Official Luthiers Forum!

I'm thinking of putting a zero fret on my next guitar, I do like the even sound. Can anyone advise me of any likely problems or changes that I need to make? For instance should I increase the angle of the scarf joint to give a greater break angle? I'm only an amateur builder (10 guitars and one 7-course lute)so any help would be appreciated from you experts!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

I realize there is some history behind the zero fret so I assume that is why some people still want to do it. Me, personally I don't like it. I think it might just be a physcological hangup or whatever but it seems to remind me of those really cheap guitars. Also, I put Buzz Feiten on my guitars. While that doesn't preclude me from using a zero fret it probably would make it much more difficult to build in that I would have to file that fret to insure that the strings were rolling off the fret at precisely the right spot ( dead center of the slot) It is probably much easier to do so with a bone nut than with a metal fret ( ther is a little more to it than that but that's another thread). I say "probably" because I have never done a zero fret and put BFTS on it. I just don't like it!    

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Dave Bland

remember...

"If it doesn't play in tune...it's just pretty wood"