woodfab Posted May 16, 2023 Report Share Posted May 16, 2023 I got my fret spacing from StewMac Fret position calculator. So far I'm not happy with the results. I guess I have a lot to learn about intentions. I guess I'm lazy and always want the short cut. Any so-called secrets would be appreciated. My guitar I made at 16 coping an SG spacing worked out well. My last build last year I angled the frets using two different scale lengths. I used 24" for High E and 24.5" for Low E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 What is the issue you're having with fret spacing? Accuracy cutting? Intonation? Feel? Something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted May 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 One problem I'm having is that I haven't had any luck using the Tune-Lab software for adjusting the bridge. I've been using the phone app. maybe if I use a laptop with a direct USB cable it might work better. I used a DRO to measure the fret spacing. At this point basic chords sound unpleasant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crusader Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 That's not much to go on but it sounds like you have intonation issues. Have you tried setting the intonation by the 12th fret harmonic? You play the harmonic at the 12th fret for each string and compare it to the fretted note then adjust the bridge saddles accordingly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 18 hours ago, woodfab said: I guess I have a lot to learn about intentions. I guess I'm lazy and always want the short cut. I don't think there *is* a shortcut as such. Intonation is governed by the fret spacing relative to bridge position. As a builder you have some leeway in most bridge designs to apply compensation for any discrepancies that need to be ironed out afterwards (ie adjustable saddles), but the rest is down to the accuracy of setting out the relative locations of fret slots, nut and bridge. Is the issue that you have with this guitar is that you are having trouble getting the instrument to compensate acceptably using the usual method of 12th fret harmonic vs 12th fretted note? You mention that you used a mixed scale length for bass and treble, essentially making it a fan-fret instrument - was the bridge also angled to match the 0.5" variance between nominal scale lengths when it was installed? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 I am just guessing here most likely. What @curtisahas said makes sense, Also what I have always understood is that the 12th fret is the one that is perpendicular in the fan. That would make the nut and the bridge location as part of that fan so as to intonate at the 12th fret and also have the correct harmonic for each string. The image that you show is hard to see any relation to this, other than you are using a zero fret as the nut. The rest just does not support any of this from what I can see? Just my observations and VERY limited knowledge of this. mk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 18 minutes ago, MiKro said: Also what I have always understood is that the 12th fret is the one that is perpendicular in the fan. That would make the nut and the bridge location as part of that fan so as to intonate at the 12th fret and also have the correct harmonic for each string The perpendicular fret can be any one you like on a fan-fret guitar. The 12th fret harmonic will still be at the 12th fret no matter what angle it sits at. But the bridge also needs to be angled accordingly for this to be true. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted May 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 Thanks everyone for your input. I finished my electric fret saw and wanted to cut the fret slots on the three guitars I'm making. I wanted to confirm that the last two guitars I made with fanned frets sounded right before cutting them. When I couldn't get the tuning software to work, I got frustrated. I just adjusted the bridge using the 12th fret harmonic and I feel it sound pretty good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiKro Posted May 17, 2023 Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 39 minutes ago, curtisa said: The perpendicular fret can be any one you like on a fan-fret guitar. The 12th fret harmonic will still be at the 12th fret no matter what angle it sits at. But the bridge also needs to be angled accordingly for this to be true. Thank you for clearing that up for me @curtisa. Like I said I have limited knowledge on this. MK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodfab Posted May 17, 2023 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2023 I feel the slight angle to the frets makes it a little more Comfortable to play. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mistermikev Posted May 22, 2023 Report Share Posted May 22, 2023 Not much to add here... but since no one mentioned this I thought ole cap'n obvious here would throw in two cents. your fret crown can contribute to difficulty intonating. if you don't get a razor thin center apex... then the intonation will be off one way or another. I mention because initially it wasn't clear what your problem was... seems you've sorted it with using harmonic vs fretted method to set. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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