Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on September 2, 2012 at 7:14pm

My own exprience is that you can't set the nut too high because your first 4 frets will play particularly sharp. Use this fret calculator with stretch compensation box checked to deal with that issue to some extent.

http://windworld.com/features/tools-resources/exmis-fret-placement-...

You could even make your own scale (especially at the nut end) by temporarily fixing toothpicks or something and getting it in tune then fixing your permanent frets. The nut-end frets will be MUCH closer to the high nut than they would for a low nut. It is at the nut end that high actions pose the most intonation problems.

At the bridge end you can go quite high. This also gives you a better bridge break and get's more pressure on the soundboard at the bridge. With the ExMi placements, you can have a height of 5mm at the 17th fret and still be in tune. That is really high. Hope all that helps.

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 2, 2012 at 8:45pm

simple answer  ..-  2 pennies   high  at the   nut .   you  should be ok for slide and   fingering.

(you should be able to  slip  2 pennys    under the  string (laying  on the  fretboard .)

3 is to  high.

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on September 3, 2012 at 12:17am

Not wanting to get into an argument here. Just find this interesting. A USA penny is 1.55mm thick. So two is 3.10mm. My personal opinion is that anything over 2mm height at the nut will have a large impact on intonation at the lower frets. So yes, you could have 3.10mm height but you would need to adjust your fret positions to compensate for it. Even the stretch compensated positions from ExMi wouldn't stop those first 3 or 4 frets playing really sharp.

I'm curious about how they would play perfectly in tune with a 3mm action at the nut. I've made gats with a 3mm action at the 17th fret. That's a big difference. Not criticising, just discussing.

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 3, 2012 at 1:36am

as  you said  ..  that's  your  personal  opinion  ..  i  could agree  with it  , but then we  would both be  wrong.

i see  no need at that height   to    re-align  frets  .

 

as   per  "perfection  .. ??  lol  ..  these are  cbgs  ..    over thinking   =  complicating   things .

usually   for  no   real   needed reason.

 

if you  worked at gibson , and wore   white  cloves  and   a lap  bib while drinking  tea with the  queen  ,,   and wanted to   "RE-INVENT"   a  new   slide  /fretted   guitar  sound, and production model,...  then  by all means  ..    realign   your frets  .

 

if  you  want  to stick with tried and true  tradition    and authentic  sound    the  way  the  blues  masters and  old timers  did ,      ..  2 pennies are a  great  height  .

  and thats my 2 cents .

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on September 3, 2012 at 1:52am

If out of tune is right, then the anonymous pick is right. Build one like that. Plug it into a tuner, get the G string dead on, play the first fret and see how sharp your G# is. Same for your A, Bb and B. Maybe by C you will be kinda in tune.

It's just a personal thing, but I hate out of tune music. If better, more authentic, more bluesy music has to be out of tune, you can have it. If being in tune is less authentic, less bluesy, less good, then we need to talk to Fender because they are messing up what could be great music!

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 3, 2012 at 2:39am

gawd ,..  lol ,..  you are  talking  like  a   few  micrometer tics   is  10  feet  .

   hardly  enough  to  be    considered  "out  of tune  "

 

 raw  , edgy  , and  real  is   more like it  .  ( if you even  notice it  . )

 

and  if you want to  compare   cbgs with a  fender ..     then  maybe  cbgs are not for you  .

 

being   a perfectionist    will  f##k up  any  hobby   ,   and fun  . and   tradition .

and  it's  true   roots  .

 

if you want to    "re-invent"  and polish  the cbg  ,  go  ahead  .

  but  dont  expect the originals to  follow  or  change    with  you .   or  history  to   change for     you     either.

 nor  call it  "wrong "   due to  clashing with your  "new"  opinion.

 

i  prefer to  keep  things  real  ..

 and  i'm sure the asker was   searching     for a real  ,   and simple answer  ,

i  didnt  see  him  in the fender fourm .  

  ;-)

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 3, 2012 at 3:11am

ps ..  not to  mention  .. a floating bridge  will  give     you  enough  compensation   if needed   ..  with  close  if not the same results  .

 

your own link   even admits  that .

Permalink Reply by PhilUSAFRet on September 3, 2012 at 2:33am

  I am always bothered when I find out my two cents isn't worth what it used to be.....LOL    Glad you guys are the "experts."  I just sit back and wait on a "consensus."  I'm just glad you are here, trying to help us noobs.

Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on September 3, 2012 at 3:50am

no experts here, brother. Just a discussion about whether a gat should play in tune or not.

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 3, 2012 at 4:03am

just  your  opinion   of   what    "in tune"  is  to   you  .

and   learning to  seperate     your "new age   guitars with a box  on  it "  idea  ..  from  a  traditional  "cbg."

 

 

Permalink Reply by Glenn Reither on September 3, 2012 at 3:49am

anonymous pick, it isn't micrometres. It is a 50% difference. Out of tune is out of tune. Nothing you do at the bridge will compensate for a 3mm action at the nut. You'd have to compensate by moving the frets back. Hey, I'm appreciative of the traditional rustic ethos. But even within that, I would have thought a guitar that plays in tune would be desirable. If by making a guitar that plays in tune is over thinking, then I'm guilty. And what the hell is going on with your SPACE bar, man? Anyhoo...I love cbgees and have made more than a few and I prefer them to play in tune. Again, this is just a personal taste, but an out of tune gat is like fingernails on a blackboard to me. So make 'em play out of tune if you think that is what it's all about, just don't expect me to listen to them.

Permalink Reply by the anonymous pick on September 3, 2012 at 3:56am

you  can  equip  your  model  T  ford  with a  g.p.s     if  you want    ,

 

i'll  keep  it real.

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