Just how accurate are you supposed to be when laying out frets? Most fret calculators 1/1000 of an " or metric. Some building plans and builder use the touch over this measurement or a smidgen under this. I have watched videos of a builder going down the scale marking like he was taking a multiple guess quiz! So what is it?
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How accurate should you be on marking fret locations? How high is high? It's that kind of question.
The reality is that you should mark fret locations as accurately as you are capable of doing. Other errors will no doubt creep into the build as you go. Even expansion and contraction of the wood will change things to some degree.
So, how can you maximize your accuracy in marking?
I use the following procedure to avoid unnecessary error.
1. Get an 18" stainless steel ruler marked in MM. Why? MM marks are easier to read than fractional inches. You can easily split the distance between two mm marks.
2. Calculate your fret locations in MM
3. Tape the ruler to the fret board blank beginning at the nut location.
4. Mark each fret location as a distance from the nut. Don't even try to measure between two fret location. That naturally leads to error stacking.
5. Measure all fret locations once, then go back and do it a 2nd time to confirm your accuracy.
Done this way, any fret location error will produce less tone error than variations in finger pressure on the strings.
Fret%20Calculator.xlsx
Above is a fret calculator Excel worksheet. Plug in you scale length and it spits out fret positions in inches and MM
Hi Will, I'd suggest two ways........and neither involves measuring, the reason is when I started I could not measure any smaller than a 1/64", and that don't even get me close. But now with digital devices it may be easier I suppose.
You could buy the type of scale marking straight edges sold by Stumac or LMI. Or what I did get the layout off a guitar already fretted. I took the frets out so that I could line up with the exact slot position.
I now use a device I marked out years ago (posted on here before) for plotting fret positions.
If I used calculations to do it I would be out every time.
Taff
Thanks Taff, it's more of a curiosity thing than a problem. With the friendly Fretfind my printer and a very handy simple formula to get the scale to print correctly, it's a snap. Every scale that I lay out gets marked on the back of an aluminum yardstick using a scrib. What did they do back in the early days of CBGs. You have to know a lot of them sounded like crap but with the "mother of invention" I'm sure there was a work around for the problem. Look at the guy from Africa( Wesseh) for example. Poor, but with a love for music built a guitar using an oil can for a body, an old board for a neck, bent nails for tuners and wire for frets by the way weren't straight or even tight. But he played and sang tho his hearts content and he was blind. So how accurate is close enough?
Hi Will, how accurate is close enough? Depends who's listening.
Taff
LOL not what I was expecting, but so true. With some of the garbage that passes for music, I was just wondering if it really made any difference.
Hi again some musicians have really good ears and pick up stuff I can only see on my strob tuner. But the difference can be heard by some in the small distance of the fret face. If the fret has a flat top (no crown) the string could leave the fret off its back edge (behind the true scale length) or off the front edge (shortening the scale length.
If one is building and selling guitars I don't think there's room for "near enough".
Taff