String Spacing Question

Rocky Hill · Post by **Rocky Hill** » 10 Apr 2008 9:21 am

What is the general consensus on spacing with a build. I'm going with .375 at the bridge. Do most taper at the nut or should I stay parallel the length of the fret board.

I was planning on staying .375 the full length, 24' scale. Reasons for and against.

Rocky

Felix Blevins · Post by **Felix Blevins** » 10 Apr 2008 9:30 am

I am by no means an expert on this but I would say that your .375 is pretty standard. One advantage to keeping the string spacing the same at the nut is that it makes slants easier if the strings are not too close.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 10 Apr 2008 9:53 am

.375 / 3/8" spacing nut to bridge is great and seems to be most players preference.

Rocky Hill · Post by **Rocky Hill** » 10 Apr 2008 11:31 am

I've seen the .375 at the bridge to .312 at nut. I was curious as to the most accepted practice.

Rocky

Garry Vanderlinde · Post by **Garry Vanderlinde** » 11 Apr 2008 9:44 pm

What a coincidence you should ask this. I just measured some of my vintage guitars for a project I'm working on...

The Fender Champ and Studio Deluxe which are 6-string(22.5" scale) models have 3/8" at the bridge and 3/8" at the nut. They are the only models to have the same spacing at both ends, at least on the guitars that I own.

Fender Stringmaster(24.5") and single neck Deluxe 8(22.5") have 3/8" at the bridge and 5/16" at the nut as well as the 400 pedal models(23"scale).

Rickenbacker Bakelite’s also have approx. 3/8" at the bridge and narrow to approx. 5/16"and 1/4" at the nut also but I was surprised that they varied by 1/32" or so from string to string at the bridge and the nut

.

So the consensus is wider at the bridge than the nut. YMMV

I have no idea why

Edward Meisse · Post by **Edward Meisse** » 11 Apr 2008 11:43 pm

I think Candler makes theirs 7/16 at the bridge and 5/16 at the nut. I like that arrangement alot.

Tarmo Heikkinen · Post by **Tarmo Heikkinen** » 12 Apr 2008 1:04 am

I like parallel fretboard, I think it makes slants easier for me. But I don't believe it's a big deal, anything goes.

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 12 Apr 2008 3:55 am

Tapered. The speed of individual notes on the inside strings is enhanced with a tapered spacing.

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 13 Apr 2008 5:51 am

Tarmo Heikkinen wrote:I like parallel fretboard, I think it makes slants easier for me....

Tarmo, if you look at the geometry, the difference in bar positioning to take account of tapered strings is extremely small, less than comes within the range of the tremolo applied.

Tarmo Heikkinen · Post by **Tarmo Heikkinen** » 13 Apr 2008 6:55 am

Yes Alan, you are right.Difference is almost theoretical.