Measuring the scale length of jackson soloist note. Scale length and fret positions the scale length has an affect on the tone and feel of the guitar. But it hasnt been traditional steel guitar music and bar slants werent an issue. By using this tool, you can determine the length fingerboard you should purchase. Measure fret spacingprintable fret template handmade. The parallel lines of the frets and string work in.
For a new calculation hit the reload button of your browser. Guitar scale lengths are usually between 24 and 26. This page accurately calculates the position of the fret slots for guitars and. Some common guitar scales expressed in inches and millimetres. It doesnt print a template but will give distances in inches or mm, its more precise to choose mm. Of the minor chord and of the major chord means they are notes of the major or minor chord. For the musical rather than instrumental scale, see pythagorean tuning. Select based on if you entered a scale length of inches or millimeters. Using this calculator you specify the scale length for the other strings, then if you specify the fret number as, say, 2 it will return the offset from the nut of a fret placed two fret positions behind the nut. However, you rarely hear a guitar player mention scale length, and scale length has a significant impact on both playability and tone. The scale length in decimal inches is the only thing that needs input from the user.
It will allow you to enter what scale length you desire and where each fret will be, including which frets to leave out for diatonic fretting. Lets say the scale length of the instrument we want to calculate fret. Oct 14, 2015 when you think about it, its fascinating how much a fraction of an inch in scalelength difference can affect an acoustic guitars tone much has been written about scale length and how it relates to playability, but it seems that less is said about how tone relates to scale. You can also calculate map scale, distance on map and distance in real life on map scale calculator page. A common scale used and is seen on most fender, is 25. I just tried it and was able to download a pdf of 25. Youll also learn chord construction, scale construction, ear training and music theory. Just input your desired scale, the number of desired frets and press the button and you will have it in both fractional inches and millimeters. This will also provide you with nuttofret and frettofret dimensions.
This fret scale and fingerboard length calculator can be used to calculate fret scale and fingerboard length. Calculate fret placement for guitar, bass, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, and more in. Enter the scale length and number of frets and fret specs pro will output the measurements for fret spacing, fret to fret, nut to fret and fret to bridge measurements are. Whats the difference between longscale and shortscale guitars, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each. Would you like to play wonderful solos up and down the neck. Fret scale and fingerboard length calculator luthiers. Its easy to understand once you know but its also a bit of a confusing way to do it so if you dont know it would be hard to figure it out for yourself. This free tool is an interactive guitar software that helps you learn the fretboard patterns for tons of different scales and arpeggios.
T his guitar scales fretboard chart generator will show you all the major and minor guitar scales and modes with tons of customizable tunings. Stewart macdonald provides a free guitar scale calculator. You might have seen the term scale length when looking at guitar specs and wondered what is scale length on a guitar. What is the most common, or preferred scale length for a non pedal console type steel, not lap. How to measure scale length on a guitar to measure the scale length of a guitar, you simply measure the distance from the edge of the nut to the center of the 12th fret and multiply that measurement by two. Electric ukulele land has a powerful tool to help make fretboards. Welcome to the ultimate guide to guitar scales on the internet. Ive just had a number of sessions where ive used my 12string lap guitar. The scale length or scale of a string instrument is the maximum vibrating length of the strings that produce sound, and determines the range of tones that string can produce at a given tension. Listen and play back the scales or chords or view the patterns.
This application allows guitarists to display, create, hear, and search for scales based on chords, progressions, note sequences, or names. The stewmac fret calculator can give you fret measurements for many different instruments. Shorter scale lengths bring the notes closer together making. We have a free fret spacing calculator right here on the site. An indispensable tool for luthiers guitar and other stringed instrument makers.
The best free guitar scales reference charts and tabs to learn how to play commonly used guitar scales. Guitar makers will find this program very handy for custom scale length guitars. Oct 05, 2012 electric ukulele land has a powerful tool to help make fretboards. Im looking for a guitar that has a 27 scale length yeah im a giant, my arm length from middle finger to middle finger is 64. The fender triple that cindy cashdollar plays on her dvd has a tonesound that is pleasing to my ear, and was wonder what scale length that guitar has, and difference in sound scale length makes. Adjust the width or height of the fretboard to suit your playing style or device. You can then copy and print this and make your very own guitar scale template. Just select your string tuning standard tuning is default, click the link that says go then click a key link. Sep 12, 2018 fret specs pro is a fret calculator for the stringed instrument craftsman and luthier. Imagine you took a strat in standard tuning and capod it at the first fret. Jguitars scale calculator will draw scale diagrams showing the fretboard with notes in the selected scale highlighted.
If you want fret distances in inches enter your scale length in inches. Jun 26, 2018 you might have seen the term scale length when looking at guitar specs and wondered what is scale length on a guitar. Shane speal breaks down howlin wolfs i aint superstitious into a version playable on cigar box guitar. Download fretcalc determine the distance between nut and frets, as well as fret to fret by writing down the length and number of frets, while choosing the desired calculus method.
