Quote:
Originally Posted by Howard Klepper
Unanimous answer? Ho ho ho.
First, the convention is to give the neck width at the nut and 12th fret. The kinda sorta convention is for the string spacing at the bridge to equal the 12th fret neck width. It doesn't have to; it depends on how close to the edges of the board you like your strings to fall. You are probably looking at a 12th fret width from 2-5/16 to 2-3/8.
Measure a guitar that you like and go from there.
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This is along the lines that I am thinking.
I give the builder the nut width, the string spacing at the nut, the overall 12th fret width of the fingerboard, and the bridge spacing (and some other numbers, like fingerboard radius, etc.).
One of my standard "rules" as a player is that the overall width of the fingerboard at the 12th fret needs to be equal to the saddle spacing (at least)...and vice-versa, of course...so if you want the 2-3/8" saddle spacing, to give enough width to the fingerboard to prevent the E strings from being too close to the sides, you should then also stipulate an overall 12th fret width of 2-3/8".
Some folks like the E strings closer than this, and this is not to be disputed, since it's all about personal preference. Howard has mentioned a range of 2-5/16" to 2-3/8", and I would agree with this...and again, within this range, it's the player's preference.
I have also used an overall 12th fret width that is up to 1/16" wider than the bridge spacing, and this gives an uncommonly-comfortable palette for which to work with...again, for me...but I would use a 2-1/4" bridge spacing (or slightly less), and the 2-3/8" you propose would make a pretty wide 12th fret width if you went wider!
The overall nut width will have little to do with these other measurements, as long as it is within normal-range. Your proposed 1-25/32" overall at the nut is no problem in considering the other numbers, and you can also select the E-to-E spacing at the nut (within about a 1/16" range)...