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hello everyone, i recently drawing up my inlay for my fretboard and just realized that the fretboard and neck are pretty wide (approx. 66 mm @12th fret and 56 mm at nut). i checked the drawings but the only measurement i found was for the 12th fret which states 60 mm @ 12th fret. i am building from a 1937 hauser classical guitar plan. how do i resize the neck and fretboard before i start the inlay on the fretboard? i have a table saw if i can use that.

just talked with john and he cleared up most of my questions. i am still not sure of the fretboard width at the nut. the plans i have dont show.   i am going to go with 60 mm at the 12th fret. does anyone have any suggestions for fretboard size at the nut?

Hey kamaK,

Brace yourself, here's ANOTHER reference to Kathy Matsushita's luthier website. It shows her fingerboard taper jig for use w/ tablesaw. It's really a holder for the fingerboard. The jig part of it (making a precise cut over and over again) isn't really a part of the pic but it seems fairly obvious how you could install a piece to provide a consistent taper. fingerboard taper jig

1 3/4 "(44.5mm) for fingerstyle. 1 11/16" (43mm)for a strummer flat picker. That is a good starting point, but you may want to be a bit wider if you have big hands.

Here are a couple of pictures of a simple sled I made to cut fingerboards. It is easy to make and very accurate.

_________________
"An adventure is only an inconvenience rightly considered. An inconvenience is an adventure wrongly considered." G. K. Chesterton.

Kama K

I usually use 44mm/45mm for the nut if I am aming for 60mm at the Bridge for Fingerstyle Playing, your string spacing at the bridge should be 60mm ish working with that taper.

I've got a little programme for calculating fretboard tapers, Which Colin S let me have, it runs in acrobat reader. If you would like a copy PM me.

Steve

On you jig there is adjustable for different tapers ?

the bulb on top of my head has lighten up! thanks. steve when you use 1 3/4" at the nut, what is the 12th fret measurement you use? is this for a classical guitar?

russell, are the measurements you gave for a 12 or 14 fret to body guitar. im building a 12 fret classical, which ill be using for fingerstyle playing. any suggestions?

Hi Kama

Weather you use 12 or 14 clear the taper would still work the same, what will effect it is the scale length.

Is the Scale 660mm ?

I Just did the numbers and on a 660mm Scale if you were 44mm Neck Width (38mm String Spacing) at the nut and 60mm at the 12the fret you would be at almost 70mm string spacing by the time you hit the bridge.

I'm not a classical builder, so don't know if this is near right for a classical, sounds very wide to me.

If you want a 44mm spacing at the nut and 60mm string spacing at the bridge, you need to be 55.3mm at the 12th fret for an even spacing from the edge of the board all the way down, some people prefer the inset to get a bit wider as you head towards the bridge in which case you could push the 12th fret out to 56/57mm depending how much you want the space from the edge to increase.

Hope this helps a little

Russell

Kama, best way is to make a full scale drawing of the nut to bridge. For a 650 scale classical (I'm currently working on one. I'm using a 54mm nut and 60mm bridge spacing, The fingerboard width at the 12th fret is usually about the same as the string spacing at the bridge or a couple of mm wider.

See here on the Jigs/tools resourse for Sylvan Wells simple fingerboard taper jig.

Sylvan's jig

ColinColin S38763.2542013889

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

Hi Colin

Are Classicals usually that wide at the nut ?

I agree on the sort of taper you have there 12th and bridge are going to similiar, I did a couple for a customer who likes his guitars narrow at the nut and wide at the bridge, so because of the additional taper this doesn't work out. Thats where your little program comes in Colin, I actually drew them out in AutoCAD too to check its accuracy and it works.RussellR38763.293275463

I think Cumpiano has 53mm nut, 62mm 12th fret and 60mm bridge. Don't forget, I'm a classical guitar virgin so I just do what the plan , (and Joshua) tell me.

Colin

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

KAMAK,
A good parameter for a classical fretboard is 52mm at the nut and 62mm at the 12th fret. You can adjust a millimeter or two depending on your hand size.

Hi KamaK,

The only guitars I have built so far have all been versions of the 1937 Hauser. I also bought a Hauser model built by David Schramm (can you tell I like this style?) Anyhow, if you want to be true to the '37 Hauser, your nut should be 51mm, neck width at 12th fret is 60mm, scale length is 650mm (although you should adjust that for the player, but 650 is most common). Are you building from the plans drawn up by Brune? If not, his plan is very good and is worth buying from GAL.   

When you get to the bracing, shoot me an e-mail. You can do the original '37 Hauser bracing, or a modified version which is done on the Hauser III guitars being built today. I think the new bracing is better and produces more sound/tonal quality.

Good luck!

John