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FRETS CALCULATION!!! it's easier than you think!!!!

Posted by Crow on May 7, 2010 at 12:12pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion
multiply scale length by .9439
mark your result.
repeat.

notes:
- most calculators will let you simply press the = key and repeat for you!
- your 12th fret will end up exactly half way between your nut and bridge. if yours does not, you've made a mistake somewhere.

typing up more detailed instructions would take more time than it's worth. in video, it would take maybe 30 seconds to explain the whole thing. watch for my clip tonight!

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Replies

  • Crow May 7, 2010 at 2:00pm
    i love making my own spreadsheets! until recently, i was using a "divide by 17.817" method, which required several steps of calculation. recently, i found this "multiply by .9439" method which essentially reduces it to one step, repeated. i don't even need to spreadsheet it any more! just a pocket calculator and a pencil..

    i love finding quicker, simpler ways to do good work.

    Wes Yates said:
    Yeps. There are lots of ways to do this. I used wfret. StewMac's calc. I even made my own spreadsheet to do this. Tons of ways.

    ALL: one thing to remember if you print some sort of template off on a printer, that template might not be exactly 100%!

    Print off a copy and MEASURE the 12th fret position with a good [read: reliable] ruler. Some rulers might be off by as much as .025". Measure and make sure the 12th is exactly 1/2 the scale length! If not, print out the template again at 'X' percent size until it is. My printer prints at 97% even when it should be 100% so I have to print at 103% to compensate. This is one gotcha that I found with home printers.

    -WY
  • MichaelS Country Boy Guitars May 7, 2010 at 1:55pm
    I am able to use a plotter to print mine off, it uses a roll of paper so length is not a problem and the accuracy is good. I found that once I had a template in my computer program I can stretch it or shrink it and it proportionally sizes up perfect, so I have any scale I want when I need it. Its nice to have expensive toys to work with. : )

    Wes Yates said:
    Yeps. There are lots of ways to do this. I used wfret. StewMac's calc. I even made my own spreadsheet to do this. Tons of ways.

    ALL: one thing to remember if you print some sort of template off on a printer, that template might not be exactly 100%!

    Print off a copy and MEASURE the 12th fret position with a good [read: reliable] ruler. Some rulers might be off by as much as .025". Measure and make sure the 12th is exactly 1/2 the scale length! If not, print out the template again at 'X' percent size until it is. My printer prints at 97% even when it should be 100% so I have to print at 103% to compensate. This is one gotcha that I found with home printers.

    -WY
  • Wes "I'm Baaaaack" Yates May 7, 2010 at 12:46pm
    Yeps. There are lots of ways to do this. I used wfret. StewMac's calc. I even made my own spreadsheet to do this. Tons of ways.

    ALL: one thing to remember if you print some sort of template off on a printer, that template might not be exactly 100%!

    Print off a copy and MEASURE the 12th fret position with a good [read: reliable] ruler. Some rulers might be off by as much as .025". Measure and make sure the 12th is exactly 1/2 the scale length! If not, print out the template again at 'X' percent size until it is. My printer prints at 97% even when it should be 100% so I have to print at 103% to compensate. This is one gotcha that I found with home printers.

    -WY
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