The difference between bass and regular guitar scales

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by surffrogg on October 10, 2009 at 1:32pm

if use the stew mac fret calc it has setting for bass

Permalink Reply by Fergus Morris on October 10, 2009 at 1:45pm

Bass scales are usually between 30" and 34". If you put a length like that into a normal guitar fret calc (like this one for example: http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/fret_calculator.php), everything will be groovy..... I made a long scale (34" scale) bass, but I cheated and bought a neck for it. You should join the cigar box bass group, if you make one, we'd all love to see a picture there!

Permalink Reply by Ben on October 11, 2009 at 3:32pm

I did a 30" fretless bass that I was happy with. I kept it to the shorter scale to keep the string tension down. Worked (I gave it as a gift) wonderfully.

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on December 14, 2009 at 11:39am

the only difference (typically) is length... the rules governing spaciing is the same. the stewMac fret calculator... http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator will produce the same fretpattern whether you calculate for an electric guitar or a bass.

Bass guitar scale lengths can be influenced by using alternative string material. a year ago I produced several ultra short scale basses (as short as 17') that were low "E" capable using polyurethane cord.

Permalink Reply by marcianx on December 14, 2009 at 10:35pm

Wichita Sam said:

the only difference (typically) is length... the rules governing spaciing is the same. the stewMac fret calculator... http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator will produce the same fretpattern whether you calculate for an electric guitar or a bass.
Bass guitar scale lengths can be influenced by using alternative string material. a year ago I produced several ultra short scale basses (as short as 17') that were low "E" capable using polyurethane cord.

Beautiful work there, Sam!

How well do those wooden tuners work for the two in the middle?? Any special hardware required to make them maintain proper tension?

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on December 14, 2009 at 11:29pm

Those are used Cello pegs... The only thing needed is a properly sized reamer to set the bevel of the peg hole. Beyond that simple friction fitting works, once you get used to it....

marcianx said:

Wichita Sam said:

the only difference (typically) is length... the rules governing spaciing is the same. the stewMac fret calculator... http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator will produce the same fretpattern whether you calculate for an electric guitar or a bass.
Bass guitar scale lengths can be influenced by using alternative string material. a year ago I produced several ultra short scale basses (as short as 17') that were low "E" capable using polyurethane cord.

Beautiful work there, Sam!

How well do those wooden tuners work for the two in the middle?? Any special hardware required to make them maintain proper tension?

Permalink Reply by Eli Spiegelman on January 12, 2010 at 9:42am

Here's an Excel fret calculator you can keep on your computer. Just enter the scale length you want, and it will give you the fret spacing. The "from nut" column is in decimals of an inch. I added an "inches" and "sixteenths" column too, in case that's easier.

How accurate does one have to be in all this?

Thanks. This is my virgin post on this amazing site. Looking forward to delaying many important projects to spend time here.

Eli

Attachments:

• fret calculator.xls, 22 KB

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on January 12, 2010 at 10:59am

I work with the stewmac fret calculator and work in mm's (millimeters). Although it gives measures in 1000ths of mm's, I only try to measure 1/2 millimeters. Even that takes a fine pencil and a steady hand. And, it produces perfectly acceptable intonation on the fretboard.

With one mm = 0.04 inches, if you must work in inches, then nearest 1/64th inch would do nicely...

good luck, let us know how we can help,
the best,

Wichita Sam

Eli Spiegelman said:

Here's an Excel fret calculator you can keep on your computer. Just enter the scale length you want, and it will give you the fret spacing. The "from nut" column is in decimals of an inch. I added an "inches" and "sixteenths" column too, in case that's easier.

How accurate does one have to be in all this?

Thanks. This is my virgin post on this amazing site. Looking forward to delaying many important projects to spend time here.

Eli

Permalink Reply by Eli Spiegelman on January 12, 2010 at 3:56pm

Thanks, Wichita, for the note on accuracy and intonation. If I sort of guestimate the tenths of a sixteenth, maybe that that'll do? With some good luck?

On the other hand, the Excel thing just works with the 17.817 ratio, so if you put "650" (for instance) into the scale length, it spits out the number of millimeters for a scale length of that size in the "from nut" column. Of course, the "inches" column doesn't work out that way. Unless you want a scale length of 650 inches. And some bridge-cable strings....

But I'll check out stewmac. I imagine it's pretty similar?

Thanks again,

Eli

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on January 12, 2010 at 5:08pm

yea, no problem either way... the thing about mm's is that you can get a yardstick that has sae on one side and mm's on the other... but usually the smallest increment on the sae scale on a yardstick is 1/8's or 1/16's, not fine enough for laying out fretboards....

Eli Spiegelman said:

Thanks, Wichita, for the note on accuracy and intonation. If I sort of guestimate the tenths of a sixteenth, maybe that that'll do? With some good luck?

On the other hand, the Excel thing just works with the 17.817 ratio, so if you put "650" (for instance) into the scale length, it spits out the number of millimeters for a scale length of that size in the "from nut" column. Of course, the "inches" column doesn't work out that way. Unless you want a scale length of 650 inches. And some bridge-cable strings....

But I'll check out stewmac. I imagine it's pretty similar?

Thanks again,

Eli

Permalink Reply by Eli Spiegelman on January 13, 2010 at 9:31am

Stewmac is good! So is your point about the yardsticks.

On fret wire: Is it true that the high point of the fret -- where the string will start to vibrate -- is just above the saw-line, or do you have to compensate for anything when cutting the slots? (Does that make sense?)

Eli

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on January 13, 2010 at 9:43am

just make your cuts as perpemdicular to the fretboard as you can and everything will be OK

Eli Spiegelman said:

Stewmac is good! So is your point about the yardsticks.

On fret wire: Is it true that the high point of the fret -- where the string will start to vibrate -- is just above the saw-line, or do you have to compensate for anything when cutting the slots? (Does that make sense?)

Eli

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