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sdsollod
 Post subject: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 5:17 pm 
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Do you prefer the 12th fret or the 14th fret to establish the width of the string spread based on the width of the string spread at the bridge? That is, if your string spacing at the bridge is 2 ¼ “ (for example) do you make the fingerboard 2 ¼” at the 12th or at the 14th fret?

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DennisK
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:24 pm 
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I like 12th, but other players will prefer 14th. Hard to say what is the wisest choice if you're not building for a specific person.
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tysam
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:30 pm 
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On spec or guitars for me I go to 14.

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sdsollod
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 6:32 pm 
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BTW - this is for a steel string with a body join at the 14th fret... I think there are varying preferences on this... I'm looking for your preference...

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Alain Lambert
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 7:32 pm 
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Depends what you want for string spacing at the bridge!

edit:
AND how much space you want between the string and FB edge. (usually 3/16)
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Tom West
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2015 8:26 pm 
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The 14th for me.
Tom

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gozierdt
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2015 7:55 pm 
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I've always considered the nut width and string spread at the bridge to be the dominate numbers. The width of the fretboard comes from those two numbers, the scale, and how much space you want from the e-strings to the edge of the frets. I do a full sized layout and get the fretboard size from that.

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rlrhett
 Post subject: Re: 12th or 14th fret?
PostPosted: Wed Sep 02, 2015 6:18 pm 
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gozierdt wrote:
I've always considered the nut width and string spread at the bridge to be the dominate numbers. The width of the fretboard comes from those two numbers, the scale, and how much space you want from the e-strings to the edge of the frets. I do a full sized layout and get the fretboard size from that.

Yes, but it's a weird coincidence that assuming more or less traditional dimensions the width of the neck at the body matches the string spread at the bridge. It's a convenient shorthand.
Oh, and I usually match the neck at the 14th to the string spread at the bridge.


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