Scale Length

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MichaelPfenning

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I was the LMI site and they sell pre slotted fret boards. I thought concert ukuleles had a 15 inch scale length but their pre slotted boards are 14.7 inches. So my first question is what difference would it make 14.7 or 15 inch. And what would be a reasonable munger of frets for a concert uke. I was thinking about 18. I planning to use the fret board as a template and a fret cutting jig the six string Guitars has on his u tube page.
 
The shorter fretboard will mean the strings have a little less tension.

Number of frets is decided by (a) how high you want to play, and (b) aesthetics. On the latter, you have to decide where you want your neck/body join to be, and it generally looks best if there is a fret at the join. Traditional choices are 12, 14 or 15, though 13 is not unknown. One important factor is where you place the bridge, which should ideally be in the middle of the lower bout. So if you have chosen your body shape and size, that will give you one answer. Or you can choose scale and join position and then design your body to fit that.

I think an odd number of frets over the body looks best, but that's a matter of personal choice.
 
I just ordered a fret board from LMI I went with a 15 inch scale length with fifteen frets. I was planning on joining the fret board so the 12 th fret is at the joint between the ned and the body with 3 frets past the joint. The problem is I'm not sure where to place the nut. If i place the 12 th fret at the body it seem like the nut would be too far from the peg head. If I put the 13 th fret at the body it seem more correct.I attached a picture maybe someone could help me. The other question is what do you do with the last 1/4 inch on the fret board ? cut it off?? One picture with the fret board positioned at the 12 th and the other at the 13th. I was going to make a fret board duplicator like the one on six gun guitar and use this one for the template.DSC_1676.jpg DSC_1677.jpg DSC_1680.jpg
 
MichaelPhenning, if I understand what you're saying, it looks like you're kind of approaching this backwards. FB length, heel position and bridge position determine neck length, not the other way around. The nut (or zero fret) must be placed snug against the top of the FB and should be just below the headstock. Additional neck between the nut and headstock would look awkward, IMO. I'd tell you to join at the 13th fret, but presumably you braced the soundboard to accommodate the bridge in specific position. All these factors must be considered before making the neck.

Edit: After looking a second time at your photos, it appears that LMI left excess wood at the top of the FB. That gives you some wiggle room. You can seat a zero fret in that top slot and add a nut above it for string spacing only, which will fill some or all of the gap between the zero fret and headstock. Something to consider.
 
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Thanks. I probably did everything backwards. I don't really have a plan I got some cad online drawings of the uke but only have some u tube videos for instructions . THAT said if I put the 13 fret at the body I still have some bracing under the bridge 15 inches from the nut. Hi presume you would cut that quarter inch off and that space would be where the nut would sit. Sorry if I'm a bit thick I've never tried this before. First try
 
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Pete Howlett said:
Buy a 17" fretboard - the distance from the 2nd fret to the saddle is 15.145" -about right for what you have done.....
Click to expand...

Genius!!

That's what he's saying Michael. Just cut it off at the 1st fret and you'll have a 15.145" scale with the neck joint at the 12th fret. You can even use the off-cut to make the nut
 
I think you should check to see if the board you have will work. 13th fret join is no problem, you just need to make sure the bridge lands in an acceptable location.

The board you have is great and it even says it's corrected for the saw blade at the nut. If your bridge patch is positioned well enough under the bridge, it should work out fine.

Check this graphic and follow the steps…

Scale_zps53205f3e.jpg
 
Todays work. I built this jig to duplicate a pre slotted fret board. The Idea came from Six Gun Guitar. I used a utility knife blade to index the original fret board, It fix perfectly in the slot . The saw had a bit of set to it so i went after it with a sharpening stone until I couldn't feel the set anymore. The result was a near perfect copy of the original. I guess this is fine as long as you want more than one of the original, but I have at least 11 children that already want one. pictures to follow.
 
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MichaelPfenning said:
Todays work. I built this jig to duplicate a pre slotted fret board. The Idea came from Six Gun Guitar. I used a utility knife blade to index the original fret board, It fix perfectly in the slot . The saw had a bit of set to it so i went after it with a sharpening stone until I couldn't feel the set anymore. The result was a near perfect copy of the original. I guess this is fine as long as you want more than one of the original, but I have at least 11 children that already want one. pictures to follow.
Click to expand...
When do you find time to build ukuleles?
 
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