Shorter scale necks are easier to play and do bends on right?
So what's the advantage on longer scale necks??

On a longer scale neck you have more string, and therefore more places to fret the string, which increases the number of different pitches and tones that you can create.

So ... the longer a neck scale is, the greater is the number of sounds that you can create.

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Ibanez Artwood 200vv
Fender Deluxe Player's Stratocaster

The longer the scale, the higher the string tension. A higher string tension enhances the definition of lower tones.

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You dig?

How about intonation? Is it better on longer scale necks or shorter? Or it has nothing to do with it?

The scale length has nothing to do with the number of frets. Any scale length can have any number of frets.

On a longer scale neck fretless neck, you'll obviously have more more 'traveling' distance from one interval to the next but with a fretted neck, the frets essentially eradicate this. Either way, there is an exact point for correct intonation.

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You dig?

Longer scale necks are generally preferred by shredders or anyone doing lead work. The larger spaces between each fret do not require you to be as precise, and a shorter scale neck, with the smaller fret spacing, can be more difficult to play intricate fast parts on.

With that, it is a more of a matter of personal preference than anything. I started on 24.75, moved to 25 and now 25.5 with the strat, and I notice little difference in my ability to play them. I like them all so far.

As far as having more definition on lower notes, I never noticed this personally. In fact my 24.75 guitar has the most articulate and tighest bass response, but there are many factors that can make a difference in this area.

With all things equal, the string tension on the larger neck is greater. 9's are very slinky on my 24.5 scale, but feel great on my 25. I use 10's on my strat

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

Illustrative example: the Les Paul. Let's just say that the definition of bass strings/tones is one of the challenges of finding a great one.

There is no way to get that "James Bond" bassline on a Les Paul...

But there's a lot more to the final tone like the wood of the guitar and the pickups.

I don't think it's that simple. For example, Paul Gilbert can play well on either scale length. As a matter of fact, his latest signature guitar, the Fireman, has a 24.75" scale length and most of his guitars have been 25.5". The difference in actual space of the frets between the two scale lengths is neglible IMHO. We're talking about 0.75" spread across 22 - 24 frets. On a 24 fret neck, it's only a difference of 1/32" per fret.

I agree with you and also find that moving between guitars with different scale lengths is easy.

I agree with this also. There's a lot more to the guitars tone than the scale length, assuming that we're using standard tuning, but the scale length does affect the tone. If all things are equal, longer scales sound brighter and shorter scales sound darker. It's not significant but its there.

I have both and play both and I'd rather play lead on a short scale neck just because I pull off some pretty big bends. Bass notes sound a bit "tighter" on the long scale neck. It really all depends on your playing style. There's playability trade offs on both.

That's a good question. I'll agree with the poster who stated that scale length has nothing to do with how many frets a guitar has.

I pretty much equally comfortable on either a 25.5 or a 24.75. Which is to say if I set down my Strat to play a Gibson ES335, I'm not suddenly cramped up (although I keep looking for the whammy bar).

And yes, bends are easier to execute on a shorter scale. I like an .11 first string on a Gibson and a .10 first on a Fender and end up with similar feel that way.

I'll also agree with the poster that stated that the tiny amount of difference between scales lenghts is small and therefore hardly worth mentioning.

So then, what's the really big difference in scale length?

Drum roll please.....................................................................

Tone. There was an article in Guitar Player a few issues back that addressed this very well, and subsequent articles I've read had backed it up. The longer scale (the Fender scale) allows for the higher tones of each note to ring through a little more...part of the "Fender sound". The shorter scale (the Gibson scale) causes more of the mid tones to be accented.

Of course Gibsons are typically Mahongany with humbuckers, while Fenders are Alder (or Ash) with single coils, but if you make a mahogany guitar with humbuckers and a 25.5" scale length, you are NEVER going to get it to sound like a Les Paul.

Of course, then there's PRS with their 25" scale length. Were they just kind of splitting the difference or do the prefer the sound of the 25" scale? I dunno. Ditto for Carvin with their 25" scale on most of their models. I'm waiting for my latest custom made Carvin with its 25" scale to be a stable-mate to my Strat. I'm unlikely to really notice the difference in scale with regard to playability. Difference in neck shape, fret material, and fingerboard material will outweigh scale length as I adjust to the two guitars.

Personally, when choosing a guitar, I'm a little partial to the longer scale length, but it's pretty far down on the list of what I look for in a guitar.

I know. That's why I made no mention of the number of frets.

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Ibanez Artwood 200vv
Fender Deluxe Player's Stratocaster

What did you mean then??