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  #1  
Old 05-19-2023, 11:06 AM
viento viento is offline
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Default Scale measure question

My new 6-string acoustic guitar:
I measured the length from the nut to the 12th fret with 32.350 cm, so the whole scale length from nut to contact point on the saddle should be 64.700 cm.
As the bone saddle insert is compensated slightly oblique,
where should I measure the scale length, in the middle or on the side of the high "e" string?
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Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes

Last edited by viento; 05-20-2023 at 02:05 AM.
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  #2  
Old 05-19-2023, 11:51 AM
Fathand Fathand is offline
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Measure the scale length in the middle from nut front edge to centre of the 12th fret then double that.

The distance from the 12th to the saddle incudes intonation compensation, usually different for each string and could possibly be adjusted due to string gauge or action.

Also, I think your measurements are in cm not mm.
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  #3  
Old 05-19-2023, 02:50 PM
Alan Carruth Alan Carruth is offline
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That works assuming the nut has not been compensated. If the nut to first fret distance is about the same, or less than, the first to the second fret, the nut has probably been compensated.
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Old 05-19-2023, 04:59 PM
John Arnold John Arnold is offline
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If the nut has been compensated, you can measure from the center of the first fret to the center of the thirteenth, and multiply that by 1.059. Double that to get the uncompensated scale length.
The uncompensated scale is used to calculate the fret spacing, based on the 12th root of 2. Each succeeding fret is derived by multiplying the remaining string length by 0.0561.
The distance from the 12th to the saddle will always be a bit longer to compensate for stretching the string when it is fretted. With steel strings, that extra length on the first string is usually around 1.5 to 1.75 mm. The angled saddle progressively increases the length on strings 2 through 6.
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  #5  
Old 05-20-2023, 02:06 AM
viento viento is offline
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Location: northern Germany (Dutch border) + south of Spain
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Thanks for all of your help!
@Fathand: yes, you´re right and I altered that.
__________________
Thanks!




Martin D28 (1973)
12-string cutaway ...finished ;-)
Hoyer 12-string (1965)
Yamaha FG-340 (1970)
Yamaha FG-512 (ca. 1980)
D.Maurer 8-string baritone (2013-2014)
and 4 electric axes
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