Guys, I appreciate your knowledge and insight here. I have a Recording King Phil Leadbetter dobro which is advertised to be a 25.5" scale length. If I understand correctly, scale length is nut to 12th fret x2. The measurement on this instrument (I did it a couple times :) is 12.25". That would make the scale length 24.5", not 25.5". What gives?
I ask because I am thinking about building what amounts to a lap steel with the same scale length and G tuning for practice purposes. (With the solid body and a pickup, I can plug in, use headphones and play without waking up the whole house.)
Thanks for any info you can share.
What's the measurement from the center of the nut to the center of the bridge insert?
Does the guitar intonate correctly? Does the neck meet the body at the 12th fret?
I can't speak to the accuracy of RK specs.
h
Edited by - hlpdobro on 06/20/2026 09:39:24
It measures 24.5" nut to bridge. The 12 fret is right at the body. It intonates OK, at least as near as I can tell.
There you go. If accurate, your scale length is 24.5inches.
h
Thanks, Howard. It sure seemed like it ought to be that way, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing some obscure technique in figuring scale length. I guess RK was not accurate in their advertising.
If I go ahead with this project, I will get one of those adhesive mylar fretboard overlays in a 24.5" length from George Boards.
?If your goal is a solid body practice lap steel that perfectly mirrors the muscle memory, fret markers, and high-tension response of your Recording King, you should build it to a true 25.5" scale length layout.
Just curious, why 25.5 if his is actually 24.5?
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