Official Luthiers Forum!

Still working on my first OM and using this plan I came up with from the center of the outside edge of the nut (facing towards the FB) to the front center edge of the saddle I get 639mm. From the front of the nut (toward headstock) to the center front edge of the saddle is 645 mm or roughly 25.4in . I/m confused , According to my math the scale should be 639mm not 645.2 or 25.4 as stated on the plan ?? where am I making a mistake . Just finished the fingerboard and don/t want to make mistakes . Anyone used this plan? help?

Don't measure from the back edge of the nut. Always measure from the side that joins the fretboard. Also, not a good idea to take string length measurements from a plan. They are not that accurate.

Thanks barry, that/s what I/m guessing .Have an accurate template made by a machinest for 25.4 so will use that.

I've made 3 OMs to the Kinkade plan now with the standard SM martin 25.34 scale template, no issues.
I now use 1/4" for X braces, after finding the first overbraced when using the sizes on the plan.
Also, seem to remember the first top was around 3mm as per plan - a bit on the stiff side if you are using decent sitka!

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Thanks everyone I will stick to the 25.4in L as that is what I have for my template/fret slotting setup. The top on this OM is 50 yr old D. fir salvaged from a shed in st louis. It seemed vy hard and stiff so I thinned it to .095. I haven/t glued the top on but I followed theplan sizes for the UTB. Todd did you mean the UTB on the plan is way too high/ thick ??.What would be an optimum thickness/height ??

Thanks Todd for the explanation. Your remarks seem to dovetail with the latest article in GAL by j . greven abt pre- war martin bracing patterns/voicing.