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Can someone show me on a diagram or in words how we actually measure a guitar's scale length? Say I had a guitar of unknown origin and I wanted to measure its scale length, from where to where do I measure?
RE: How do we measure a guitar's sca... (in reply to rombsix)
measure from the nut to the middle of the 12th fret as Stephen says. The reason being is that the bridge should be further away as compensation for the string bend. Saying that I have heard of some compensating the nut end too!
RE: How do we measure a guitar's sca... (in reply to rombsix)
Yes what the two Steven's said, there is string length and scale length. On an electric look at the bridge, you will notice each individual saddle is adjustable for compensation and they're set different from one another.
RE: How do we measure a guitar's sca... (in reply to rombsix)
So on an electrical the adjust-ability of the saddle makes up for string bend you see on nylons? To state it differently, if I understand correctly, string length and scale on electrics are the same due to the ability to adjust the saddle?
RE: How do we measure a guitar's sca... (in reply to rombsix)
Basically a maker decides on a scale length, with that he calculates all the spacings for the frets and gets the uncompensated position for the saddle. Compensation is a slight tweak to the string length so fretted notes play a little more in tune. Adding a mm or two to the string length doesn't change the scale length because you're not changing the position of the frets.
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RE: How do we measure a guitar's sca... (in reply to rombsix)
Yes, do what Jeff said, because some makers shorten the distance between the nut and the first fret as compensation--in addition to moving the bridge farther from the nut than the scale length, which everyone should do.
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