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Please help me with this compensaton question about bottom string lengths and exactly how they should be measured.

My scale length os 24.6". Compensation needs to be added to this number. This short scale guitar will be played with light gage strings (12's) with medium action height at 12th fret (~6/64" on bass E). Nut action will be low, a hair above fret height.

My understanding is that my high E string length needs to be 24.6"+1/16"= 24.6625", measured from the nut face at the high E postion to the center of the saddle at the high E postion. Is this correct? If not what should the high E compensation be and EXADCTLY how should it be measure?

My understanding is that my bass E string length needs to be 24.6"+3/16"= 24.7875", measured from the nut face at the high E postion to the center of the saddle at the high E postion. Is this correct? If not what should the bass E compensation be and EXADCTLY how should it be measure?

This should be basic information, but I have not found it on the web. The book I have is specific.

Thanks,
Ed

You were doing fine until you got to the part about measuring your bass strings from the location of your treble strings. The measurement is from Nut face to Saddle centerline on whatever string you want to do.

Why not measure the Bass E string length by starting at your nut at the Bass E string and then go straight down to the saddle centerline for your Bass string?

This way, you have the treble end of the bridge location set and the Bass end of the bridge location set.... Once you get this done, you can mark out your bridge location for gluing.

In terms of how much compensation do you give it?
Check out Stew Mac's fretboard calculator. It will get you close enough that you won't be able to tell a 12th fret intonation error on a tuner with several string gages...

Good luck

John

Thank you John.

I cut and pasted for the bass string measurement and forgot to change "treble" to "bass". I meant to say measure from bass slot of the nut face to the bass string side of the saddle center. So I know you were reading carefully what I failed to write carefully. Good catch.

I wonder why Hideo K. says to measure to the front face of the saddle instead of the center? It seemed odd to me. But I guess it is not a big difference, just a half saddle thickness. But every little bit helps and measuring to the saddle center allows one to go either direction to fine tune the intonation. Any thoughts on why Hideo K. measured to the saddle face?

Thanks,
Ed

I would guess he tells people this way because that is how he builds his guitars.....
He sets up the compensation to be at the front of the saddle rather than the centerline.... and if you design things that way, it will work just fine.... just make good notes about how you plan to set it up before you do it!

I do like having the bit of wiggle room to adjust compensation if I need to with the setup to the Center of the saddle....

Good luck

John