Multiscale Peghead Scarf Joint

by Harry Fleishman

Originally published in American Lutherie #118, 2014



MultiScale fretboards, once so unusual and exotic, not to say controversial, are becoming more accepted as their potential benefits are enjoyed by many musicians. I personally find that the multiscale board is especially beneficial for multistring basses, where it can give the low B a longer, more massive scale, thereby giving a deeper, more massive tone. Similarly, on the guitar, a longer-scale low string countered with a shorter-scale high string can give a nice smooth transition from the deeper low range to the sweeter high range.

Obviously, there are many ways to realize a multiscale instrument, from the decision about which, if any, fret is perpendicular to the centerline; to what scales to choose for the long and short of it. As one of the developers of the multiscale fretboard in the modern era, with arithmetician John Starrett, I have done a great deal of experimenting with it and the many ways to do it.