For some players, a guitar with an extended scale length can feel like an entirely different instrument, particularly when you pair it with heavier gauge strings.
An extended-scale provides a brighter sound, greater sustain and a more stable guitar than a shorter scale—which is great for studio recording or live—but it can also take some getting used to. Jericho Guitars, which specializes in extended-scale instruments, offers the perfect solution with their Edge 6 NT model.
The standard scale length of the Edge 6 NT is 25 3/4–inches, just an inch beyond that of a Les Paul, yet it provides ideal tension and intonation for tuning a guitar a whole step down to D or even drop-C when using regular gauge strings. As a result, the Jericho Edge 6 NT provides all of the benefits of an extended-scale instrument without sacrificing the familiar feel of a standard guitar.
FEATURES
The Edge 6 NT is a true work of art, featuring a neck-through-body design constructed from three layers of maple that sandwich two inner layers of walnut. The body wings are made of walnut with an attractive rich brown color, and most of the top is covered with a thin laminate of figured flame maple, which is either natural or stained transparent black. The neck and body have an extremely thin finish which leaves the wood’s pores open and provides the resonance and dynamic response of unfinished wood. The rosewood fingerboard is completely blank, giving the guitar classy, minimalist aesthetic appeal.
The neck has a slim, flat C-shaped profile and 24 medium frets. The locking Gotoh mini tuners and bridge, which anchors the strings through the body, are finished in black. The pickups are Jericho’s own hand-wound Alnico V passive humbuckers with exposed black coil bobbins. Controls consist of a master volume and a master tone control that engages coil splitting for both pickups when pulled up.
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PERFORMANCE
The maple and walnut tonewoods, extended scale length, neck-through-body construction, and thin finish all contribute to the Edge 6 NT’s incredibly lively and dynamic tone, which is noticeable even when playing the guitar unplugged. The frequency range when played with a clean amp setting is impressively wide, with sparkling treble and rich, commanding bass. Jericho’s Alnico V humbuckers deliver excellent dynamic response and definition with high-gain distortion, sounding impressively heavy without sounding overly dark.
The playability is outstanding as well. While the scale is slightly longer than a traditional guitar, the overall feel is similar and in some ways actually faster thanks to the neck’s slim profile. Deep cutaways and the absence of a heel courtesy of the neck-through construction provide unobstructed access to the uppermost frets.
• Featuring a 25 3/4–inch scale length and 24-fret neck-through-body design, the Edge 6 NT delivers lively, resonant tone with balanced, full-frequency response.
• The Jericho Handwound Alnico V passive humbuckers maintain crisp detail and definition even when played with high-gain distortion.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The Jericho Edge 6 NT is the perfect solution for guitarists who prefer to use dropped tunings but don’t want to sacrifice the comfort and familiar feel of a standard scale guitar.
Chris is the co-author of Eruption - Conversations with Eddie Van Halen. He is a 40-year music industry veteran who started at Boardwalk Entertainment (Joan Jett, Night Ranger) and Roland US before becoming a guitar journalist in 1991. He has interviewed more than 600 artists, written more than 1,400 product reviews and contributed to Jeff Beck’s Beck 01: Hot Rods and Rock & Roll and Eric Clapton’s Six String Stories.
