Scale length and intonation.

[Re-Pete]

I was on a reddit forum for a band I follow and the discussion came up about the gear the guitarist's use. I noticed in this band's case that both guitarists use guitars that have the same neck scale length (25"). Previously the rhythm guitarist had played a guitar that was 24.75" neck scale...

I suggested the same neck scale length would help the guitarists be more 'in tune' with each other as the compromises to intonation would occur at about the same place (or be similar compromises made to the harmonics) on each guitar because the neck scale is the same.....

We all know that guitar intonation beyond the root note is compromised..... So that's what I was basing my answer on...

Was I barking up the wrong tree? I'm not sure....  :sad:

I know at times a Strat and a Les Paul can sound horrible together, the chords each make, even though it may be the same chord, sound a bit different...But I was wondering if that was because of the vastly different types of construction and electronics OR the neck scale differences?

 

[Cagey]

I would think they're either in-tune or not, regardless of whether or not they had to be somehow compensated to get there. Otherwise you'd have problems with them mixing with anything else such as basses, pianos, etc. But, I have a couple guitars where I've had both humbuckers and single coils installed where I just couldn't get happy with the sound of the two pickups in parallel. Not sure if it's just a matter of taste or there's a real reason for it.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

Strats & Tells are often recorded against Les Pauls, SG's, and 335's all the time in order to get contrasting tones, and scale length can contribute subjectively to those contrasts.
Doesn't mean they are not in tune, but they will have varying identity characteristics to them.

For example.  I have a Warmoth Bari-Tele (28 5/8" scale), tuned to B standard, fitted with EMG tele ceramic pickups, and I have an Ibanez FRG-7620 (25.5" scale) also tuned B-E, fitted with EMG 57/66-7H hum buckers that I frequently record rhythm tracks with with the express intention of getting different sonic results.  They don't sound out of tune with one another in the slightest, but aside from the pickups, the scale length does contribute a different attack or snap one from the other.