Have any of you played a "multi-scale" guitar?

11top

11top

Cousin Eddie's cousin
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Have any of you played one? Did it seem dissimilar to a fixed scale guitar? Was it hard to make the conversion? What did you like or dislike about it? Any other observations? The one I've seen lists the scale length as 27-25.4. Is that standard for a multi-scale?
 
I have played a couple of multi scale acoustics. I didn’t feel there really was any conversion. If anything, bar chords were easier to play - at the top of the neck the angle was just easier on my hand and I don’t use bar chords above about the 7th fret, so I never had to worry about the angle shifting the other way.

Playing single note lines or double stops, the angle between any few frets is small enough that I didn’t find it significant.

The scale you noted is in the range of typical. Certainly in the range I think you would respond to nicely. I played one with over a 2 inch difference (I forget exactly how much) and it was visually disorienting. I wouldn’t hesitate with a difference in the 1.3-1.8 inch range.
 
veinbuster said:
I have played a couple of multi scale acoustics. I didn’t feel there really was any conversion. If anything, bar chords were easier to play - at the top of the neck the angle was just easier on my hand and I don’t use bar chords above about the 7th fret, so I never had to worry about the angle shifting the other way.

Playing single note lines or double stops, the angle between any few frets is small enough that I didn’t find it significant.

The scale you noted is in the range of typical. Certainly in the range I think you would respond to nicely. I played one with over a 2 inch difference (I forget exactly how much) and it was visually disorienting. I wouldn’t hesitate with a difference in the 1.3-1.8 inch range.
Click to expand...

As you know from seeing me play, I tend towards classic and heavy rock. I'm especially curious about the upper notes where the scale seems to shift more dramatically. Is it hard to keep your place when soloing? :confused:
 
11top said:
Have any of you played one? Did it seem dissimilar to a fixed scale guitar? Was it hard to make the conversion? What did you like or dislike about it? Any other observations? The one I've seen lists the scale length as 27-25.4. Is that standard for a multi-scale?
Click to expand...
Never heard of such a thing until now! And I just Wiki'd it and had a look. Seems like, from the write-up that it was a guy trying to improve his blues tone etc. All power to the innovative tendencies of folks but for me, if the regular board worked for Robert Johnson and EC and Buddy and BB, I guess it will do for me.
 
I'm not an expert...really at anything guitar related, but I do own a couple of Strandbergs that I really like so I'll toss in my two cents.

There isn't really a "standard". Different manufacturers and even different string-counts for the same manufacturer will vary in a couple of ways. First the total string length spread will vary slightly. For example my 6 string Strandberg is 25-25.5, so the fan on it is pretty subtle. Second the fret which is perpendicular to the string axis will vary. Using the 6 string Strandberg as an example it is the zero fret. For me if I make a barre and move my hand up the fretboard the frets line up perfectly until I get to the heel.

On the other hand my 7 string Strandberg is 25.5-26.25. Slightly longer scale length overall and a bit more spread. On that guitar it looks like the 11th-ish fret is the one that is perpendicular. It is also really comfortable and I don't seem to have problems with open chords or low barre chords but it does feel a little different.

So getting back to the root of your question 25.4-27 seems like a drastic fan even for an 8 string, by comparison, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be comfortable. I know its not the guitar that you're looking for, but Guitar Center carries Strandberg and I've seen a few in stores so it might be worth checking to see if there is one that you could try within driving distance just to see if it feels natural. If you're near Kansas City you're welcome to try mine.

FWIW I was hopping around on Twitch a couple of weeks ago and came across Herman Li (DragonForce guitarist) trying out a fanned fret guitar (I think it was one of new Abasi guitars) and he was really struggling with breaking muscle memory when trying to solo.
 
UMRJmac said:
I'm not an expert...really at anything guitar related, but I do own a couple of Strandbergs that I really like so I'll toss in my two cents.

There isn't really a "standard". Different manufacturers and even different string-counts for the same manufacturer will vary in a couple of ways. First the total string length spread will vary slightly. For example my 6 string Strandberg is 25-25.5, so the fan on it is pretty subtle. Second the fret which is perpendicular to the string axis will vary. Using the 6 string Strandberg as an example it is the zero fret. For me if I make a barre and move my hand up the fretboard the frets line up perfectly until I get to the heel.

