Correct Fretboard Height?!?

[fretboardninja]

Hello,

I've searched and can't seem to find an answer to this

what is the "ideal" thickness for a fingerboard, and how high should It be above the body? my guitar im planning is going to have no neck angle and a strat style bridge, so how thick should the fingerboard be and how high should it be over the body?

Thanks a load

[guitar2005]

On Strats, the fretboard thickness can go from 3/16" to 1/4", depending on the model.

I personally like to start with a 1/4" fretboard and radius with a sanding block. The thicker fretboard allows you to plane the fretboard a little more when down the road, IF you get the usual Fender hump at the neck joint.

I like the feel and look of a thicker fretboard. In the end, it really comes down to personal preference.

[fretboardninja]

Ok that sounds good. I suppose I'll just start with 1/4 inch and go from there.

[westhemann]

i use 3/16" fretboards...but height above the guitar body depends on neck sngle and bridge height...you said no neck angle,so that just leeaves the bridge height to be measured.

there is ALOT of math and measuring in building guitars,and zero guesswork...just be careful...because there are no cut and dried thicknesses or measurements that universally work on every guitar

[fretboardninja]

^ aight sweet. thanks

[Melvyn Hiscock]

A strat neck, including fingerboard, is 1 in. The neck recess is 5/8 in (there is a book with all of this in y'know) which makes the neck 3/8 in proud of the body.

Trust me, it is not rocket science and the information is out there.

If you put a 3/16in board flat onto the front of the body of a guitar with no neck angle you will be 3/16 lower than you should be.

Hope that helps.

[guitar2005]

A strat neck, including fingerboard, is 1 in. The neck recess is 5/8 in (there is a book with all of this in y'know) which makes the neck 3/8 in proud of the body.

Trust me, it is not rocket science and the information is out there.

If you put a 3/16in board flat onto the front of the body of a guitar with no neck angle you will be 3/16 lower than you should be.

Hope that helps.

1/4" Fretboard with a 3/4" Maple blank works best for me but you can also make it work with a 3/16" board over 13/16" which is what Wes meant (I assume)

[westhemann]

no..what i meant is that every guitar is different based on preferences...that when you change one thing everything else changes as well,and that it is far better to learn how to do the "rocket science" of it instead of just going with one cut and dry way to build guitars..but that is just my way...i prefer to see people learn all of it...not just grab a plan and go to town..build your own plans i say.(although i never draw out a plan...i keep all the info in my head)

i use a 3/16" fretboard,and my total neck thickness is 7/8" or thereabouts(every guitar i build is s;ightly different)..i put my fretboad at the body end (24th fret on my guitars) about 1/16" above the face of the guitar(that is the bottom of the fretboard,not the top) and i angle the neck to get the correct bridge height for whatever bridge i happen to be using...i personally think it makes a nicer looking guitar to have the neck angle and to have the strings as close to the body as possible...and i also never build the same style guitar twice...or build straight up copies of anything..i don't see anything wrong with it..i just don't do it myself.i just don't see the point in building a guita unless i at least try to make it better from an egonomic or engineering standpoint

and that is mu point...but melvyn is right in that if you want to build a strat his book has all the info...of course i have the book...i have not read it since i started to build guitars to my preferences...but it was a fine book to get me and damn near everyone else on this board started on the guitar building path.

mr hiscock probably does not want to toot his own horn..but the book he is reffering to is called "build your own electric guitar" by...you guessed it,melvyn hiscock...(the crowd goes wild)

i believe that isthe title..to be honest..ihave no idea where i put it right now.kind of like the ACTUAL bible...i do know where my bob flexner finishing book is though...

[Southpa]

If I'm building a certain style I'll simply measure off a tried and true guitar. Its helpful to know the height range of the bridge (or saddles) you plan to use and work off there. Your optimum height is where the adjustment screw(s) place the bridge (or saddles) at midway so you have some up and down tweaking room.

[Setch]

It's 'Make your own electric guitar', not 'build'. This is etched in my memory after several hours of searching libraries and book shops for 'BYOEG' and coming up blank at all of them...

[westhemann]

thanks setch...i thought i hadsomething off a bit

[Drak]

I understand your answer Wes, but I also appreciate Melvyn's reply, his reply gave the basic truth that was needed for your answer to make any sense.

Like, say you had 110v+ and 110v-, what are they based on?

Zero.

If you didn't have zero as a starting point, you have nothing in which to measure anything else from.

Melvyn's answer was the rock-solid foundation reply, the starting point reply, the answer everyone needs to know first reply, it had facts and figures, and it was a good one.

Your's is correct also, but only if you knew his answer FIRST.

His answer was your basic 'edit file' answer, yours was more like the 'more options' answer

Comprende?

[westhemann]

i think you misunderstand me...i am giving my opinion that's all.itake nothing away from melvyn.it's just MY basice standard answer...basically a "research and understand the reason why" kind of thing..

if you know the math behind the fretboard height/bridge height/neck angle reationship/fret size equation,then you need nothing else.

you know..."give a man a fish and you feed him for a day,teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"?

[westhemann]

mmm...my "typing tone" sounds arrogant...i really don't mean it that way but i don't know how else to type it....maybe one of these guys

or this one

this one?

just look at whichever smiley makes you "feel me" better and go with it..

[Drak]

No worries, I feel the love.

Or...

Maybe...

[Mike Navarro]

i think you misunderstand me...i am giving my opinion that's all.itake nothing away from melvyn.it's just MY basice standard answer...basically a "research and understand the reason why" kind of thing..

if you know the math behind the fretboard height/bridge height/neck angle reationship/fret size equation,then you need nothing else.

you know..."give a man a fish and you feed him for a day,teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"?

West, Im totally agree with you, let me add to your statement, the tremolo needs a clearence about 1/64 to 1/16 in original Fender Tremolo, 1/16 to 1/8 on Floyd Rose tremolo from the body surface to have properly tremolo pivot, pre adjust of the middle saddles in the (3rd & 4rd saddles) tremolo in a height mid point so you'll have adjust upper or lower, and theres a neck front lift when the guitar is in tune, this depends on entonation key and strings gauge tension. All this facts are basics equations plus what West already said, pocket deep, neck height with out fretboard , radius, fret size etc, and theres your "perfect" fretboard thick

Mike Navarro- Guitarzonepr.com

Edited December 19, 2006 by Mike Navarro

[westhemann]

let me add one other thing..i was trying to remember why it is that i started using 3/16" and thinner fretboards...and the reason is that i use the stewmac 2 way hot rod..it 7/16" deep...and i use fairly tall frets...but i still want a slim neck.so the obvious place to take away thickness to keep the neck slim is on the board.

i just finished shaping a neck yesterday...total thickness fretboard to back of neck 3/4"