Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on December 7, 2010 at 3:32pm

This is my favorite one, doesn't need downloading. You can specify all sorts of things, or just go with the preset numbers and simply enter the scale length. You're only marking the frets anyway.

But if you do use the other settings and, it is nice to visualize the neck shape on paper first.

http://cigarboxguitars.com/fretfind/standard.php

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on December 7, 2010 at 3:42pm

If you're using MS Windows you can use
wfret.com available for download in .zip format here:
wfret.zip It features a to scale printout as well.


Show us a photo of your scarf joint jig. And you might consider using a fret 0 in place of a traditional nut (essentially a nut using the same material as your frets, but slightly higher.
Diane in Chicago has more experience than I do, but what experience I have shows that they make it simpler to get the sound of the open string sound quality sounding just like your fretted string (neglecting the note/tone difference). I usually use a low diameter but widely threaded screw for a nut and then put in a fret 0. The threaded nut makes routing the string to the tuner and along the neck easier to control. Then run the fret calculator using the fret 0 to bridge measurement as your scale length. Just a tip.



-Rand.

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Permalink Reply by Justin on December 7, 2010 at 3:47pm

Thanks Diane! That thing is complete. I'm going to have to do some research to learn what info to put in there, but it should work!


Thanks!

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Permalink Reply by Rand Moore on December 7, 2010 at 3:52pm

Wow, someone online at the same time I am. Cool.

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Permalink Reply by Outhouse Instruments on December 7, 2010 at 4:11pm

Fretcalc. Free download, and it will output to the nearest 1/64th . Easy to convert to 32nds and do with a tape measure.
It will even run in your browser if you search with google.... w/out a download.

btw- on the Stewmac calculator .. to get a correct calculation in mm, you must enter scale in mm. I'll bet a cup of coffee you're leaving the scale in inches.


Matt

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Permalink Reply by ELPERRA on May 3, 2018 at 1:02am

THANK YOU, 8 YEARS ON, STILL RELEVENT, JOE

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Permalink Reply by Justin on December 7, 2010 at 5:29pm

Excellent. Now I have a few options. I'll take a look at them all and see what works. Matt, you are 100% correct, when I switched from inches to millimeters, I left my scale length in inches. Big old "Duh" for me.

Rand, my scarf jig is for the table saw, it is pretty much like the one in jimfrets veoh video. Except I just cobbled one together to make the one cut so I didn't make it adjustable. I set it at 15 degrees and screwed it down. Since I'm having fun with my first build, I may indeed decide to do more, in that case, I'll spend some time and make a proper jig that's adjustable. If you haven't seen the video, do a google video search for "scarf joint", it will be one of the first results.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on May 3, 2018 at 2:02am

Stewmac calculator has always worked for me in millimetres, maybe your input was wrong, I'd suggest re trying it, and as Rand suggested, the zero fret method takes a lot of the stress out of nut fabrication, good luck.

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Permalink Reply by Lonman on May 3, 2018 at 3:36pm

yes, me too. I always use stwemac fret calc and use mm. I also keep then info for other builds so I do not have to refigure. Another trick I learned on CBN, take yardstick and put your fret marks on that, then can use over and over. I have about 3 yardsticks like that.

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on May 3, 2018 at 2:07am

For some reason, i can't edit my post, just wanted to add, re the 3 decimal places, Don't get too dismayed over that, anything inside 1/2 a millimetre, is most likely going to be better than you can mark or cut probably, [no insult intended]

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on May 3, 2018 at 2:10am

Extremely proud of myself, just managed , not 1, but 2 replies to a post from December 2010, hope I helped him finish his guitar

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Permalink Reply by Korrigan on May 3, 2018 at 4:31pm

Don't know if you helped him finish his guitar Darryl but you helped bring a smile to my face (and a bit of a chuckle).

 : )

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