Preffered scale length

Well, I'll be the first to admit that I rarely read the directions, so when my set of plans said that the plan scale was 1:1 I believed them and went off the actual fretboard drawing versus the fret table. I've built my first four ukes with a scale length of 13.5" but have now discovered the plans call for 13.875". A couple questions....

1. Will a 13.875" scale give me a little lower pitched tone?
2. What is your preferred scale length and why?
3. What is the width of your fretboard at the nut and 12th fret for such scale length as well as the distance between the outer two strings at the bridge?

1. The slight addition in length will not change the pitch (on a ukulele) per se, but will increase the tension very slightly to tune the strings to the same pitch, which means you may get a little more volume and a little more zing for your money - although in this case the difference may be so slight that you don't really notice it considering all the other variables at play.

2. In ukulele (C) tuning we've built everything from 11.8" sopranita to 17" tenor. And they all have their place - it really depends on what we're playing and the sound we're trying to get.

3. Best to ask the soprano experts about this one. I think ours is about 1.4" at the nut and about 1.66" at the 12th, but I might be off a little. A good set of plans should indicate these measurements for you.

My normal nut width for a soprano is 1 3/8 ", and the fretboard width at the 12th fret is 1 3/4". I routinely change that one way or the other, depending on the customer, as well as customizing the scale length to suit.

Brad

On my first building project, the scale length will be an important factor for playing confort. For example, my Kumalae has a scale length of 32.7 mm (12.87") which is a bit short for me as it makes barring the higher frets harder. With my Vineyard pineapple, the scale length is 34.8mm (13.7") which makes barring the higher frets easier. However,when I play, I use my pinky a lot and the longer scale makes it more difficult to reach the frets that are wide spread. My ideal scale is somewhere in between, like the one I have on my vintage Regal : 33.4 cm (13.15").