Fret Spacing Without a Calculator

by Scott Antes

Originally published in Guild of American Luthiers Data Sheet #11, 1975



In Calculating Fret Scales, Data Sheet #4, we discussed fret scale calculation with the use of an electronic calculator. This data sheet is for use by those who either have no access to such a calculator, are too proud to use one, or who are interested in making only a partial fret scale; for instance, that of a dulcimer.

And a short addendum to DS #4, please note that in any fret scale, the point known as ‘bridge’ is a hypothetical point at which the actual bridge would be located if the string height and fret height were both zero, or if a number of other impossible conditions were to exist.

The hypothetical bridge point exists for calculation purposes only. To find the actual bridge point, the amount of compensation deemed necessary is added to the hypothetical string length from which the fret scale was calculated.