On the other hand my 7 string Strandberg is 25.5-26.25. Slightly longer scale length overall and a bit more spread. On that guitar it looks like the 11th-ish fret is the one that is perpendicular. It is also really comfortable and I don't seem to have problems with open chords or low barre chords but it does feel a little different.

So getting back to the root of your question 25.4-27 seems like a drastic fan even for an 8 string, by comparison, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't be comfortable. I know its not the guitar that you're looking for, but Guitar Center carries Strandberg and I've seen a few in stores so it might be worth checking to see if there is one that you could try within driving distance just to see if it feels natural. If you're near Kansas City you're welcome to try mine.

FWIW I was hopping around on Twitch a couple of weeks ago and came across Herman Li (DragonForce guitarist) trying out a fanned fret guitar (I think it was one of new Abasi guitars) and he was really struggling with breaking muscle memory when trying to solo.
Click to expand...

Good info. The one I'm looking at is a 6 string, and the fan does look pretty extreme to me. It also is a headless model, so that should thoroughly add to confusing the hell out of me.
 
11top said:
As you know from seeing me play, I tend towards classic and heavy rock. I'm especially curious about the upper notes where the scale seems to shift more dramatically. Is it hard to keep your place when soloing? :confused:
Click to expand...
I didn’t think so, but I tend to think of solos across 3 strings at a time, with a hand shift to change octaves, so I’m really always playing within 3 strings.. while the scale looks dramatic at the bridge, it is generally pretty flat around the 12th fret. I think if you look right at the 3 high strings around the 19th fret, the scale shift won’t look that intimidating.
 
11top said:
Good info. The one I'm looking at is a 6 string, and the fan does look pretty extreme to me. It also is a headless model, so that should thoroughly add to confusing the hell out of me.
Click to expand...

Mayones Hydra? I've never played one but I've heard nothing but good things about that brand and build quality...seems like they're always being compared to PRS in that regard. Good luck with it and keep us posted if you pick it up :)
 
UMRJmac said:
Mayones Hydra? I've never played one but I've heard nothing but good things about that brand and build quality...seems like they're always being compared to PRS in that regard. Good luck with it and keep us posted if you pick it up :)
Click to expand...

I have owned 2 Mayones and still have one of them. Really nice guitars, but a different animal than a PRS. The only thing I don’t like is they only offer a thin neck profile. I like mine, but it’s not a PRS.



They have some cool woods.
 
Yep. I have a Strandberg, the different scale lengths work well, the neck feels great, it’s easy to play and sounds fantastic.

If you move around the fretboard a lot like I do it can get a little confusing on the higher notes but easily overcome with some practice.
 
I tried one at a GC once. Was scared before I tried it but was surprised that it was not a hard transition. Came easily.

No need for one in my life....
 
Well, I've never played a multi-scale...but I can say when I had a "headless" Steinberger bass, I was surprised at how it took me a little more time than first imagined to get used to fretting the thing.
May have been the smaller (rectangular composite) body, but I went to the incorrect lower frets during songs more times than I care to admit.:rolleyes::oops::oops::oops:
 
Bill SAS 513 said:
Well, I've never played a multi-scale...but I can say when I had a "headless" Steinberger bass, I was surprised at how it took me a little more time than first imagined to get used to fretting the thing.
May have been the smaller (rectangular composite) body, but I went to the incorrect lower frets during songs more times than I care to admit.:rolleyes::oops::oops::oops:
Click to expand...

I have a headless Steinberger and a Kiesel. The Steinberger is one of the cheaper ones, but the Kiesel is actually a nice and well-made guitar. I think most would be surprised by how much we reference our place on the fretboard by the head of the guitar. But it’s really not that big of a deal; pretty easy to make the adjustment.
 
I had a 7string Strandberg for a little while, It was surprisingly easy to adjust to the fan and comfortable to play. What I did realize from owning that and multiple other 7s is that im just not a 7 string player I can get by on my 6's, Id still like to have one just to have but can't commit to getting one.
 
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