Official Luthiers Forum!

Fellow OLF members,

I am developing a new fretting related product and would need the input from as many of you as possible. I would like to know the following:

1- How many guitars do you typically fret per year?
2- What is the most popular nut width you use?
3- What is the most popular width at the 12th fret?
4- What is the most popular scale length?
5- What fretwire do you usually install?

To thank you for your input, I will ask Lance or Brock to randomly select one of the responding member that will eventually (I am still in the prototyping stage of my “secret project”) receive my new fretting product free of charge.

Thank you in advance!!!

Marc

Cool Marc!

1) 4-5 guitars per year
2) 1/3/4" nut
3) 2 1/8 at the 14th, I like narrow necks
4) 25.4" is what most of mine have been
5) Stew-Mac medium

But my fret jobs are pretty good now if I do say so myself - check them out......

Hesh--

Your system of registering the fretboard with the table top deserves a patent application! I'm also impressed with how effectively you have built a vintage vibe into the fretwire itself.

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Jim Howell
Charlotte, NC

I'll assist! I probably do at least 50 per year, and would be able to test it on acoustics, electrics, archtops, banjos, mandolins, you name it. All sorts of neck widths, lengths, wires sizes, I can certainly be a test for versatility if that's an objective of the tool.

I'm actually working on my own new system as well, but if someone else makes something I can use it's almost always cheaper for me to go that route.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

Briefs or boxers?

Hey, it's the only question that hasn't been asked yet....

Mario used emoticons!!!

Marc, can you give more details on your "secret"?

1- 15 / 20 fret jobs per year
2- 1.750" nut width
3- 2.350" 12th fret width
4- 25.59" (650mm)
5- Medium (Martin style) and medium tall (AllParts)

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

1- 12-15
2- varies 12 string guitar to mando, all different
3- as above
4- varies, mando, mandola and 3 different guitar scales in the last year.
5- medium for guitars & mandos bigger for basses

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My soundclick xx luthier blog xx luthier soundclick

i fret between 50-60 a year, most are refrets plus 3 to 5 of my own builds. the wire most frequently used is medium. the nut, string spacings and scale lengths vary as would be as would be expected in repair work, while most of my own are 25.4", 1.75" & 2.25".

1) 2-3 guitars per year
2) 1.68" nut width
3) 2.20" 12th fret width
4) 25.4" scale length
5) SM # 141 Medium High Frets
6) Commando

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JJ
Napa, CA
http://www.DonohueGuitars.com

5-10 per year
1.75 nut SS / 53mm classical
2 1/4 at joint width SS / 62mm classical
25.4 scale 14 fret SS / 24.9 12 fret SS / 650 & 640mm classical
Medium heigh/ Medium witdth fret wire

1- How many guitars do you typically fret per year?
4

2- What is the most popular nut width you use?
1 3/4

3- What is the most popular width at the 12th fret?
2 3/16

4- What is the most popular scale length?
25.4

5- What fretwire do you usually install?
LMI Standard Steel String

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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

Thank you Hesh (somehow I knew you would not let me down ), Laurent, Martin, Michael, JJ MichaelP, J. Brown and the others. Keep the answers coming... I need a bigger sample to try to see patterns emerging...

Laurent, unfortunately, I cannot give a lot of info right now... but soon!!! I plan to launch my new fretting product at the GAL convention in June! Hope to see you there. I will probably need test subjects to try my product before the launch... The OLF will be the first place where I will look for them!

Thank's again!!!

Marc

I understand you don't want to give away your secrets, but I'm curious of a few things. Are you aiming for a flexible tool system for all types of frets and refrets - traditional acoustics, electrics, mandolins, banjos - an adjustable one size fits all tool? Or from what you described it sounds like it may be set up to work with a particular construction style?

Don't tell me too much though, as when I post my new system here on the forum I don't want anyone to think I stole ideas from you should they overlap.

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Eschew obfuscation, espouse elucidation.

1- How many guitars do you typically fret per year? 20 to 40

2- What is the most popular nut width you use? 1 3/4"

3- What is the most popular width at the 12th fret? 2 3/16

4- What is the most popular scale length? 25.4

5- What fretwire do you usually install? Medium Stainless from Shane (50' rolls of it)

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Reguards,

Ken H

David, it is not a tool... so you do not have to worry about patent infringement ... but maybe it will work with your tool...

Thank you Ken!