StewMac Fret calculator for Diatonic setting question

Posted by Matt Steber on October 28, 2010 at 10:15pm

Ok so my first build (which is a 3 string acoustic and going pretty well so far) is 25in nut to bridge. That makes it 17 inches from the inside edge of the nut to the end of the fret board. I used StewMac's fret calculator, put in my scale length (25") but I'm not sure the number of frets to key in. I put in 16 on the dulcimer setting just for kicks and 4 of the frets would be past my fret board length. So I guess the question is:

Does I just put any number for the frets and fret the board till I run out of space?

Do I change the scale to the length of my fret board?

Or do I key in however many frets that will take me to 17"'s

Or none of the above lol

 

Clearly I'm a bit confused on how to continue. Any advice?

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Matt Steber October 29, 2010 at 4:53pm
    Thanks guys! Got it figured out pretty well now.
  • James Cowhey October 29, 2010 at 3:08pm
    Matt,

    I cheated and copied the frets from my Epiphone Dot 335 because its so comfy to play. There are 21 frets from nut to the end of the fretboard before the body of the git. The scale length is 24 3/4 inches.

    You're getting there buddy, can't wait to see it!
  • Jarmo Katajisto October 29, 2010 at 6:21am
    I wondering that SteMac Fret calculator, it give´s strange ( mm / inc ) value.

    There read at fret place is from nut to fret, but i suppose , when i watch those ( mm / inch ) value, they are all the time from last fret posistion, so if i make fret position 20 times from last and so on, error grow all the time.

    I use Bill Jehles fet calculator, it is accurate.

    http://www.bellyjellymusic.com/downloads.htm
  • Pilgrim October 28, 2010 at 11:46pm
    A guitar typically has 21 (or so) frets, 12 to an octave. A dulcimer would then have then have about 12 frets in the same distance, being a diatonic instead of chromatic scale.
This reply was deleted.