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fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 10:51 pm
by peter havriluk
I became curious this evening and took a digital caliper to my built-under-instruction dreadnaught to see what the nut width and bridge string spacing were. The nut (no surprise) was 1 11/16", and the bridge string spacing was (surprise!) 2 1/8". Is that string spacing for the bridge in common use? And what might be the characteristics of the spacing as seen by the player? The scale length, if that has any import, is 25.34".
Any insights/observations will be appreciated.
Thanks, folks.
Re: fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:28 pm
by Dave Bagwill
Much ado has been made by boutique builders about the huge advantage, to finger-style players, of the 2 3/8" string spacing.
Phooey. If a player likes it, it's good. I happen to like that spacing, but my students aren't particularly impressed by it.
That being said, flatpickers and strummers mostly are happy with the 2 1/8" - 2 1/4" spacing.
On a dred sized instrument, that 2 1/8" would be about right I would think.
Re: fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 11:33 pm
by John Parchem
Dave beat me but for strumming or flat picking 2 1/8" sounds OK to me, with a custom built guitar to some extent it is a preference. I am a finger picker but I want the extra width closer to the nut not the bridge.
Re: fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 1:40 am
by John Link
One of the facts that has always caught my attention is that classical players, the ultimate "finger pickers", like such a wide fingerboard.
Re: fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 9:44 am
by ken cierp
Here you go
http://www.martinguitar.com/featuresmat ... hapes.html
Pin spacing is usually the same as the 12th fret measurement.
Re: fingerboard & bridge width?
Posted: Tue Sep 23, 2014 11:47 am
by peter havriluk
Thanks to all. Ken, the Martin link tells many tales. Much information. Much obliged.