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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 6, 2014 at 1:28pm

If you look at my videos on my profile page here, you will see some basic neck layout and fretting guides for beginners. That should help you out.

If you download the Wfet program (I have a link to it on my blog page here) you can print out a paper template that will tell you where to put the frets.

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Permalink Reply by Comrade Paul on March 6, 2014 at 2:37pm

so you are making a standard Ukulele?  12 frets?  I copied this from the Stewmac site which has a fine "fret position calculator" (just google those words).  here's your measurements for a 12" long 12 fretted Uke.  The 12 inches are measured from the nut (the bar the strings go over just after the tuners) and the bridge (the bar near the bottom of the body of the Uke, about 2/3 of the way down the body).  You should measure the distances from the nut.  It's in inches, but 0.674 can be hard to figure out on a tape measure with 8th of inches displayed.  Just convert them, .674 is 674/1000.  Converting that to 8ths you just 674/1000 = x/8  or x = 674x8/1000 or x = 5.392.  so 5.392/8ths.  Realistically you just measure a little less than 5 and one half 8ths of an inch.  I can convert the rest for you if you want. 

Fretting with real frets should be done with a fretting saw, which are about $35 at stew macs.  As an alternative I've glued nail braids (very thin nails) into shallow cuts and been successful also.  Use super glue.  Mark the fret lines with a t-square and pencil and then either glue the braids on the mark or make a small shallow cut with a saw to help seat the braids before you glue.  Keep in mind the cuts have to be exactly the same depth.  I used a circular saw with a depth adjustment tightened on about 1/8 of an inch deep, so maybe you just glue them on the marks.  Be careful!

You are a good mom.  I wish you luck

12" fret scale   fret     from nut     fret to fret    1   0.674"   0.674"  (nut-1)   2   1.309"   0.635"  (1-2)   3   1.909"   0.600"  (2-3)   4   2.476"   0.567"  (3-4)   5   3.010"   0.534"  (4-5)   6   3.515"   0.505"  (5-6)   7   3.991"   0.476"  (6-7)   8   4.440"   0.449"  (7-8)   9   4.865"   0.425"  (8-9)   10   5.265"   0.400"  (9-10)   11   5.643"   0.378"  (10-11)   12   6.000"   0.357"  (11-12)  Notes on fret layout  The most accurate way to lay out your scale is making all measurements from the nut (using the "fret to fret" distance only to confirm your layout). Laying out frets only by measuring fret to fret will compound error. For example, if you're laying out frets by marking with a scribe and your accuracy is plus or minus 2 millimeters, you could be off by as much as 24 millimeters at the 12th fret. Measurements are given from the end of the fingerboard (face of the nut) to the center of a fret slot.

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on March 6, 2014 at 6:16pm

24" scale...

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Permalink Reply by Comrade Paul on March 7, 2014 at 7:07am

opps, so I should never respond to serious questions while watching hockey on TV.  I think the further information says what i should have.  sorry about that

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Permalink Reply by Richey Kay on March 6, 2014 at 11:04pm

Hi Amy,

Some good advice here already, but a couple of extra pointers:

Most folks around here use the fret position calculator on StewMac: http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html

If the distance from the nut to the bridge is 24" this is your scale length. However most would recommend converting this into millimetres as they are easier to measure. I clamp a metre ruler to the fretboard, with the start resting exactly at the start of the fretboard, then follow the measurements from the nut on the calculator. (Always measure from the nut, not fret to fret).

I then use a square to mark the lines on the fretboard and double check the fret positions.

Then use a craft knife to score the fret lines (using a square again).

Then use a mitre box and fret slotting saw (this is a must... probably the only specific guitar making tool you need) to cut the slots.

If you have any more questions we're always happy to help.

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Permalink Reply by Amy O'Donnell on March 7, 2014 at 12:54am

You folks are terrific!  I will post a photo when we are done.  That fret saw is way cool, but not sure I will get it in time.

To answer your question, Comrade, we are going to string it up CGCD or maybe CGCD#.  I want my son to be able to play it easily. I was going to put a piezo in it, but we cut that hole b4 I found this site.  :  (

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on March 9, 2014 at 4:59am

If you want an easy-to-play stringed instrument for a child to learn to play, then consider making a stick dulcimer instrument which is basically a CBG with a diatonic fretboard (7 notes per octive and no accidentals). With one exception, this diatonic scale is like playing with just the white keys on a piano in the Key of C (no flats or sharps to mess you up).

[The one exception is fret 6 (which is a flat when viewed from the perspective of a Major scale, and from this perspective fret 6+ (fret six and a half) is the correction needed to make that screwy mountain style Mixolydian scale work right with civilized major scale songs.) We can talk about this exception more if you like another time.]

Here is a diagram I did a while back that picks out the frets on a standard guitar that you will need to make a diatonic stick dulcimer instrument.

 You may also want to consider making a shorter scale length, maybe 20" or 18" instead of 24" - 25.5" of a standard guitar. And nylon string (ukulele or classical guitar strings) are a lot easier on the kids fingers as they haven't developed hard skin (callouses) that come with years playing steel stringed instruments.

-Rand.

 

 

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Permalink Reply by Mark on March 7, 2014 at 2:54am

If u have a harbor freight store l near by they sell a Japanese pull saw for 7 bucks that works GREAT for cutting fret grooves

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Permalink Reply by Michael Fred Johnson on March 9, 2014 at 12:38am

Here is another method for working out fret positions,Draw it out on card or a strip of ply and keep it for future use

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Permalink Reply by Amy O'Donnell on March 9, 2014 at 9:03am

I can't believe how many things I did wrong! We took all this great information and marked the frets with a sharpie, but b4 we did any cutting, we strung up a string, and I realized how distorted the neck was! After monkeying around with some various Lego heights and cottonballs to subdue the gawdawful buzz, he's pretty proud of his "Musica Rex."

This was a third grade project to make an instrument for music class out of junk. I am dying to see what the rest of the kids did. If The music teacher lets me, I 'll get pix of them and post them here.

I'm hoping to redo this the right way after he gets his grade. I hate to waste that nice piece of oak and all our new-found knowledge.

Attached a pic of the thing--whatever it is!

Attachments:

• image.jpg, 208 KB

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Permalink Reply by Dan Sleep on March 9, 2014 at 9:14am

I dunno, it looks pretty good for a first attempt. Is suspect the buzz is coming from the lack of break angle at the lego. The height of the tailpiece looks like it is almost the same at the bridge, so the strings aren't putting enough downward pressure on the bridge.

But I bet he had a blast building it.

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Permalink Reply by Amy O'Donnell on March 9, 2014 at 9:26am

I love you! Do you mean the angle from the bridge to the fork should be more acute? Close up attached.

Attachments:

• image.jpg, 205 KB

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