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Hello,

I'm wondering if you guys have recommendations on a precision straight edge that is at the right quality to build with but not $120 bucks? It would be used for neck set, truss rod adjustment, etc...

Thanks!
Brad

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iGaging makes a good one, which also has 1/64" marks so it doubles as a long ruler. Lots of places carry them.

Why so long?
I use a 12" steel ruler for adjusting truss rods, and an 18" one for neck angle.

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John

Honestly, I bought a 36" about ten years ago and have only used it a handful of times. It's just not really practical. I thought it would be for measuring scale length, and it is, but it's just as easy to measure from the 12th fret too.

Ok, good feedback. I was thinking I could use it when squaring the bridge as well but maybe I could of just use a typical 36 ruler for that?

12 and 18 from SM I could be OK with the price. Dennis, I'll check that one out as well. Thanks for the help!


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The full length plus graduations is nice for positioning the bridge. Even though the length measurement is best done relative to the 12th fret, the side-to-side placement is better if you can put one end of the straightedge at the nut, right where the string slot will be, and then position the bridge pin hole underneath the other end, and see the string-to-board-edge gap along the whole length of the board all at once.

But you don't exactly need perfect straightness for that, so a ruler would work as well. But they're usually about the same price as the iGaging straightedge.

I love my 36" precision rule... I think I got it at MSC Industrial Supply. It's graduated in standard units on one side, but 1/10" and 1/100" on the other side. I find it indispensable for locating the bridge at the right location on the top. I suppose I could simply cut some templates for whatever scale length I use to set against the nut and then mark, but I find using it to be a wonderful opportunity to express my OCD / anal retentive side...

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

Oh...

https://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/91098897

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"I want to know what kind of pickups Vince Gill uses in his Tele, because if I had those, as good of a player as I am, I'm sure I could make it sound like that.
Only badly."

I use my 24" for everything except locating bridge position - it's a lot more manageable than a 36" & the price is about half.

If you can live with less common graduations, like 50th's and 100th's, you can often find them on Ebay for a lot less than the popular 4R graduations.

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I'm not a luthier.
I'm just a guy who builds guitars in his basement.
It's better than playing golf.

I don't see the need for 36" if its for guitar making. My rulers and straight edges we purchased from a couple of different drafting supply houses. Can't remember which ones.

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Ken Cierp

http://www.kennethmichaelguitars.com/

+1 on the igaging, the best price I found was from Taylortools.
Lee valley also has their own brand, also quite reasonable.

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My memory is so good, sometimes I remember things that never happened.

Are you looking for a straight edge or a scale?
If all you want is a straight edge go buy a piece of Starrett ground tool steel 3/16" X 2" x 36", or whatever size works for you. Should save you some $$.

Tim

Just a straight edge. I will look into this, Tim. Thanks for the tip!!


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Lee Valley. http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.aspx?p=56676&cat=1,240,45313,56676 . 24" is great for guitar work.

Bob

Ground tool steel will very accurate in the thickness dimension, but no guarantee on the length.

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Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

I use aluminium bar, about 50 mm wide, 3 mm thick, cut to length. I checked several by holding the edges up against each other. I use a long section along the neck to bridge to check for saddle height. A shorter for neck/truss rod and fret level checks.
I have a steel straight edge as well but the Aluminium being light is easier to handle.

I use the Lee Valley aluminum straight edge. Bought the 38" bar and cut what I wanted. It is convenient for setting neck angles above the bridge although I get the same results with a machinists stainless ruler. The straight edge is nice because it will sit on the fret board without falling over. I also have a steel straight edge but don't like it; it's too heavy and if it tips over on the guitar it's more likely to damage the top.

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Steve Smith
"Music is what feelings sound like"

+1

OK...I was a bit butterfingered one day and lost control of the 24" straightedge. Fortunately, it just nicked some lacquer and ended up on the bench, but it got me thinking about whether lighter, less expensive tools were available that were like Harbor Freight versus Starrett calipers - functional but closer to throw away if the worst happened.

From what I found, precision straight edges are never throw-away tools - they cost about $40-$60 per foot in steel and about $20 per foot in aluminum. Even used tools - if they can be found and have not been abused - are not cheap, but with repair shop labor at about $100 per hour, it does not make sense to spend less than what is needed to get at least the shorter lengths of either precision ground tool steel stock or finished, certified-for-accuracy tools for fret work and other jobs. We have a 36" Woodpecker aluminum straight edge in the shop, but I don't recall it ever being used while I was present. The 36" Starrett rule gets a lot more use - very common to see rough positioning of bridge for setting neck angle or to find unknown scale lengths on repair work.

We protect the straight edges - they never are allowed to sit out unattended. One thing about the Woodpecker tool i like is the MDF holder that protects the edges, but it takes up an amazing amount of room and probably contributes to the lack of use.

Steel straight edges of .001"-.0015" accuracy over the 36" length seems to go for at least $100, versus the aluminum variety offered by both Lee Valley and Woodpecker/Woodcraft. Instead of the .0015" accuracy of the steel tool, Lee Valley and Woodpecker give .003" over 36" at about half the price of an imported straight edge.

You can find the Lee Valley aluminum variants from the link above; here's the link for the Woodpecker/Woodcraft tool:

http://www.woodcraft.com/product/154074 ... 6inch.aspx

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Thanks, Woodie! I had looked at that one at Woodcraft as an affordable option. I grabbed the shorter 12 / 24" lengths per the recommendations above, but I'll grab this one over the weekend if my local Woodcraft has it. Thanks for the help!

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http://www.leevalley.com/en/wood/page.a ... 45313&ap=1
I have these, and is nice that they stand up on their own for some tasks.

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Pat