Im using a bolt as a nut. wondering if I position my fret scale from half way accross the bolt or to the edge of the neck as I usually do?
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Im using a bolt as a nut. wondering if I position my fret scale from half way accross the bolt or to the edge of the neck as I usually do?
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Hello all, I'm new here working on my first guitar. I hope I'm not stealing some one elses thread however I have a question on this subject. If the measurment of this is so critical, and the placement of the frets must be exact then why isnt the bridge permantly mounted? Seems to me that if the bridge gets moved a small amount then that throws off all other mearsurments. What am I missing?
1) Unless you are outrageously careful, it is almost impossible to get the notes absolutely perfectly intonated at both the nut, and the 12th fret, with a fixed bridge. Most commercial builders actually don't get it perfectly right, either (hence the need for compensated bridges, as found on most commercial acoustics, and individually adjustable string saddles, as found on most commercially produced electrics). Why? Different scale lengths, string diameters, vagaries of the combination of machine and human eye and feel tolerances during manufacturing, etc. Also, the guitar is not perfectly designed as an evenly tempered, justly intonated instrument; it is always a bit of a compromise. The closest builders have come to evenly tempered, justly intonated gits is to build very strange looking, almost bent, frets, that vary across the fretboard. There are people here who have attempted this, with some success.
2) Having a movable bridge allows you to approximate, with reasonable results, a truly compensated bridge, and approach an acceptable intonation for 3 or 4 strings. You'll notice the bridge will also be angled slightly, to minutely affect the scale length of each individual string. Finally, good players also minutely bend the strings when fretting, adjusting the tone of the note as it is played, to further compensate for tonal inaccuracies. Many players of CBGs cannot hear these subtleties, and many more quite simply like the slightly out-of-tune character of these instruments, in the same way as many people like the sound of a jangly, out of tune piano in old timely Western movies.
Since you're actually measuring the length of the string, the starting point is the place where the strings last touch the nut. I think Marty is correct. When using a bolt, you should measure from the highest point on the bolt (obviously, the middle). Some manufacturers actually use a 0 fret to improve intonation.
I don't glue my bridges on my CBGs. Changes in strings may require changes at the bridge at some time in the future.
http://buildyourguitar.com/resources/tips/zerofret.htm
nick
I think moving the bridge would cause things to go out of tune if you are using actual frets as each fret would be displaced by whatever the thickness of the bolt is. Any other thoughts people?
Wheres Witchita Sam when you need him?
Well Howling if your bridge is not locked down yet you can leave the nut/bolt as is and adjust the bridge til you get close to the perfect notes
I often use bolts and I always allow roughly half the thickness of the bolt as part of the fretboard length. So to accommodate this I have to take away a little of the fret board (half of the bolt width) on the first fret spacing.
mmmm 2 different views here - whats a boy to do? Question is, how much of a difference does half a nut make? on this particular model Im looking to play fretted notes as much as slide, so accuracy will be important. Wondering now if the bolt is appropriate?
I'm sure there is more of an expert here but I still take my measurements from the end of the fret board no matter what I use for a nut... I 'm sure if you were to use something way larger than a standard nut it would make some difference... And btw... very awesome name there Howling...lol
"Howling Dick started the discussion "Measuring from the nut" - hahhaaa, sorry but i just had to say that this is by far the best subject line in my inbox. : )
Personally, i'd measure from where the strings touch the bolt.
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