Im also looking for a printable string spacing gauge. I was not be able to print a full size template from a guitar body. Our knowledge base contains over 28,000 expertly written tech articles that will give you answers and help you get the most out of your gear. The actual nut width will vary from guitar to guitar. Radius gauges for a beginner learning to do setups the. Use the top radius of this gauge to determine the proper height adjustment for the bridge saddles. If youre going to be doing this regularly, it might be worth buying a good set but my free, downloadable, radius gauges will definitely do the trick for a while. Hmm its a matter of doing the gauge pattern in inkscape, a vector drawing tool. This set is the perfect set for easy, quick radius measurement and simple layout. The margin between the end of the nut and the outside edges of the 1st and 6th strings varies dependent on the bevel angle of the frets. Then, after loosening your strings, find which of the templates fits the radius of your.
If you cant find what youre looking for here, check the shop for more options. Cutout radius gauge carefully cut out this radius gauge to check your saddle. You can click to open a new window and show the printable radius gauge pdf. Fantastic eye catching guitar for the money and very well built, accept for the frets. Why not take the pdf to kinkos or fedex whatever its called now and have them.
Hello julien, i just recently built my first acoustic guitar using the same book and posted this picstory of the entire build process. Dan erlewine demos three different gauges used for guitar setup and fretwork. This is going to make life a whole lot easier and save me some money into the bargain. String actionbridge radius setup with ken mercer duration. The following table lists common fretboard radii used by major manufacturer. Next were going to import the pdf plan into inkscape. A radius gauge is used to compare the height of each string in respect to the radius of the fertboard. Each gauge is clearly marked with the corresponding measurements of each size radius. If you know the radius of your arc, and the chord length arc width, and need to find the height to draw the template, enter radius and chord and hit calculate height to calculate the height of the arc.
As promised in number 4, here are the instructions to make your own fret board radius gauges. How to adjust a guitar bridge with diy radius gauges youtube. Stewmac understring radius gauge tool, set of 9, standard width for guitar setup, stainless steel. Uncheck chord and dimensions to remove bottom chord, labels and dimensions. I made a nut centerline calculator in excel as pictured below. Fretboard radius explained weve found over the years that feel is what really draws a player to a certain guitar. Print them, cut them out, and youve got one of the handiest tools in your guitar or bass setup toolkit. Guitar understring radius gauges by printbit thingiverse. Free radius gauges and their many uses haze guitars. How to adjust a guitar bridge with diy radius gauges. Its used for bridge types that adjusts every string independently like fender strat tremolos. The bottom radius can also be used to set pickup polepiece height to the string radius.
Son strummer set of premium luthier tools tool kit includes 9 understring radius gauge, 1 pin puller, 1 string action gauge ruler, 2 fingerboard fret protector guards for guitar bass setup. Understring radius gauge for guitar and bass setup. Does anyone know where i can get a printout of a string heightaction gauge. Make a paper template sketch out your peghead design on a piece of heavy paper and cut it to shape with scissors. Here is a free printable guitar action gauge i posted on my personal site for anyone who is looking to reset the action on their guitar or bass. Guitar template sides 5cm about 100cm the step you create by cutting away a strip of one of the layers of the cardboard will allow it to slot in and create a clean edge on the guitar body. Fenderphil many thanks for the link to the neck radius gauge pdf. Guitar radius gauges quickly find the curvature of a fingerboard or bridge with the set of radius gauges. Brazilian rosewood fingerboard for guitar luthier, crafts exotic lumber nigra. Use the thumb screw or thimble exact designs vary to adjust the curve of the flexible band, until the contact is a perfect fit. I show you how i go about adjusting a stratocaster style guitar bridge with a drill bit feeler gauge and a free radius gauge template. I made radius templates with some scrap wood, traced the radius onto the braces and then shaped them with planes, chisels and sandpaper. Unfinished lp style electric guitar diy kit topsolid mahogany body neck gift. If you really want something solid, you could even tonetransfer it to a pcb using a laser printer and etch it if you feel you can achieve such thin.
Printable adjustable arc templates with vernier inch. Sure the aesthetics are what may first catch ones eye, but in our experience it is the feel that gives a player that got to have it syndrome. Just paste them to a piece of card a cereal box works fine and cut them out. Neck radius gauge instructions 1 print out on a card stock check the 1 block for accuracy. Use them to measure fret board radius, saddle radius nut radius accurately and check your work as you smooth or shape a fingerboard or frets. Free printable radius gauges the acoustic guitar forum. A setup guide im reading suggests you cut out a set of radius gauges from plastic using a template.
All templates available here are left intact with respect for the original publishers. If you wish to use it on your own site, please contact guitarhack and we will try to assist you. Were going to do the intonation on your guitar, too. Each side of the guitar requires two strips, which should be accurately trimmed where they meet the body blocks. The spacing between the strings needs to be uniform, which varies with the string gauge you use. I used the stew mac understring radius gauge to adjust the string height on my fender am. On my guitars and ukuleles, i also provide an arch from front to back or from head block to tail block. To optimize your guitars playability, it is recommended that the string heights should match the radius of the fret board. I have a michael kelly patrio special lp copy guitar 24 34 scale i had it setup with a 1052 gauge strings with. Nut rule string spacing in pdf telecaster guitar forum.
Calculate adjust and print large diameter arc templates. Before we start, you can download a printable set of radius gauges for freesies if you like. I had a need to check a fretboard radius after removing the strings. These gauges helped me 1 figure out the radius on my guitar, and 2 set the correct radius so that i could get the action low without buzz and choking out notes while bending. I also put a quick description of what youre trying to do and you can also look up videos on youtube for more assistance or leave me questions in the comments below. Guitar parts center makes and sells custom parts and guitar building tools. In the late 60s the blues influenced musical styles and guitar players began stretching. Go here i used an empty plastic ice cream tub to transfer gauge. A set of radius gauges should form part of the toolkit of anyone doing any sort of guitar setup. At times we need to know the radius of our guitar neck and this site has a free download template with. I only own one bass, and its a 200809 mim fender jazz so i can assume the radius is 7.
I was trying to do this adjustment by feel and eye, and lets just say i needed these gauges. Guitars commonly have a compound radius, meaning the curvature changes from the nut to the end of the fingerboard. Back plate arch template genone luthier supply blog. Choose file import or ctrli and select the pdf file. Sign up for a completely free set of printable radius gauges. Click here if you are unsure of your guitars radius. Ukulele backs on our plans are all the same as well. When youre setting up a guitar or bass, its great to. I didnt have the need for a set of metal radius gauges and for quickie onetime use i made these accurate templates. If you do any guitar work, you need a set to measure the fingerboard radius and set the radius of the bridge. Free guitar neck radius gauge answered at times we need to know the radius of our guitar neck and this site has a free download template with all the options on, i. Radius gauges for a beginner learning to do setups discussion in guitars in general started by rabbuhl, jan 14. A simple tool to help you get your guitar playing its best.
Then simply print it on a thick sheet of paper and then accurately cut the gauge border using a sharp cutter. Most guitar arching uses the same arch radius over the entire length of the back plate. To achieve a perfect fit, the thalia capo comes with multiple interchangable fretpads so that you can match the fretboard radius of your specific instrument. Please sign in to your account to see your pricing, which may be different from the price displayed.