Scale Length Table In Inch Form

[Pestvic]

how do i conver these to read on a ruler?

Distance in inches from the nut to each fret for a scale length of 25 in.

Fret 1: 1.403

Fret 2: 2.728

Fret 3: 3.978

Fret 4: 5.158

Fret 5: 6.271

Fret 6: 7.322

Fret 7: 8.315

Fret 8: 9.251

Fret 9: 10.135

Fret 10: 10.969

Fret 11: 11.757

Fret 12: 12.500

Fret 13: 13.202

Fret 14: 13.864

Fret 15: 14.489

Fret 16: 15.079

Fret 17: 15.636

Fret 18: 16.161

Fret 19: 16.657

Fret 20: 17.126

Fret 21: 17.568

Fret 22: 17.985

Fret 23: 18.378

Fret 24: 18.750

The compensated distance in inches from the 12th fret to the center of the saddle is 12.650

also can someone tell me what the distance from the 24th fret to the saddle would be?

or even better. does someone have a printable full scale template i can use to make this fretboard? i want it to be dead on Thanks a lot guys.

[ToneMonkey]

Multiply all of the values by 25.4 and work in millimeters. Personally, I never work in inches for anything where the accuracy needs to be less than a inch. They're just too gooddamn big for accurate work.

Edited April 3, 2009 by ToneMonkey

[erikbojerik]

You want to convert these to fractional inches - it is not easy - and I'm not sure you want to do it, because to get the fret slots as accurate as possible, you would need so many graduations on your ruler that you could hardly see them all, let alone count them.

Example - fractional inches on a ruler are in x/4 or x/8 or x/16 or x/32 or x/64 - so for 1.403" you would take the decimal part of it (.403) and multiply by 4-8-16-32-64 until you get a whole number:

.403 * 4 = 1.612 so you get a fraction which is 1 & 1.612/4ths (nope)

.403 * 8 = 3.224 (nope)

.403 * 16 = 6.448 (nope)

.403 * 32 = 12.896 (close, but is 1-13/32nds really close enough for fret work? nope)

.403 * 64 = 25.792 (nope, and your ruler probably doesn't read 64ths anyway...)

Fret Find will allow you to print these out on a paper template that you can use for slotting - Fret Find

Even easier is to purchase a StewMac slotting template in 25" scale and use it!

[Pestvic]

You want to convert these to fractional inches - it is not easy - and I'm not sure you want to do it, because to get the fret slots as accurate as possible, you would need so many graduations on your ruler that you could hardly see them all, let alone count them.

Example - fractional inches on a ruler are in x/4 or x/8 or x/16 or x/32 or x/64 - so for 1.403" you would take the decimal part of it (.403) and multiply by 4-8-16-32-64 until you get a whole number:

.403 * 4 = 1.612 so you get a fraction which is 1 & 1.612/4ths (nope)

.403 * 8 = 3.224 (nope)

.403 * 16 = 6.448 (nope)

.403 * 32 = 12.896 (close, but is 1-13/32nds really close enough for fret work? nope)

.403 * 64 = 25.792 (nope, and your ruler probably doesn't read 64ths anyway...)

Fret Find will allow you to print these out on a paper template that you can use for slotting - Fret Find

Even easier is to purchase a StewMac slotting template in 25" scale and use it!

beautiful thanks!

[Pestvic]

You want to convert these to fractional inches - it is not easy - and I'm not sure you want to do it, because to get the fret slots as accurate as possible, you would need so many graduations on your ruler that you could hardly see them all, let alone count them.

Example - fractional inches on a ruler are in x/4 or x/8 or x/16 or x/32 or x/64 - so for 1.403" you would take the decimal part of it (.403) and multiply by 4-8-16-32-64 until you get a whole number:

.403 * 4 = 1.612 so you get a fraction which is 1 & 1.612/4ths (nope)

.403 * 8 = 3.224 (nope)

.403 * 16 = 6.448 (nope)

.403 * 32 = 12.896 (close, but is 1-13/32nds really close enough for fret work? nope)

.403 * 64 = 25.792 (nope, and your ruler probably doesn't read 64ths anyway...)

