Official Luthiers Forum!

A bit of a poll - so, what do you do?
Equidistant or some kind of spacing that compensates for the width/diameters of the individual strings.

Reason I'm asking this is that so far I've been using the SM string spacing ruler for the bridge pin holes as well as the nut spacing.
I also slant the line of the bridge pin holes, slightly more than the saddle is slanted for compensation (to keep the break angle about the same for all strings and to help with potential splitting across the holes - does that sound a bit like I need psychotherapy??)
Now being the "proud owner" of a SM Bridge Pin Hole Chamfer Tool, I was wondering if the spacing will be noticeably "different" or look odd with my (very) evenly chamfered holes.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

It will be fine.

I don't actually like that tool. Couldn't get clean edges without chipping.

How did you drive the chamfer tool? I've been using one of those hand drills with a side crank and, with that, I get clean edges. I've only used it on ebony so far.

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Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you look at it right - Robert Hunter

Equidistant holes at the bridge with the slant the same as the saddle and equal string to string spacing at the nut. Don't have the Stew -Mac ruler, so just do the math and use dial calipers.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

$4.00 countersink bit and nylon spacer, copper shim, CA glue -- never had a chip, many years, many bridges. We use a cordless drill at highest speed.

I never make the ramps so tight/narrow that side to side and a tiny angle variance would be and issue. (at least I don't see it as one)

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

Just a hand drill.

Hand drill here as well at high speed. I have the stew mac chamfer bit and haven't had a problem

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Blue Ring Acoustics
blueringacoustics.ca

I use the StewMac chamfer bit too and have never had a problem. Ed, maybe you got a bad one?

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

I'm getting clean chamfers in EIR and extremely hard Maple (20 years a bowling alley) using a small cordless drill staring slowly then up to full speed when I reach the stop.
I use 10 x 16 x 0.3 mm shim washers behind the Brass/Delrin stop so as to be able to get a consistent diameter at the top of the chamfer.
2 give about 8.5 mm and 3 about 6.5 mm.
Just makes it easier to reset the depth of cut to exactly the same if it's disassembled for cleaning.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I always that the SM ruler was for the nut only. To create spacings that "felt" more natural near the nut. Not easy to see. I would not do this at the saddle

Done that from the start, just seemed to me the natural thing to do.
Gives "even" sting spacing all the way up the board.
Out of interest, I just had a look at the SM blurb -

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Also use the ruler at the nut, tried equal spacing first, but the string thickness made the spacing look wrong. At the bridge end being wider it appears less critical, but I do it there as well now. I think the chamfer tool will be on my list, I use a reamer with tape as a guide. But I am new to building instruments and still collecting tools. : )

This is one of these subjects where the terminology needs to be pedantically accurate.

When someone talks about "equal spacing" , I have no idea whether they mean "equidistant spaces" or "equidistant centers".

I think we could maybe cut Mike2e a bit of slack, especially as a new builder, although I'm sure he will appreciate the proffered clear/correct terminology.
Read carefully, it it not fairly clear he means equidistant centers from Equidistant spaces are unlikely to look obviously wrong, no?

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Equidistant string centers for me and a plain old countersink bit in a drill.

Ok, so u can use the SM ruler on the saddle. But, it seems to me that the strings will find their natural centers on the saddle with little help from me. The pin holes and the nut slots determine this. I'm not going to force it beyond this. And yes, my pin holes are equally spaced. It's the distance at the the nut that matters..

Edit: As a builder and a player, I get the issue. It's a finger feel thing. There is a visual component, but that's not the driver for me. They are actually one and the same at the nut. The percentage of space taken up by the strings at the nut is much greater than at the saddle. You won't notice it near as much at the saddle, and, it does not matter there. That is an opinion. I don't mean that to sound like anything more than that!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

As someone once said, the fingers don't care. They want to feel the centre of the string, the fingers aren't concerned with whether the strings 'look' right. On a Classical I doubt that it matters either way, there's so much space between strings. On a SS things may be different, maybe there's a need for a touch more wiggle room on the wound strings but SS certainly aren't my forte.

I started using the SM ruler for pin holes too ever since I got it years ago but honestly I don't think it matters. It makes the layout real easy though. It DOES definitely matter at the nut end of things though and I absolutely love that tool for that reason.

Here's what I think, for what that's worth! I use equal spacing between strings at the nut because I think it makes for better playability in that region where strings are close together. At saddle I go for equal pin spacing. Whatever you move the pins off center to give equal string spacing has only half effect nut side of fret twelve anyhow. Looking at one of my guitars right now I really don't notice that the spacings between strings at the saddle are different from string to string. However if I moved the pins to make the string spaces equidistant I think the variable pin spacing would be noticable to my eye and I'm not sure I"d like that. But, to each his own.
Ken

I got the chamfer bit awhile ago, i've run some tests but I can't see the point of the chamfer bit yet. I'm about to finish 4 bridges and I'm curious why people like this tool. Thanks!

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http://www.wideskyguitars.com
https://www.instagram.com/wide_sky_guitars/

Hi Patch.
For me it was that I was doing chamfers with a countersink in a hand drill, maybe finessing it with a hand tool.
Trouble was that it was a fiddly, time consuming process to get the chamfers even.
This tool just makes it easier and quicker.

_________________
The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

For those who care about their work, and only the best will do, I'm offering this luthier grade 3/16 bridge pin bit. And since its for guitar work, we are selling it for $32.50 + S&H

Get yours soon!

It's a trick! That's not a brad point!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

I guess I should have been more clear. Why chamfer the bridge at all? What are the benefits?

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http://www.wideskyguitars.com
https://www.instagram.com/wide_sky_guitars/