RE: string spacing at saddle

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tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: string spacing at saddle (in reply to tele)

Just curious, has anyone seen a 58.5-59.5mm spacing on a fretboard that is 60mm wide at the 12th fret?

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 29 2013 16:16:57

estebanana

Posts: 9358
Joined: Oct. 16 2009

RE: string spacing at saddle (in reply to tele)

quote:

Just curious, has anyone seen a 58.5-59.5mm spacing on a fretboard that is 60mm wide at the 12th fret?

That's sounds fairly normal, but a lot of makers go slightly wider at the 12th fret to give more string space off the edge of the fingerboard, especially on flamencos.

The basic formula for a Spanish guitar is string space at saddle and neck width at 12th fret are the same, then each maker pushes or pulls those numbers a bit to fine tune how the string spacing works for them.

So you could draw on paper a guitar with:

650 mm scale,
60mm at 12th fret
60mm string space at saddle
52mm nut w/ 4 or 5 mm treble 'e string from edge of fingerboard

That would be a general starting point and you adjust your saddle, nut and 12th fret width to suit your model and customers needs. You may want 62mm at the 12th fret and 59 mm string space at the saddle....which is what I end up with, most flamenco makers are in that ballpark.

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https://www.stephenfaulkguitars.com

REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jun. 30 2013 2:03:08

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: string spacing at saddle (in reply to estebanana)

Thanks.

I have asked my luthier friend about a jig for drilling the new holes after glueing in the new tie block and he doesnt have one. Can the new holes be drilled accurately with a drill press before glueing in the new tieblock? I dont know where I could get a metal jig made for the job.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 2 2013 16:56:01

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: string spacing at saddle (in reply to Jeff Highland)

quote:

A metal template like this would probably allow you to just plug and redrill accurately.

I am ordering one jig for the job but I have no idea how to fill the holes at the point where the strings have worn them upwards. Any tricks? I think epoxy might work? If I would use filler wood pieces and glue them in with epoxy will they hold their place if I try to drill new holes with a jig? I might try this procedure first and if it wont work then make a new tieblock.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 4 2013 19:22:52

tele

Posts: 1464
Joined: Aug. 17 2012

RE: string spacing at saddle (in reply to tele)

I havent worked much with epoxy but if I would choose to fill the holes with black epoxy and round pieces of wood, should the epoxy hold its place after drilling new holes? I think epoxy would be the only way to fill the area of the hole where the string has worn it upwards.

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REPORT THIS POST AS INAPPROPRIATE | Date Jul. 10 2013 9:47:50