Fret Find will allow you to print these out on a paper template that you can use for slotting - Fret Find

Even easier is to purchase a StewMac slotting template in 25" scale and use it!

ok so i was doing it right but it WAS just a crap load of work. i knew my math skills were up to par

but damn...

anyway so your saying that the frets are wide enough so that it will be accurate enough anyway? as long as its in the general area of where the table is marked?

Thanks again guys

[Pestvic]

actually Thanks alot guys! i found what i needed!

http://www.fretfind.ekips.org/original_tools/newFretfind.php

the scale is now rounded to the nearest 16th of an inch. i might go 32nds

but now i got my ruler mesurements like i wanted! WOOT haha i love this forum

Fret #: Distance from bridge: Distance from previous fret: Distance from nut: Neck width:

1 23 5/8" , 1 3/8" , 1 3/8" , 1 5/8"

2 22 1/4" , 1 5/16" , 2 3/4" , 1 5/8"

3 21" , 1 1/4" , 4" , 1 11/16"

4 19 13/16" , 1 3/16" , 5 3/16" , 1 11/16"

5 18 3/4" , 1 1/8" , 6 1/4" , 1 3/4"

6 17 11/16" , 1 1/16" , 7 5/16" , 1 13/16"

7 16 11/16" , 1" , 8 5/16" , 1 13/16"

8 15 3/4" , 0 15/16" , 9 1/4" , 1 13/16"

9 14 7/8" , 0 7/8" , 10 1/8" , 1 7/8"

10 14" , 0 13/16" , 11" , 1 7/8"

11 13 1/4" , 0 13/16" , 11 3/4" , 1 15/16"

12 12 1/2" , 0 3/4" , 12 1/2" , 1 15/16"

13 11 13/16" , 0 11/16" , 13 3/16" , 1 15/16"

14 11 1/8" , 0 11/16" , 13 7/8" , 2"

15 10 1/2" , 0 5/8" , 14 1/2" , 2"

16 9 15/16" , 0 9/16" , 15 1/16" , 2"

17 9 3/8" , 0 9/16" , 15 5/8" , 2 1/16"

18 8 13/16" , 0 1/2" , 16 3/16" , 2 1/16"

19 8 5/16" , 0 1/2" , 16 11/16" , 2 1/16"

20 7 7/8" , 0 7/16" , 17 1/8" , 2 1/16"

21 7 7/16" , 0 7/16" , 17 9/16" , 2 1/16"

22 7" , 0 7/16" , 18" , 2 1/8"

23 6 5/8" , 0 3/8" , 18 3/8" , 2 1/8"

24 6 1/4" , 0 3/8" , 18 3/4" , 2 1/8"

Width of Fretboard End: 2 1/8"

Cumulative Fret Length: 46 1/16"

Edited April 3, 2009 by Pestvic

[Rick500]

actually Thanks alot guys! i found what i needed!

http://www.fretfind.ekips.org/original_tools/newFretfind.php

the scale is now rounded to the nearest 16th of an inch. i might go 32nds

but now i got my ruler mesurements like i wanted! WOOT haha i love this forum

I really don't think the nearest 1/32" is going to be close enough.

[Pestvic]

actually Thanks alot guys! i found what i needed!

http://www.fretfind.ekips.org/original_tools/newFretfind.php

the scale is now rounded to the nearest 16th of an inch. i might go 32nds

but now i got my ruler mesurements like i wanted! WOOT haha i love this forum

I really don't think the nearest 1/32" is going to be close enough.

actually ive been measuring and checking Cad diagrams and pictures and the frets are lining up perfect but just incase ill go up to the nearest 64th?

[erikbojerik]

actually ive been measuring and checking Cad diagrams and pictures and the frets are lining up perfect but just incase ill go up to the nearest 64th?

The nearest 1/32 will not be accurate enough - 1/64th is more than half the width of your slot, it might be OK but you can do better than that with the StewMac template.

With Fret Find, print out your paper template using the very thinnest line your drawing program will allow - it should be no wider than your saw kerf (~0.023"). Then either cut to eliminate the line, or score your lines onto the board with a razor blade using a flexible metal machinists ruler as a straightedge, then cut it using a wood block as a fence.

[Pestvic]

actually ive been measuring and checking Cad diagrams and pictures and the frets are lining up perfect but just incase ill go up to the nearest 64th?

The nearest 1/32 will not be accurate enough - 1/64th is more than half the width of your slot, it might be OK but you can do better than that with the StewMac template.

