Official Luthiers Forum!

What do some of you use for string spacing at the saddle? Is there a generally accepted range? Mine end up to be around 2 1/4".
6 string steel string, 11 or 12 guage.

-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

well it should be whatever the customer request. If it's left up to me I typically use 2-3/16.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

J,

This is how the big boys do it, if I remember correctly: Measure the width of the fingerboard at the 12th fret and use this measurement for you saddle spacing (centre string). I like to add about 33 thou to compensate for half diameters of the big and small e's (mediums 54-13) and use this as the outside measure.

You'll see that you wind up in that region, about 2 3/16-1/4 or so...

Jim, I wouldn't let the client dictate these kinds of measurements. Unless you have a very knowledgeable client, what do they know about string spacings at the saddle?

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I'd like to be able to prove, just for once, that money wouldn't make me happy...

Guitarists playing mostly with a pick (and/or strumming) prefer a narrower spacing at the bridge, like 2 1/8". Those playing mostly with fingers like a wider stretch, 2 1/4", 2 5/16" and 2 3/8".
2 1/8" is pretty much standard on most factory guitars, with 2 1/4" being used on Martin OMs and vintage series. The GE series usually get the pre-war 2 3/8" spacing.
It makes a huge difference on how a guitar feels.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

As far as clients go, its not a bad idea to have them bring you a guitar of theirs with a particular aspect they like and measure/copy that. Could be neck back contour, neck thickness, string spacing at nut/bridge...whatever.

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The member formerly known as erikbojerik....

Even though I don't post here a lot , I read the posts here every day just like some people read a news paper...I don't feel that I'm experienced enough to answer any questions...This one has me a little confused.....I use Autocad to design any component of the guitar ...I have a bridge designed and when I need to make one I just print off a 1-1 copy, glue it to the bridge blank, cut to size, drill the center marked peg holes..Cut the marked slot and shape....every bridge is the same....My measure from the center of the low E to the center of the high E is 2.125"....The spacings are .425" center to center between the strings...The strings are just placed on the bridge and the strings space themselves to this measurement ......Is this the wrong way of doing it or do you guys slot the saddle to give you proper spacings?..Larry

95% of my guitars go out the door with a 2 1/4" string spacing at the saddle. It is most requested spacing by my clients and the dealers I work with.

I use 2 3/16 at he saddle on my archtops.

Mark

Larry,
I literally drill my pin holes at 2.250 center to center on the E strings if that is the desired measurement.
Like Mark, most of what I do is 2 1/4, but I have had some 2 3/8ths for BIG handed folks!

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Lance@LuthiersForum.com

I do it backward from Alain, but I do it at the design stage before construction of the neck or bridge starts. I pick a string spacing at the bridge, nut width and string spacing at the nut, then design my neck/fretboard taper based on that info. That said my standard spacing on a 25.4" scale is 2.25" but if a client wants a wider of narrower spacing I layout the nut to bridge on cad or paper and design the neck/fretboard taper as I have mentioned. I have built from 2.125" to 2.4375" in the past.

Larry,
What I haven't heard mentioned in this thread, but I believe many luthiers do, is use a proportional spacing, where the bass string centerlines are further apart than the treble strings. If you don't do this, the visual impression is that the bass strings are spaced closer together than the treble strings, because the larger string diameters create smaller spaces between string "edges" on the bass side. Stewart-MacDonald sells a string spacing ruler that helps you lay out proportional spacing for a given set of string diameters. There are also several spreadsheet programs floating around that give you the correct proportional dimensions for a given bridge width and set of string diameters.

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Gene

Politicians and diapers must be changed often, and for the same reason- Mark Twain

I also use the Stew-Mac string spacing guide. I think its goal is to lay the strings out so that the space between the strings is equal, not the center to center measurement.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

That's the beauty of a custom handmade guitar! I'm a larger guy. I prefer things on the big side especially in the fretboard. It's difficult to even get close to some guitars because they are so tight on the string spacing. I thought I was just sloppy but after playing just a little bit greater spaced guitar all my probs went away!

Guys like Page, May, Mclaughlin, Tommy Emmanuel are reasonably tall but they have these very pointy pinkies which I don't! I'm not complaining there are other advantages of reach... .

I'm pretty sure when I take a crack at building another electric I'm going to scale everything up a good 20%.... fret scale, width, everything just get a start on some of these issues.

In short, I don't believe there really is a standard, per se, in customs even though a lot of guys I'm sure build to that. The reason I'm rattling off is just to give a few of you guys something to think of when building for a client I guess.

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Billy Dean Thomas
Covina, CA

"Multi famam, conscientiam, pauci verentur."
(Many fear their reputation, few their conscience)