Where do the frets go?

[packocrayons]

I've just finished doing a large inlay on a throwaway guitar (CBS masterworks - soundported it too).

While the inlay didn't completely cover the 11th and 14th frets (there was enough remaining original fretboard to use as a reference), the 12th and 13th frets are completely covered by the inlay, and I have no reference to where they go.

What's the easiest way to figure out where they go? I assume that I'll need scale length to reference, but can I assume that the 13th fret is half the distance behind the 14th as the 1st is to the second, and then the 12th is half the distance behind that that the 0th is to the first? (It does have a zero fret).

I've seen people talk about a calculator of some sort, but I don't know where it is or how to use it.

[LouieAtienza]

Figure out the scale length measuring from the nut to the brige on center, then download a program called wfret. It's still out there if you google it.

[Sam VanLaningham]

What Louie said but you can use stew macs fret position calculator:

https://www.stewmac.com/FretCalculator

Sam

[packocrayons]

Thanks! I installed and ran it under wine without issue (except printing which I've always found to be an issue with wine).

For clarification - scale length would be from the 0th fret to where the wood on the bridge starts, the saddle moving back is intonation, correct?

Edit - Thanks Sam, that explains scale length as well.

[Sam VanLaningham]

The best way for me to measure scale length is 0th to 12th then times that by 2. There's additional distance from compensation at the saddle that ideally adds a couple few millimeters. But in your case I'd probably compare all distances between frets too, to confirm you've got right scale Length.

You're committed going the wine route! There's downloadable spreadsheets out there too. I have one if needed.

Sam

[murrmac123]

I installed and ran it under wine without issue (except printing which I've always found to be an issue with wine).

You're committed going the wine route! There's downloadable spreadsheets out there too. I have one if needed.

For the benefit of the uninitiated , what exactly is the wine route ?

I have gone down the wine route a few times myself, but I suspect it was a different route to what is being discussed here ...

[packocrayons]

Originally Posted by murrmac123

For the benefit of the uninitiated , what exactly is the wine route ?

I have gone down the wine route a few times myself, but I suspect it was a different route to what is being discussed here ...

It's actually very straightforward, the installer runs great and it shows up as a program in your start menu.

I don't remember how hard installing wine was but definitely not as hard as some of the things I've had to build/install.

[Tony Done]

Originally Posted by Sam VanLaningham

The best way for me to measure scale length is 0th to 12th then times that by 2. There's additional distance from compensation at the saddle that ideally adds a couple few millimeters. But in your case I'd probably compare all distances between frets too, to confirm you've got right scale Length.


Sam

Yes, this is important, the scale length is twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, not the distance to any part of the saddle.

I made up a spreadsheet to calculate fret distances for any scale length, but I have also used the Stewmac version.

[Sam VanLaningham]

yeah sorry that was a total insider move. Wine is essentially an app or emulator that allows those with macs or Linux to run windows based programs, or something like that. I've used it and already forgotten what it does. Ultimately just another computer thing to drown our intelligence in. There's probably a direct inverse correlation to someone's understanding of wine (the emulator) and their ability to set up a guitar.

Sam

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by Tony Done

Yes, this is important, the scale length is twice the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, not the distance to any part of the saddle.

I made up a spreadsheet to calculate fret distances for any scale length, but I have also used the Stewmac version.

I thought the problem was that the OP didn't have a 12 fret to measure.

I think many spreadsheets use the 17.817 division factor, so if we call the measurement from the 10th to 11th fret X, then the distance D left before the 11th fret would be D = 17.817*X. Then you would just subtract X from D, giving you the new length left D1, and divide that by 17.817, which gives the distance between the 11th and 12th.

[packocrayons]

Originally Posted by Sam VanLaningham

yeah sorry that was a total insider move. Wine is essentially an app or emulator that allows those with macs or Linux to run windows based programs, or something like that. I've used it and already forgotten what it does. Ultimately just another computer thing to drown our intelligence in. There's probably a direct inverse correlation to someone's understanding of wine (the emulator) and their ability to set up a guitar.

Sam

One time I ran a Linux emulator under wine to run gnuplot under a program running on wine.

Linux is confusing.

I've got the guitar sorted and will post pics tomorrow, the intonation is pretty good, in fact better than some of the frets that were already there

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by packocrayons

One time I ran a Linux emulator under wine to run gnuplot under a program running on wine.

Linux is confusing.

I've got the guitar sorted and will post pics tomorrow, the intonation is pretty good, in fact better than some of the frets that were already there

LOL you should have placed them off-spot to match!

[John Arnold]

can I assume that the 13th fret is half the distance behind the 14th as the 1st is to the second, and then the 12th is half the distance behind that that the 0th is to the first?

Yes. Each fret is 5.6% of the total string length from that particular fret. Cut the string length in half, and the frets are also cut in half.

[packocrayons]

Here she is, inlaid, bound, fretted, oiled and strung. I'm happy with how it turned out. The stock plastic bindong on the neck has been replaced with walnut, the shmoo has been cleaned off the neck, and a generous coating of mineral oil has been done on the whole neck and the binding.

[Truckjohn]

That's very cool. I really want to learn inlay - but I really know nothing about it...