Comment

Comment by Chuck Dubman on February 27, 2010 at 7:02am

@ Mike Ptolomey -- I've seen two constants used, 17.817 and 17.835 (Irving Sloane's book, was used to lay out the Ibex rule). Try both. The correct one
should place the 12th fret midway btwn the bridge and nut without compensation, the 7th fret 1/3 of the way, and the 5th fret 1/4 of the way.
ALWAYS calculate each fret from the nut or bridge, you'll NEVER get it right if you measure off each fret and you'll just drive yourself nuts. The compass trick sounds great in theory, but in practice, it does not work.

Comment by HOGS GRUNT on February 23, 2010 at 8:49am

Thanks Jef.
Hogs.

Comment by The Phrygian Kid on February 23, 2010 at 5:59am

I put the same link twice before ..
what a goose!
the sketch up design thing is here
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/fretcalcscreengrab-1/prev?conte...

Comment by The Phrygian Kid on February 23, 2010 at 2:08am

this is a screen grab from my fret calculator..

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/fretcalcscreengrab-1?context=al...

and this is one of a lap steel im planning in the sketch up..

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/fretcalcscreengrab-1?context=al...

Comment by The Phrygian Kid on February 23, 2010 at 1:33am

Hi everybody..
I know there are online calculators and stuff that people use, but you may be interested to know I made i simple .xls spreadsheet which uses the mathematical formula Mike Ptolomey is talking about there, the 'rule of 18'
I just plug a value in the top cell for my scale length and it draws out the whole thing..
You can then plug the values into google's free 'sketch-up' software to make a 3d model of your neck or even whole instrument.. (or even your house with the instrument up on the kitchen bench..)
If you want this .xls file (its pretty simple to make your own of course) Im happy to email to anyone just pm me..

Comment by Ben on February 23, 2010 at 12:06am

Vince, of course you could do that. Your instrument would still have a scale length, you just wouldn't know what it was...no biggy. Just keep in mind that a guitar neck (and piano as well as a gazzillion other instrument) is "equal tempered." That means that there are compensations made for each note so that they're slighty out of tune but actually sound better played in all keys. If you're just sliding around, by all means...(h)ear it.

Comment by vince tomsha on January 21, 2010 at 10:42pm

what is the importance of scale length
cant i build a guitar with a 40 inch neck
find fret markers with my ear and just play?
please explain
vince

Comment by jason noon on December 17, 2009 at 9:16am

www.manchesterguitartech.co.uk

Comment by Allan on December 14, 2009 at 4:07am

http://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator

hope this will do
Allan

Comment by Mike Ptolomey on December 14, 2009 at 3:58am

I dont know if you guys know this or not, but try it out on paper and see. As you know, scale lenght is the distance between the beginning of the nut to the beginning of the saddle. Take this distance and divide it by 17.817. This gives you the placement of your first fret. From there take the distance from the first fret position and once again divide by 17.817 and this will give you fret two. carry on this way until you are down to, say, fret 21. 17.817 is the constant and I belive this method works for each scale length. If it's wrong, tell me.

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