ORMSBY MULTISCALE

Better tension, intonation, and playability

ONE SCALE FOR EVERY STRING

The principle

Different strings need different lengths.

A conventional guitar gives every string the same scale length. Multiscale design gives the lower strings more length for tension and clarity, while keeping the higher strings shorter for easier bends and a familiar feel.

The frets fan gradually between those two scale lengths. On a typical Ormsby, the neutral fret sits at the ninth fret so the angles follow the natural position of the wrist and picking hand.

Tighter low strings

Additional bass-side length maintains tension without relying on excessively heavy strings.

Flexible high strings

A shorter treble scale keeps bends, vibrato and lead playing comfortable.

Natural ergonomics

Fret, nut and bridge angles align more closely with the resting position of both hands.

Ormsby multiscale guitar showing fanned frets
Close view of an Ormsby multiscale fretboard

Where it started

“I had built baritones tuned as regular guitars. The tone was huge, but the extended scale made soloing more difficult. I kept thinking about pianos, drums and other instruments where lower notes come from something physically larger.”

“The answer was to give the bass and treble strings different lengths, then fan the frets between them. From there, I started designing.”

Perry Ormsby

The Ormsby approach

More than angled frets.

Perry studied how guitarists hold an instrument while seated and standing, then positioned the straight fret around the natural centre of the fretting hand. The bridge angle followed the resting position of the picking arm.

Making the full system work required more than moving fret positions. The bridge, pickups, headstock geometry and hardware all had to work with the changing scale lengths.

After years of development, the first client build came together quickly. The result felt natural, sustained clearly and delivered the stronger low-string response the design had set out to achieve.

Ormsby multiscale bridge and pickup alignment
Ormsby multiscale guitar in a natural playing position

Practical guide

What changes when you play one?

Less than the fret angles suggest. Tuning, bends, chord shapes and setup remain familiar.

Dimensions

  • Six string: 25.5" to 27.5"
  • Seven string: 25.5" to 27.8"
  • Eight string: 25.5" to 28.2"

Exact scale length is always listed in each guitar's specifications.

Feel

The neutral fret and angled bridge follow the natural position of the fretting wrist and picking forearm. Most players adjust within minutes.

Tone

More bass-side tension improves attack, sustain and note definition without requiring an excessively heavy string gauge.

Tuning

Tune and bend exactly as normal. The longer lower strings move less during the initial pick attack, helping notes begin closer to pitch.

Hardware

Unless stated otherwise, bridges, pickups, locking nuts and machine heads are produced to Ormsby specifications for the multiscale geometry.

Setup

The added bass-side tension may let you use a lighter lower-string gauge. If you normally use 9-46, a 9-42 set can be a useful starting point.