Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Jkevn on August 3, 2009 at 4:04am

I am a simple person, so I'll try to help with an example. I have a CBG with a 25.5" scale. The "scale" length is the distance from the nut to the bridge. The fretted part of my neck is 18" long (nut to the leading edge of the box). That leaves me with 7.5" to my bridge. If you have already fretted a neck, and you know what the scale length is; measure from the nut towards the end of the guitar, if you're lucky, you will have enough room to put the bridge in a position to make it work out.

I hope this helps, do a little searching on this site for scale length, there's enough info to get you goin.

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Permalink Reply by Ishmaelprophet on August 3, 2009 at 5:12am

Thank you much my friend

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Permalink Reply by Mortimer Snerd on August 3, 2009 at 6:33am

History shows that around 25 inch's produces a good tone. Fender guitar scale is 25.5 inches, and Gibson guitars are 24.5 inches.
www.stewmac.com/fretscales/scalelength

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on August 3, 2009 at 7:06am

In addition to what Jkevn mentioned, there are programs and you can even make a spreadsheet that will give you fret lengths per scale length. That is, if you want a 25.5" scale, it can calculate the distance between frets. wfret is one (search online for this or I think there is a link somewhere on this site). There are folks here that have made templates. I can send you my spreadsheet. Whatever.

BTW, its only a dumb question if you don't ask it. Cheers!

-Wes

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Permalink Reply by Ishmaelprophet on August 3, 2009 at 7:39am

Great info guys but one more thing how the heck do i measure 1.752 and such...

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Permalink Reply by Jkevn on August 3, 2009 at 7:53am

If you don't have the tools to measure those increments precisely, (like me) the easiest way to start off is using a template printed with Wfret or similar program. Don't go trying to get "close", you'll end up very wrong. Will the scale you started with work on your CBG?

Search on here for Wfret, check the Building 101 group as well, there is alot of reading material on that subject.


Disclaimer- I've not been here since the beginning, I'm not your Bro, I try to help when I can - learn when I can't. If something I write upsets you - read it again, it may just be you. If it is me, I'll make right.

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Permalink Reply by jim on August 3, 2009 at 8:13am

http://www.slipperybrick.com/2008/01/digital-tape-measure/ anyone try something like this

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Permalink Reply by Roosterman on August 3, 2009 at 8:23am

If you're using a fret calculator, do it in millimeters to start with rather than inches! Converting 1.729 inches onto a tape measure hurts my head - reading off the mm's is much easier.

As for being accurate, remember we are talking about a primitive instrument that prolly doesnt have frets and you more than likely play with a slide (Y'know, I might get thrown off the site for saying this next bit but....) Go to the nearest full mm - 3/10 s of a mm aint gonna make that much difference AS LONG AS YOU MEASURE EACH FRET FROM THE NUT.
Dont measure fret to fret and go to the nearest full mm - or your 20th fret might be a country mile out!

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Permalink Reply by Diydc on August 3, 2009 at 9:52am

Hi Ismael, don`t know if anyone tried telling you about the tangent method as it is a little difficult to explain in writing, but I have found a short video of a gentleman who does seem to do very well....


What he fails to explain is the need to work with an absolute exactness, placing your circle very carefully and always keep your pencil as sharp as you can. This works very well, and I have used this method myself, I took it from a fine luthier book from ireland.
Unfortunately I don`t know how to embed the video so you will have tocopy and paste...
Hope this helps you in your dilema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lp-KclqVgQ&feature=related

Ishmaelprophet said:

Great info guys but one more thing how the heck do i measure 1.752 and such...

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Permalink Reply by Mortimer Snerd on August 3, 2009 at 10:40am

There are scale templets if you want to part with some cash.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Fretting_supplies/Measuring/Dual_Fret_S...

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Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on August 3, 2009 at 12:28pm

Scale length = distance between nut and bridge. If you've fretted a guitar off of a pattern, but don't know the scale length, it is double the distance of the first octave (12th fret in normal chromatic scale)... so.... your bridge will be the same distance from the 12th fret as the nut is....

OK?????

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Permalink Reply by Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates on August 3, 2009 at 1:15pm

Too much drawing. Too much margin for error. Use wfret. I use that and simply make lines to the nearest 100th. honestly, there are many more factors that can come into play other than slightly off fret placement. Of course, I made a template in Adobe Illustrator where I can place the marks to the nearest 1000th, but hey.

Here is an article I found that talks about intonation, but more importantly has something to say about fretboard placement Intonation and the fourth article Intonation IV makes a case for intonation at the nut. I did this on my Cohiba after is was horribly sharp from the 1st - 7th. Worked like a champ.

I suggest everyone read them. They are chocked full of very useful information that stump us non-luthiers.

Diydc said:

Hi Ismael, don`t know if anyone tried telling you about the tangent method as it is a little difficult to explain in writing, but I have found a short video of a gentleman who does seem to do very well....
What he fails to explain is the need to work with an absolute exactness, placing your circle very carefully and always keep your pencil as sharp as you can. This works very well, and I have used this method myself, I took it from a fine luthier book from ireland.
Unfortunately I don`t know how to embed the video so you will have tocopy and paste...
Hope this helps you in your dilema.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lp-KclqVgQ&feature=related

Ishmaelprophet said:

Great info guys but one more thing how the heck do i measure 1.752 and such...

• ▶ Reply

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