About Historical Fret Position Calculation: the Rule of 18
The historical technique for calculating the location for each fret is called the Rule of 18, and it involves successively dividing the scale length minus the distance from the nut to the previous fret by 18.
Beside this, are all guitar frets spaced the same?
The spacing of the frets depends solely on the scale length of the guitar – which is easiest to understand if you think of it as being the distance between the nut and the saddle. The nut is the slotted piece that is located at the base of the headstock and establishes the string spacing at that end of the guitar neck.
Furthermore, are the frets closer together on a 12 fret guitar? The 12 fret guitar’s bridge position is closer. Smaller bodies are given more sustain since the bridge is situated closer to the low bout.
Secondly, are the frets closer together on a 3/4 guitar?
This also makes bending strings easier, especially on smaller electric guitars. In addition to a shorter scale length, ¾ Size instruments also have narrower nut width and smaller frets, meaning that the strings are closer together. This can make grabbing chords a little easier for those with smaller hands.
How high should the action be at the 12th fret?
Measuring at the 12th fret (as in the photo), the action height should be 2.6 mm for Steel String Acoustic guitar, 1.8 for electric, 2.0mm for bass and 3mm for a Classical.
What is a good string height for an acoustic guitar?
For acoustic guitars, our recommendation bumps up to 7/64th of an inch (2.78mm) on the bass side and 5/64th of an inch (1.98mm) on the treble side. These are just rules of thumb, of course. There is a considerable amount of leeway in choosing the right action height, depending on your instrument and playing style.
What is the rule of 18?
The rule is sometimes called the “rule of 18”. Basically, the position of the next fret, is the scale length, minus the displacement of the previous fret, divided by 18. It was close enough, and is still pretty close. Although the accepted number today is 17.817.
What should be the distance between fret and string?
The distance between the strings and the neck at the 12th fret should be about 1.6 millimetres (0.063 in), or the width of a dime. Hold the flat end of a ruler against the neck and measure how high the strings are. If the strings are further than 1.6 millimetres (0.063 in), (high action) you need to lower the bridge.
Where do you put frets?
Fret 12 should be your half way point on the fingerboard. Placing your finger on the 12th fret is the location where the string will vibrate twice as fast, thus producing a sound that is an octave higher than the open string.
Why do I get fret buzz?
There you have it. Three common causes for fret buzz: (1) uneven frets (2) excessively low string action, and (3) a back bowed neck. Just one of these problems is enough to cause fret buzz, but often times a guitar has a combination of these three problems all at once.