With Fret Find, print out your paper template using the very thinnest line your drawing program will allow - it should be no wider than your saw kerf (~0.023"). Then either cut to eliminate the line, or score your lines onto the board with a razor blade using a flexible metal machinists ruler as a straightedge, then cut it using a wood block as a fence.

yeah i tried printing it and i dont know if its the printer or what not but the printed fretboard threw off the frets a little

[erikbojerik]

Even with your printer set at 100% ALL printers throw the scale off a bit - but it is a systematic error, the same on all frets. You just need to measure the printed page and tweek your printer zoom accordingly.

[Pestvic]

Even with your printer set at 100% ALL printers throw the scale off a bit - but it is a systematic error, the same on all frets. You just need to measure the printed page and tweek your printer zoom accordingly.

dang... figured. thanks for the info though

[westhemann]

Just so you know,accuracy on fret slotting has a DIRECT correlation to how well your guitar will sound...you want to be in tune with others,right?

There is a reason they don't give the measurements to the nearest 1/64"...maybe .25mm might be close enough to barely be audible playing in unison?

[SJE-Guitars]

millimetres . . . they are the future . .. . well at least for the US!

[Pestvic]

Just so you know,accuracy on fret slotting has a DIRECT correlation to how well your guitar will sound...you want to be in tune with others,right?

There is a reason they don't give the measurements to the nearest 1/64"...maybe .25mm might be close enough to barely be audible playing in unison?

dang... thanks haha. i guess im gonna get the stewart mac scale template. :-P does anyone have pics of how it looks or how it works? are there different scale lengths printed on it? Thanks again guys

what if i use a print out template? i got one that came out Exactly to scale. how would i use that? like the razor blade method he talked about?

thanks

[erikbojerik]

If you don't have it already, you need a fret slotting hand saw that will make a slot narrow enough to accept the fretwire. That is required. You can use it with a paper template and mark the board with a razor blade.

StewMac also sells a fret slotting box with a pin in it that registers to the template - that is not required, but makes the template much more easy to use. If you don't use this, then the template has almost no value, it is designed to work with the slotting box.

I suppose you've already thought of this, but - if you buy a pre-slotted board it will be cheaper than the cost of the saw, template and slotting box. You only need the slotting tools if you're planning to slot more than a few boards.

[Pestvic]

If you don't have it already, you need a fret slotting hand saw that will make a slot narrow enough to accept the fretwire. That is required. You can use it with a paper template and mark the board with a razor blade.

StewMac also sells a fret slotting box with a pin in it that registers to the template - that is not required, but makes the template much more easy to use. If you don't use this, then the template has almost no value, it is designed to work with the slotting box.

I suppose you've already thought of this, but - if you buy a pre-slotted board it will be cheaper than the cost of the saw, template and slotting box. You only need the slotting tools if you're planning to slot more than a few boards.

oh well i have the gents saw or fretting saw that your talking about and i see in videos everywhere. it cuts an extremely thin line. thats the one your talking about right? the one that cuts as thick as a line drawn by a fine tip pen or something or actually i think thinner

but yeah ill try the razorblade method. its not that i dont want to spend less money on buying a 25" scale length preslotted fretboard. i just want the satisfaction of a purely hand crafted guitar and so far its comming out pretty awesome

Thanks for all the info guys if there are more tips also on the slotting and doing it by hand id really appreciate that ill go search the board about it too while im at it

[Southpa]

I guess I could complicate things further.... I draw a fretboard in ACAD and print it out actual size. Cut it out and tape it down onto the would be fretboard. Then scribe the fret positions out with a razor. Remove the paper and rub chalk dust into the cuts. Then saw the slots out. I think my saw is .025". There is no other way if you want that kind of accuracy. Now if you can find some sort of drawing program where you can input the 3-4 decimal dimensions given by the stewmac calculator...

And heres something else...would you rather slot a square fb or a tapered one?

Edited April 5, 2009 by Southpa

[Rick500]

I use Stew-Mac's miter box and steel template, and LMI's Dozuki fret saw.

I radius the board first (with a router jig), then cut the slots, then rough cut the taper on the band saw, then apply the fretboard to the neck and take it down to near final dimensions.

Edited April 5, 2009 by Rick500