Multi-Scale Guitars

[John_H]

Thanks Chuck! This one is pretty stripped down, even for me. Altogether it's been a very successful experiment. I couldn't be more pleased with the results. I started this one as a learning tool, so I didn't invest more cash into it than needed. I'm such a minimalist by nature that I absolutely love the simplicity of it though. It just proves to me again that a guitar is much more than the sum of it's parts. This is going to change my outlook on building in the future.

[Jason Rodgers]

Hell, yeah! That turned out great! I'm particularly impressed at how the multi-scale just sort of disappears in the general cool retro vibe. People are going to look at it, and say, "That's a sweet little red rocker," and then later notice "... oh, look at that, it has those funny frets." Some instruments, like mine, are designed around drawing attention to the asymmetry of the different scales, but it's important to the proliferation of the multi-scale movement (OK, that's a little dramatic) that people see that it can fit into classic designs and they don't have to subscribe to a look that is outside their comfort zone.

That's a fairly silly analysis. I should just say, you done good, and leave it at that!

[The Dude]

I'm not a luthier or a pickup maker, so I've nothing to add to the thread but have been following. Great work John!

[John_H]

Hell, yeah! That turned out great! I'm particularly impressed at how the multi-scale just sort of disappears in the general cool retro vibe. People are going to look at it, and say, "That's a sweet little red rocker," and then later notice "... oh, look at that, it has those funny frets." Some instruments, like mine, are designed around drawing attention to the asymmetry of the different scales, but it's important to the proliferation of the multi-scale movement (OK, that's a little dramatic) that people see that it can fit into classic designs and they don't have to subscribe to a look that is outside their comfort zone.

That's a fairly silly analysis. I should just say, you done good, and leave it at that!

Thanks Jason! I too really like the way it looks with the familiar curves, and the red worked well for this one. It balances great on a strap, and the 8 inch radius on the fingerboard is super comfortable. I appreciate you help on this. Just like many other things I'm mad at myself for waiting so long to build one of these. I'm anxious to get back to work on the seven string.

I'm not a luthier or a pickup maker, so I've nothing to add to the thread but have been following. Great work John!

Thanks Dude!

[Chuck H]

A bit of speculative theory, perhaps... It seems, to me, that with the scale differential skewed at both ends of the fingerboard (which also looks cool) that there is a real playing benefit too. Not just a tonal difference. Follow me on this... Playing technique varies, of coarse, but speaking for myself, I mostly bend lower strings in the lower registers by pulling them down and higher strings in the upper registers by pushing them up. So, using my own playing model, the way the frets are skewed will minimize the necessary string travel on bends. Reducing both distance and pressure and therefor, theoretically, make bending strings easier. Since I've never played a multi scale guitar I'd be interested in reports about this if you ever show this guitar off to players.

[Jason Rodgers]

A bit of speculative theory, perhaps... It seems, to me, that with the scale differential skewed at both ends of the fingerboard (which also looks cool) that there is a real playing benefit too. Not just a tonal difference. Follow me on this... Playing technique varies, of coarse, but speaking for myself, I mostly bend lower strings in the lower registers by pulling them down and higher strings in the upper registers by pushing them up. So, using my own playing model, the way the frets are skewed will minimize the necessary string travel on bends. Reducing both distance and pressure and therefor, theoretically, make bending strings easier. Since I've never played a multi scale guitar I'd be interested in reports about this if you ever show this guitar off to players.

I see what you're getting at, but no, I've not noticed this. I suppose if the scale differences were really wide, like 3"+, there'd be some effect, but a bend is still mostly about tension.

[John_H]

A bit of speculative theory, perhaps...

This one doesn't have as much differential as many others out there. I didn't find it to have much effect on bending like Jason said, but an exaggerated difference would I think be noticeable. I had never played a multi-scale before this, and the curiosity drove me to make one.

[John_H]

The weather is going to cooperate this week. I'll be able to start the finish on the seven string. The neck is glued, and frets are ready.

The red one is entered in the "guitar of the month" contest at projectguitar.com , If You're registered there, get over and vote!

[Chuck H]

Is that a "hollow" I see at the control cavity? So will this be a semi hollow seven string with an extended bass scale? A very different concept from how seven strings are usually seen (shred/metal). Seems like a great idea.

[John_H]

Is that a "hollow" I see at the control cavity? So will this be a semi hollow seven string with an extended bass scale? A very different concept from how seven strings are usually seen (shred/metal). Seems like a great idea.

Thanks Chuck, This one's chambered. You're right, most of these that you see are "metal" oriented. I wanted this to be more like a "Jazz Box".

[Chuck H]

Definitely going to be a players guitar with a lot of very musical possibilities.

[John_H]

Thanks everyone for following along. I finished the second guitar. This has been a great learning experience.

[Jason Rodgers]

Excellent work. That burst and finish are great!

[Chuck H]

I'm "subscribed" to the thread. So I was able to see that a post had been added. I knew it was almost certainly just kudos for the pretty guitar but I clicked to see anyway. Just so I could look at it again

[Jason Rodgers]

By the way, how are you liking that 7th string? When I strung up my 7-string, it wasn't the 1.5" difference in scales that made me fumble-fingered, it was my right hand getting lost. The muscle memory for picking across strings has to adjust, but now I can go back and forth between 6s and 7s. That's good, because my next will be an 8-string!