Official Luthiers Forum!
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/

Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
http://w-ww.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=31295		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  mossycreek [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
OK, when I get to the point of determining saddle placement which measurement tool to use?
It seems a "normal" yardstick is too imprecise and precision yardsticks are a little $$ for me right now are there other options?

thanks! Bob
Author:  Bob Shanklin [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Measu ... matic.html
Author:  TonyKarol [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 5:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
You can get a stainless 18 inch imp/metric ruler which is what I use (I measure from the 12th fret .. you dont need to measure from the nut) from Lee Valley for under 20 bucks ...

I have a number of them plus the 12 and 24 inch ones in the shop .. very handy.
Author:  mossycreek [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Both excellent solutions [:Y:] . Thanks! Bob
Author:  Robbie_McD [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 6:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Or - make yourself one of these....
The small end is fixed and has a grove to fit the 12th fret.
To use it, first get the 12th fret to nut measurement by adjusting the large end.
Turn it around to get the bridge placement.
Note the two screws are to set the compensation.

Attachment:
IMG_2334 (Large).JPG
Author:  DannyV [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:44 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Robbie_McD wrote:
Or - make yourself one of these....
The small end is fixed and has a grove to fit the 12th fret.
To use it, first get the 12th fret to nut measurement by adjusting the large end.
Turn it around to get the bridge placement.
Note the two screws are to set the compensation.

Attachment:
IMG_2334 (Large).JPG

Second that one. I think mine cost about a dollar for the rod and bits I had lying around.
Author:  Jeffrey L. Suits [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
DannyV wrote:
Robbie_McD wrote:
Or - make yourself one of these....
The small end is fixed and has a grove to fit the 12th fret.
To use it, first get the 12th fret to nut measurement by adjusting the large end.
Turn it around to get the bridge placement.
Note the two screws are to set the compensation.

Attachment:
IMG_2334 (Large).JPG

Second that one. I think mine cost about a dollar for the rod and bits I had lying around.


Third. Crazy useful tool!
Author:  John Mayes [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 9:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
I use a 36" precision rule.
Author:  JoeUlman [ Sun Feb 27, 2011 10:06 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Some may find this interesting. I shopped for 24” and 36” precision metal rules last year for setting scale length and other guitar making tasks. In the store I picked out a couple rules made by a U.S. manufacturer known for high quality drafting rules and squares. Before heading to the checkout I decided to compare them to some cheaper made-in-China rules. There was a noticeable discrepancy between them. A good deal of careful inspection revealed that the more expensive U.S. brand rules were off by nearly 2mm over their scale length whereas the made in China rules were accurate to within about 0.10mm over their respective lengths.

Joe
Author:  fric [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 3:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
my way
Author:  Michael Smith [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 4:14 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
I take a strait stick of wood, screw a 1/16" strip of metal to the nut end so it will catch in the nut slot then hot glue a 3" piece of wood cross ways at the length of my scale. I can either keep that one and pop the hot glue off or just make another for a different scale length.
Author:  bluescreek [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 6:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... ridge&aq=f
check out the videos on how to do this It isn't that hard really but to get that perfect set up a few fundamentals are important . let me know what you think
thanks
Author:  mossycreek [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 11:11 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Thanks for all the replies folks, and thanks John, I didn't think to check your tutorials. Looks like I've got everything I need already!

Cheers! Bob
Author:  Terence Kennedy [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
I've always just taken a Stewmac straightedge and put one end against the nut and marked the center of the 12th fret with a pencil on the straightedge.
Then make a second mark for compensation and use that distance for positioning the saddle slot.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 12:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
mossycreek wrote:
OK, when I get to the point of determining saddle placement which measurement tool to use?
It seems a "normal" yardstick is too imprecise and precision yardsticks are a little $$ for me right now are there other options?

thanks! Bob


You cannot do this work well without good rules. Or at least one good rule, but it would be inconvenient to only have one length.

These are good enough and a good value: http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.a ... 3513,43519
Author:  John Mayes [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Really a very good 36" rule can be had for under $55 (thinking of a Mitutoyo). Do you really want to leave something so precise to the accuracy of a $3.00 ruler?

I've also got an aluminum ruler with some padding on the back that is very accurate when compared to my Mitutoyo (no deviation in markings) and is cheaper too. The graduations are not as precise so you'll have to put marks on it for your lengths, but it works well too. I think it's called an alumicutter or something. Like $22.
Author:  Howard Klepper [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 2:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
JoeUlman wrote:
Some may find this interesting. I shopped for 24” and 36” precision metal rules last year for setting scale length and other guitar making tasks. In the store I picked out a couple rules made by a U.S. manufacturer known for high quality drafting rules and squares. Before heading to the checkout I decided to compare them to some cheaper made-in-China rules. There was a noticeable discrepancy between them. A good deal of careful inspection revealed that the more expensive U.S. brand rules were off by nearly 2mm over their scale length whereas the made in China rules were accurate to within about 0.10mm over their respective lengths.

Joe


How about revealing the brand of those US rules? And how did you determine that they were the inaccurate ones?
Author:  JoeUlman [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Howard Klepper wrote:
...And how did you determine that they were the inaccurate ones?


Well this is a very good question, and the point of my post. How do you know that the precision rules you are using in your shop are accurate? They should be checked against something known to be accurate. In the store there was literally a wall full of precision rules of various makes and as I said I spent a good deal of time comparing them to one another.

Howard Klepper wrote:
How about revealing the brand of those US rules?


Wouldn’t it be a good idea to check ‘any’ precision rule before using it for critical set ups? It seems that any manufacturer could have a bad batch of ‘precision’ rules slip through quality control.

Joe
Author:  Mark Fogleman [ Mon Feb 28, 2011 5:57 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
JoeUlman wrote:
Wouldn’t it be a good idea to check ‘any’ precision rule before using it for critical set ups?

Joe


What do you use to compare?
Author:  schrammguitars [ Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
These are good and they are only around $75.

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=435&PMCTLG=00
Author:  bluescreek [ Tue Mar 01, 2011 6:33 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
As a past machinist I have scales. While in the video I am using an inexpensive metal yard stick , that was accurate to my 6 foot scale . Accuracy is important but don't assume price is a guide to that . You can find scales at most industrial supply shops. Scale may look like a yard stick but have a tighter measuring tolerance .
A good 3 foot scale my set you back up to $50 depending on your source
Author:  Haans [ Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:45 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
Just found a used 36" Starrett on ebay for $55.
Author:  Paul Burner [ Tue Mar 01, 2011 11:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Measuring nut to saddle with which tool?
I use the Ibex Fret Ruler.

It has multiple scales - the one I have includes both 25.4" and 24.9" plus two classical scales (that aren't used by me)

The nice thing is that the marking for the saddle position include compensation.

http://www.pilgrimsprojects.biz/t30.html

$24
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/