To calculate fret spacing for any instrument just enter in the scale length also known as the vibrating length. An acoustic guitar is a wooden instrument thats shaped like the number eight and has a hole at its middle part. When building a guitar or bass and cutting your own fretboard slots versus. I know this may sound stupid, but how do i calculate scale length. Here we take a look at what a guitar scale length is, how it affects tone, tension, and playability, and learn a little about the history of the fanned fretboard. The long and short of it scale length has a substantial influence on a guitars properties. When you think about it, its fascinating how much a fraction of an inch in scalelength difference can affect an acoustic guitars tone much has been written about scale length and how it relates to playability, but it seems that less is said about how tone relates to scale.
If youve seen scale length in any guitar specs youve. Scale length the howto repository for the cigar box guitar. Below youll find every scale youre ever likely to need in tab, notation and fretboard pattern diagram form. Guitar scale assistant is a java based guitar application. The main thing to remember is no matter what scale you decide to use, the distance from the nut to the 12th fret, and 12th fret to bridge needs to be equal distance to match the overall scale. This fret calculator works really well although scale lengths are often measured in inches, we are going to use millimeter for these examples. Simply enter the the number of frets and the scale length in millimetres then press the calculate button for an instant result. Gitty also has a number of templates that can help make this process even easier. How scale length affects tone fender one of the most common scale lengths is the fender 2512 guitar scale. Oct 24, 2016 download fretcalc determine the distance between nut and frets, as well as fret to fret by writing down the length and number of frets, while choosing the desired calculus method. Jan 07, 2016 here we take a look at what a guitar scale length is, how it affects tone, tension, and playability, and learn a little about the history of the fanned fretboard. There are a few online fret calculators that will give you the fret spacing for any given scale length. Adjust the start fret option to further highlight a finger pattern for playing the selected scale in a different position on the fretboard.
Long scale fenderstyle bass guitar for an explanation of the gibson scale length changes over the years see. Play to a clickbacking tracks and solo improvise in any key create your own riffs and songs. Jun 21, 20 however, you rarely hear a guitar player mention scale length, and scale length has a significant impact on both playability and tone. Found on stratocasters, telecasters, and the huge variety of instruments inspired by them as well as the replacement, and custom parts available for them. But it also raises the pitches of the strings a halfstep. Download fretcalc determine the distance between nut and frets, as well as fret to fret by writing down the length and number of frets, while. The scale length of an instrument is the distance from the nut to the bridge. Now you can learn chords and scales across the entire fretboard with this valuable resource that implements several features in a single guitar tool. You can figure these out by using the very first calculator above, the one that only provides the fret offset from the nut for a single fret, given the scale length and fret number. A piano, however, has different scale lengths to make it easier to cover a greater range of pitches.
Scale length tends to be thought of as the distance from the nut to the bridge saddles string length. Fret specs pro is a fret calculator for the stringed instrument craftsman and luthier. For example, a violin has a shorter scale length than a viola. Dec 23, 2009 there are a few online fret calculators that will give you the fret spacing for any given scale length.
Fret calculator guitar building books and guitar making. To use the calculator, simply enter the desired scale length of the. Free guitar scales pdf 84 scale and arpeggios chart. Learn new guitar scales all over the neck, introduce new sounds to your solos and improve your. Scale lengths vary depending on overall size of the instrument. Often mistaken as a classical guitar, an acoustic guitar is hollow and is composed of six strings made of steel. Enter the scale length in millimeters if you need millimeters. Please note, the fret calculator will not convert scale lengths, you can use our. Enter the scale length and number of frets and fret specs pro will output the measurements for fret spacing, fret to fret, nut to fret and fret to bridge measurements are calculated. It impacts both how a guitar feels in the hands of the player as well as how the strings themselves feel when played. You can use the scales on this page for improvisation, songwriting and building up finger speed dexterity. Guitar scales guitar scales regardless what instrument you play, learning to play scales is a rite of passage. This is the foundation to becoming a learned musician, rather than merely a recreational player.
Free guitar templates available to download all plans are provided in pdf format, and printable 1. The scale length of a guitar has a large impact on the sound and feel of the guitar. The strings feel tighter and sound brighter more twangy. Guitar calculator pro is a guitar chord chart and scale chart. Learn scales, chords and modes in any position with this fully functional guitar simulator. Since scale length affects string tension it also affects the suitability of certain guitars for certain styles of play. Heres a free guitar scales pdf ebook 22 pages with plenty of scales and arpeggios patterns. Measure fret spacingprintable fret template handmade music. You enter the scale length expressed in the units of your choice and the. If you know your scale in millimeters you have to convert to decimal inches. The ebook contains the most important scales for beginners, such as major and minor, but shows also more advanced. There are javascript calculators that uses that formula here, too. Diatonic dulcimerstyle fretting what it is, how and why. If you find this utility useful, please link your site to this page.
Calculating fret positions liutaio mottola lutherie. Longer scale lengths give more room for your fingers and allow more space for the pickups and extra frets. Selecting your instrument also calculates the bridge position for proper intonation. Simply enter the the number of frets and the scale length in millimetres. The scale length of a guitar is always twice the length from the front of the nut or zero fret to the 12th fret. Please note, the fret calculator will not convert scale lengths, you can use our measurement converter to convert your scale length. The scale length is a major determinant for the pitch range of the instrument. The capo acts moreorless like a new nut, shortening the effective scale length of the strings to roughly that of a les paul. See gregory byers nice paper on classic guitar intonation for more. For each scale, you can learn a number of different shapes and patterns, depending on the zone of the fretboard youre working on. Get adobe reader download the free adobe reader from.