Don’t despair, all guitars suffer from this flaw to some degree. You should get numbers anywhere from .775 to 1 inch. Measure the length of the neck from the body of the guitar to the intersection of the neck and the head of the instrument. No spam, nothing to sell,just sharing good info. A compensated saddle is a saddle that has wedges removed so the point of contact for the string is adjusted, resulting in a fractional change to string length between the nut and saddle. With the guitar lying flat … Acoustic Guitar Nut Width + Comparison Chart, Acoustic Guitars that Play like Electrics, Why Good Acoustic Guitars Are So Expensive. High E (treble) ... Measure at high and low E not in the middle Measure from top of pole piece (or top surface of pickup) to bottom of string Do not pass if string is closer than minimum distance. A guitar's scale length is calculated by measuring the distance from the front edge of the nut, where it butts against the end of the fingerboard, to the center of the 12th (octave) fret, then doubling that measurement. If you lost track of all these dimensions, and wich to use best, measure a guitar or bass you know it plays comfortably. When a guitar is played, the entire length of the string vibrates between these two points of contact.eval(ez_write_tag([[250,250],'theacousticguitarist_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',130,'0','0'])); Common sense would dictate that scale length could then be measured by measuring the distance between the nut and the saddle, rather than measuring to the 12th fret and then doubling the number. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Helpful Links. In short, with a compound neck, instead of having one consistent guitar fretboard radius along the length of the neck, the width of the fretboard decreases the further along it goes. How to measure your guitar’s action using StewMac measurement tools Today we're only talking about how to measure your guitar setup. My Taylor 12 String specs are Long Scale Length 25.5". p.s. Necks are either fixed using glue (set neck) or bolted directly on to the body. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The contour is the basic shape of the back of the neck, such as a C, U, Soft V, etc. I read an interesting article in an old (like 1996) issue of Guitar Techniques (Brit mag) that had the author measuring "actual" scale length on a number of guitars and comparing it to the manufacturer's declared specs. Why the length of your strings between the nut and the saddle is not an accurate way to measure scale length Given identical strings, longer necks require more tension to get into tune. Measure the fretboard width at the nut, 12th, 21st, 22nd and 24th fret. Why scale length is measured between the nut and 12th fret. Shorter scale guitars, though, tout that beautiful buttery tone which make Les Pauls and Jazz boxes such invaluable tools. I measure 25.5" if I measure at the G string, a little longer at the Bass E string. If the neck is still attached to the guitar body, this is the distance from the nut to the bridge. We know that when the string’s length is shortened e.g. Short Scale Acoustic Guitars – Everything You Wanted to Know. If you don’t have a neck cradle, a rolled up towel or a pillow are decent substitutes. Scale length for a baritone guitar can be much higher, like Danelectro’s 29.75" neck. The truss rod is then loosely set into the channel with the only attachment being at the opposite end from the truss adjustment nut. T5: Bridge Humbucker – .063 (1/16”) Middle if present – .094 (3/32”) SolidBody & T3 Style 1&2 / HD&HG - .125 (1/ Intonation (accuracy of pitch) is affected by a number of factors, but two of the biggest factors are the strings ability to vibrate and its ability to stretch, both of which are affected by the string’s mass. In the case of acoustic and classical guitars, this is almost always glued in place. Another great thing is to check your pickup heights, too. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Depending on your guitar, you should get numbers from 1.625 up to 1.750 inches. The best way to determine the scale length of a guitar is to measure the distance between its nut and the centre of its 12th fret. Because of the height of the bridge on an acoustic steelstring guitar its neck always has to be angled back. Check out the link below for more on the scale length and why you might want to measure this. You can measure a guitar’s scale length by measuring the distance from the inside edge of the nut (adjacent to the fretboard) through to the 12th fret. Now that you have a bit of neck length knowledge, get out and play some different model guitars to get a feel for what all of this means. While this method has been used on a small number of acoustic guitars over the years, this isn’t the case for most acoustic guitars as adding metal in any form to the bridge of an acoustic guitar will affect the soundboard’s ability to resonate, which indirectly affects both tone and volume. adjusting the neck angle up or down, not by adjusting bridge or saddle height. So again, like with guitar shapes and sizes, we often think of or look at the human image as a repetitive set of forms that when approached in mass is faceless, featureless and devoid of detail like identical yet shapeless silhouettes. M. mellecaster Member. Like some flowers, animals, bugs, clouds, trees, (and musical instruments)… very easy to recognise, but to draw? It’s pretty straightforward. If the properties of each individual string were exactly the same this would indeed be the case, but as can be seen when observing your high E string in comparison to the thicker, wound low E, this isn’t the case at all. Vintage Pink Paisley Print in the Paint Booth. "It’s like spilling … Measure the neck from where it intersects with the body of the guitar and up to the nut. measure? The shape and feel of a neck are one of the most important things for a guitar to feel right. No spam, nothing to sell, just sharing good info. No matter how pretty a guitar is or how good it sounds, when you don’t love the way the neck feels in your hand, you’re not going to play it much. 3. Measure the length of the guitar's body, not including the neck and head. The parlour guitar is the smallest of the full-size guitars. As the B and E strings are unwound, unlike the heavier bass strings the different thicknesses of these two strings has a larger bearing on the tension of the strings and is further adjusted by using a compensated saddle along with the angle of the saddle affecting overall string length. While scale length itself is simple to measure (from inside of the nut to the 12th fret) as can be seen through the use of angled and compensated saddles, not to mention other innovations such as multi-scale or fanned frets the scale length issue has long been a