingers on the wrong fret due to the different scale.....

Each guitar has a sound - whether Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker or Gretsch etc......I think you sould have a few of each. My wife has a different opinion on that topic.....

[dhelgason1]

Not an issue for me either. I have a 73 Les Paul Custom and constantly switch back and forth with out ever thinking about it. The only guitar of mine I have a hard time adapting to is my recently purchased Fender Resonator.The scale is shorter and the frets are closer together but I'm getting there and picking up on of my others is not a problem. I guess there's a subconscious memory thing going on.

[Kap'n]

Not a problem here, either.

[ronworld]

Les pauls are cool! everyone should have one. Just the one mind!

[Mesotech]

I can change back and forth between the two scale lengths with no problems. Perhaps I've done it so long that I just don't think about it any longer?

Interestingly for me, Tele's and LP's feel the most comfortable for me to play, and Strat's and 335's have an equal degree of change away from that comfort factor. The interesting factor is that scale length is not the common denominator.

[ch willie]

My other guitar is a Les Paul Std. Faded. I go back and forth between Strat and LP all the time. I've been a Fender player for so long that I'm still learning how to get all I can out of the LP.

From all I've heard, the Standard Reissues are very good guitars. I'm partial to my Std. Faded.

[redb]

If you feel cramped then you may or may not be able to get over it. You cant overcome everything, if it really seems like you just wont be able to adjust, and you have to have a non telecaster single cut then check out a prs sc250 (25.0" scale length).

Oh, and GC is a bad, bad place to buy les pauls. Unless you get there the day they get them in you will be left with the crappy ones unless you are willing to take home used goods (which may or may not be your thing) or the really, really expensive ones. And I mean you need to see them deliver the guitars, because the staff at the one nearest me pick out the 2 or 3 really good ones before they go on the wall.

[Gtrplyr]

Well call me a

I've owned and played both for decades & never knew there was a scale difference between a Strat and a LP. So I guess it doesn't bother me

[Sage]

I play a Fender Am. Dlx. Stratocaster HSS in 3-tone sunburst with a rosewood neck. I also play a Martin HD-28. Each have an approximate 25.5" scale length. The Les Pauls typically have a scale length of about 24.4"

The Les Paul has a 24.75" scale length. Martins are usually 25.0" I believe. Fender is 25.5" scale.

My concern is what is going to happen to my playing technique when jumping back and forth between scale dimensions?

Usually what happens is that you develop a separate playing technique for that guitar. It isn't likely to affect your playing technique on the Strat, unless you completely ignore the Strat for an incredibly long time.

It's also worth noting that the scale length probably contributes significantly to the tone of a guitar. String vibration and pickup placement are all affected by this.

[Doc W]

I didn't know there was a different scale on different guitars until I was in my 40s. I had already played too many guitars for too many years and had not noticed the scale so, unfortunately, I wasn't able to get upset about it.

[curtisstetka]

Don't know what to tell you because I've never noticed any issues whatsoever. I've played guitars with different scale lengths, different fretboard radii (from flat on my classical to Fender vintage style), and the only spec that really affects me is the width of the nut. Too narrow and I can't get comfortable.

But going back and forth from the Strat to the Les Paul is a non-issue. Both are very comfortable guitars - the Les Paul might feel a shade faster.

Perhaps it's all in your head?

[Don]

If I switch straight from my Tele to my Les Paul I'll occasionally overbend a bit. Other than that, I'm fine with the difference.

[chuckocaster]

the only problem i have with guitars are:

a. string guage, it can't be too light, 10's are the smallest i can play

b. action, can't be too low.

c. radius, can't be too flat.

now switching back and forth from gibson and fender has never been a problem for me. but i can't play a gibson for the whole set or my hand will cramp. that's why i mainly play fenders, but i have several gibsons cause there are times you need that sound.