Congratulations to those who fretted their own guitars...

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by Jackknifegypsy

12'' is the exact measure from front edge of the nut to the center 12th fret. Double that, and it's 24" (609.8mm) for Scale.

Does the guitar have a zero fret?

2nd fret, from the nut: Stew-Mac: 66.530 May Bell Fretboard: 66.32 = .210 difference (longer)
3rd fret """ 97.021 96.61 = .411
5th 152.966 151.91 = 1.056

Sorry, my mistake. I just realized that your dimensions are mm, not inches. It's .21 mm not .21 inches. That may be within the error of your measuring method.

A further distance of .045 at first to .268 at #22

If it is out .045 mm at the first fret and .268 mm (.011") at the 22nd fret, that was probably well within manufacturing tolerances at the time.

[Jackknifegypsy]

No zero fret.

The measurements of .045 at first to .268 at 22 are not fret differences, but the increase in the differences between the "Tundra...." fret slot chart and the Stew-mac chart.

[Ben-Had]

I used the WFret calculator and it gave distances almost exactly what you measured your May Bell at.

[Jackknifegypsy]

I was trying to find that program!

How did you get it?? I was trying to get the template to lay over the 24" scale guitars I have to check their accuracy.

I spent an hour looking for it yesterday, and stopped when a couple dissenters wrote that the measures Wfret gives could be off by as much as 1/4" depending on how your printer is set up.

But I'd love to get a copy of it for future use, since the printer can be calibrated to give the exact figures.

Wfret's and Stew-Mac's numbers, then, don't agree for a 24" scale.

Hmmmm.....

[Bugeyed]

Originally Posted by Jackknifegypsy

I was trying to find that program!

How did you get it?? I was trying to get the template to lay over the 24" scale guitars I have to check their accuracy.

I spent an hour looking for it yesterday, and stopped when a couple dissenters wrote that the measures Wfret gives could be off by as much as 1/4" depending on how your printer is set up.

But I'd love to get a copy of it for future use, since the printer can be calibrated to give the exact figures.

Wfret's and Stew-Mac's numbers, then, don't agree for a 24" scale.

Hmmmm.....

This link will download the wfret zip file. http://api.ning.com/files/cyeJKQVrcV...O8V1/wfret.zip

BTW FWIW Stewmac & wfret numbers match (at 24"), but Stewmac are accurate to 3 decimal points. wfret measurements are accurate to 2.

kev

[Jackknifegypsy]

Thx for the link

[Ben-Had]

Originally Posted by Bugeyed

This link will download the wfret zip file. http://api.ning.com/files/cyeJKQVrcV...O8V1/wfret.zip

BTW FWIW Stewmac & wfret numbers match (at 24"), but Stewmac are accurate to 3 decimal points. wfret measurements are accurate to 2.

kev

That's correct. It also make a slight difference when using inches or mm and how you convert (round off) the inch to mm number i.e. 609, 609.6, 609.8 or 610 as converted from a 24" scale will all yield different numbers.

I had to print several copies off to the get the scaling for my printer right, I have it some where but it was like 97.5%. Yours almost assuredly will be different.

[John Arnold]

2nd fret, from the nut: Stew-Mac: 66.530 May Bell Fretboard: 66.32 = .210 difference (longer)
3rd fret """ 97.021 96.61 = .411
5th 152.966 151.91 = 1.056

A scale that gets progressivly longer with each fret is a longer scale. Comparing the spacing from the nut to the first fret on two fingerboards can be misleading, since a small error is compounded, and many shorten the fingerboard at the nut end as a form of compensation.

[Bugeyed]

Originally Posted by Jackknifegypsy

12'' is the exact measure from front edge of the nut to the center 12th fret. Double that, and it's 24" (609.8mm) for Scale. e.g. using digital caliper, checked to exact measure:

2nd fret, from the nut: Stew-Mac: 66.530 mm May Bell Fretboard: 66.32 mm = .210 mm difference (longer)
3rd fret """ 97.021 mm 96.61 = .411 mm
5th 152.966 mm 151.91 = 1.056 mm

and so on.



Doesn't get any simpler.

The Stew-Mac fret scale says that the existing frets are placed wrong, by .021 at the second fret slot, progressing to nearly an 1/8" at 22nd fretslot.

What's wrong is the original fret slots were either calculated in error, or the guitar neck shrunk, or the body lengthened, or vice versa.

In any event, coupled with the earlier discussion of making fret slots dead on, the table saw template or bandsaw one is what I am going to use. I tried it by hand and you know the results from the above thread since you thought I was making a mistake by ordering and cancelling the template when I got a dozen fret slots exact, using a coping saw. Turns out when I went to re-order the template I learned that it didn't match my 24" scale. I know you think I can't yet measure the scale accurately but I have.

So now I will need to either find a 24" (609.8mm) template or make one, which I'm leaning towards, as I am finding none available as of today. I have two other May Bells on bid, and they may be 24" as well.

I guess as an alternative I could just take another parlor guitar neck with a scale that matches Stew-Mac, and attach it to the body, which, since the bridge has been removed, should present no problem (other than accurate saddle placement). Have to check my inventory of necks, and see if I can do that, or find one on the 'net.

I get the following numbers using Stewmac calc. for a 609.6 scale:
1 34.214 mm
2 66.508 mm
3 96.990 mm

& using wfret:
1 34.0
2 66.5
3 97.0

Not sure why you get different results????

kev

[charles Tauber]

The theory is simple, as is the math. Calculate your own fret positions, rather than second guess what is going on in "black box" on-line fret calculators.

In the amount of time folks have spent finding and comparing "black-box" results, you could have calculated your own. If you like, put it in an Excel spreadsheet and calculate whatever scale you want instantly.

[Jackknifegypsy]

That's what I did, measured the fret slots' distance from the nut and these were the results:


2nd fret, from the nut: May Bell Fretboard: 66.32 mm
3rd fret """ 97.021 mm
5th 152.966 mm

Either all three of my measuring devices are slightly off, or the guitar has lengthened and shortened in various wood grains over the last 60 years or there is an aluminum cap on my head being fooled with by aliens.