problem for stringed instruments and makes simply measuring the length of the string able to freely vibrate inaccurate. Tune-O-matic bridges, as seen on many Gibson electric guitars look and work slightly differently, although the basic principles is the same. Enter your email address below and we’ll notify you when we publish something new. The height of the bridge must also be entered. When it comes to classical guitars, the bridge will be either completely straight or be seated on a slight angle. You want to be in the center of the fingerboard in between where your D and G string would be. 1.) For example, Stratocaster and Telecaster scale length is the standard 25.5-inch length as you can see in the picture below. I gave up trying to match new guitar necks to my favorite one. Our Made-to-Measure guitars are built entirely in Sweden and include a personal dialog with Ola Strandberg to determine your exact requirements. Are Acoustic Guitars Really Harder to Play Than Electric? You can also use it to support the guitar’s waist while you measure. The correct way to measure scale length This number is then doubled as it is half the distance from the inside of the nut to the saddle. I tell my customers to pick up a cheap set of calipers from the hardware store and follow these quick steps to give me those critical neck measurements. Theacousticguitarist.com also participates in various other affiliate programs, and we receive a commission from purchases made through our links. Why not leave a comment below and join the conversation. Let's think about how we look at height and hand size. Messages 1,125. The gauge has four numbered sides. Because compensation at the saddle is more common than compensation at the nut, the best way to find the scale length on an existing instrument is to measure from the nut to the twelfth fret and multiply by two, making sure to measure along the center of the fingerboard (most fingerboards are tapered, so it is best to measure between the 3rd and 4th strings on a 6 string guitar). Unlike on electric guitars there usually is no possibility to adjust the bridge height (you only can file the saddle lower, shim or replace it). How would I measure/describe the neck profile so that I can identify a similar shape in other guitars? On this episode of Guitar Goomba, we measure the scale length and set the neck of the World War 2 P-51 Mustang inspired custom Jazz Bass build. Keep in mind that guitar scale lengths are typically measured in inches. What is the Scale Length and how to measure it; Bout Depth. Why Your Acoustic Guitar has less frets than your Electric. The guitar’s neck is home for the headstock, tuning machines, fingerboard (fretboard) and strings. Very nearly all quality guitars have an adjustable truss rod that runs down the length of the guitar's neck. eval(ez_write_tag([[468,60],'theacousticguitarist_com-box-3','ezslot_4',124,'0','0']));Today we are going to cover how to measure guitar scale length, including: 1. Only two tools are needed to check neck relief — a capo and a feeler gauge. If you want to warm up a 25.5" scale guitar, you can try tuning down a half step, which thickens up its overtones and makes it sound a little closer to a 24.75" scale guitar. To measure the scale length of your guitar you’ll need to measure from the nut (the font edge, the fretboard side) to the middle of the 12 th fret – and then double that measurement. As mentioned in the introduction, scale length is the distance between the bridgeand the nut of a guitar. While both the electric and acoustic three-quarter size guitars will be the same length, the body of an electric guitar will be thinner as, being an electric, it doesn’t need a big hollow body for sound to bounce around in. And voila – you’ve established the scale length. 2. Lay the guitar flat on a clean, flat surface. Reactions: ford. Affix the capo to the first fret and depress the high E string at the last fret (G string on a bass guitar), or where the neck joins the body (often the 17th fret on Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars). To compensate for these factors, your bridge saddle is positioned on an angle, which increases the length of the heavier, wound bass strings compared to the higher strings e.g. So if you measure 12 ¾ inches from the nut to the 12 th fret then the scale length will be 25 ½ inches. I measure 25 3/8" or 25.375". Put another way, shorter scales allow heavier strings to be used with comparatively less tension. With the strings removed, put the calipers on the nut side of the first fret. Using the calipers, measure the width of the fingerboard right in front of the nut. ©2020 Crook Custom Guitars | All Rights Reserved. Compensated saddles are used to adjust for the differences between the high E and B strings mass. Compensated saddles also fractionally change the length of a guitar string. If you are unsure of the shape, look at the Neck Back Contours drawings on the USA Custom Guitars site. Due to the angle of the bridge, each string will be a slightly different length. Additional smaller screws can also be adjusted to raise the height of each individual saddle to compensate for the different thicknesses of each string. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. How guitars are designed to compensate for the various elements that affect scale length. To further complicate matters, as each string is of a different thickness (gauge) the amount of stretch will vary based on each individual strings properties, even considering the changing length of the string when fretted. Key Points: You can measure a guitar’s scale length by measuring the distance from the inside edge of the nut (adjacent to the fretboard) through to the 12th fret. You will need a special gauge to determine the guitar neck radius – the curve of the fingerboard. by fretting a note and reducing the length that can vibrate, the pitch is raised. Contact me with your specifications, and we can get started talking about your new custom guitar. Determining the neck angle of an acoustic guitar. If the band tells you that you are in the key of G major, you must be able to solo within the key of G major up and down the neck of the guitar..    Key Points: Full-length ‘long scale’ guitars measure 25.5-inch; in contrast, a small scale guitar neck measures from 22 inches to 24 ¾ inches. Guitar strings are suspended between the saddle (the last point of contact for the strings on the guitar body) and the nut (the last point of contact on the neck) adjacent to the first fret of the guitar. Measure the scale length. To determine the height of the fingerboard at the neck join, measure the distance from the top of the guitar to the top of the highest part of the fingerboard, then add the height of the fretwire you plan to use. 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