Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by wormil on September 25, 2012 at 8:35pm

You need to know the number of frets you want (22 or 24 is common) and the scale length (distance from nut to bridge/apron). 

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/i-fretcalc.html

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Fretting/a-scalelength.html

Permalink Reply by Marmelade on September 25, 2012 at 8:53pm

Hello from France !

You will need to know what kind of guitar you want to build. Here is a site with a lot of explanation http://liutaiomottola.com/formulae/fret.htm#mozTocId148447http://

This one tells you what are the most common scales. http://www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk/fret-and-nut-calculators/fret...

Then, you can buy some ruler with the scales already calculated at stewmac.

Permalink Reply by Jim burt on September 25, 2012 at 10:35pm

You can buy a chart from the Musicmaker's...It have every fret's from 13" to 31.5"...

Permalink Reply by OldNick on September 26, 2012 at 4:53am

this is a useful online tool:

http://www.ekips.org/tools/guitar/fretfind2d/

Permalink Reply by wormil on September 27, 2012 at 5:34am

Fretfind2d is nice because you can just print out the scale and glue it to the fingerboard or glue it to a stick.

Permalink Reply by Tim LaFave on September 27, 2012 at 12:24am

See my blog on Cigar Box Nation on "Creating your Own Fret Scale Pattern" to learn the secret no one is telling of how you can create the correct scale pattern for any scale length, everytime. Tim LaFave

Permalink Reply by Stewart Corlett on September 28, 2012 at 3:34am

Hi Michael,

I have fret scale PDF's on my cigarboxguitars.co.uk/cigar-box-guitar-plans. The most common scales are covered, just pick the one you want, print it out and transfer it to your neck timber.

Permalink Reply by SD Helfrich on October 2, 2012 at 3:28am

The book "Homemade Music Factory" has fret measurements and templates for about 10 different instruments from ukes to banjos. I found a copy at the library, Xeroxed off a copy of the template I needed at 100%, as per the instructions in the book, and transferred the marks to my fret board. (Mine's fretless, but I have the marks on the top side of the neck so I can learn where the notes are.)

The book also has instructions on how to make a fret jig if you plan on making a lot of fretted CBGs.

-SD-

Permalink Reply by OldNick on October 2, 2012 at 5:22am

Xeroxed?   Haven't heard that term in decades.  Kind of like Mimeographed. I still remember the smell of those mimeographed tests the teachers handed out in the 60's. LOL

It's pretty unusual these days to find someone who prefers using the copy machine at the library to printing from the computer at home.  Some habits die hard, I guess.

nick

Permalink Reply by SD Helfrich on October 2, 2012 at 7:48am

My printer at home sucks.

Mostly though, my local library rocks. I'm about 10 blocks from the central library for the Kansas City area. They have everything there. Books, magazines, movies, and the lunch counter makes a passing fair meatloaf. There's even a movie theater in the basement that shows free classic movies 2 or 3 times a week. 

-SD-

Permalink Reply by OldNick on October 2, 2012 at 7:54am

I can get books, magazines, and movies on my computer.  Not meat loaf, though.   :-)

nick