Question on string spacing

I apologize if something like this has already been answered.

I'm building a license plate resonator (very similar to a cigar box) and working with a neck that's 1.5" wide. My neck will be 16" long from the nut to the body and 25" from the nut to the bridge. The bridge to the string holder would be 5". Someone is making me a pickup that requires the string spacing to be .375" - .395" at the bridge.

My question is: what should the string spacing be at the nut and at the string holder to allow for the wider string spacing at the bridge, while still having enough margins to play the frets at the base of the neck?

Hopefully that makes sense. Thank you!

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Permalink Reply by Primitive Acoustics on August 22, 2014 at 11:27am

If it is a three string, 12mm spacing may be comfortable for you, measure it out and see if that works.

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Permalink Reply by Richey Kay on August 22, 2014 at 5:59pm

.375" is 9.5mm... might be a bit weird to have a reverse string taper, i.e. wider spacing at the nut that the bridge. You should be fine just using the same spacing at the nut, or just a little less.

I usually measure the mid point of the nut, and 5mm from either side for the nut, then 13/14mm for the bridge spacing depending on how wide the neck is. I do this on necks just 34mm wide so I doubt you'd have a problem with playability.

Good luck!

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Permalink Reply by IAmGilman on August 23, 2014 at 2:34am

Sorry on not being clear, I meant that I'd want the string spacing at the nut to be narrower than at the bridge. I'm just trying to figure out what that magic number is to be able to play all the way down the neck.

And wow...I just figured out that if you have a four stringed instrument, there are only three spacings between the strings...I was thinking about it as if there were 4 spacings. That gives me so much more room. I feel like a chump.

Thanks for the tip about 5mm on either side. The reason I need that specific spacing at the bridge is that someone is modifying a pickup for me that would require those spacings at the bridge.

So I could just keep the spacings 9.5mm all the way across the instrument and be fine.

This realization makes me life so much easier! Thank you.