Official Luthiers Forum!

For my first guitar I am building is a OOO martin like, joined at 14th fret.
I would like to widen the neck at the nut bigger than 1 11/16". My fingers need a little more room; what are the considerations & recomendations and do you change anything at the bridge?
thanks
Mike McNerney, ottawa

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Mike McNerney

Hi Mike,

Yes, you'd need wider string spacing at the bridge and a wider fingerboard all the way down. If you know the exact nut width you want, someone may be able to provide you with the matching bridge string spacing.

Mike,

A common width at the nut is 1 3/4" with 2 1/4" string spacing at the bridge.

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formerly known around here as burbank
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com

What Pat said is good. If have other sizes in consideration look at other builder sites and their specs on nut, 12th and bridge widths. I think Martin has specs of nut and bridge widths, not sure about the 12th spec

Usually the width of the fretboard at the 12th fret is the same as the string spacing at the bridge. A 1 3/4" nut with 2 1/4" at the bridge pins would be 2 1/4" the 12th. At least that's the formula I've always used for fretboard taper and it seems to work OK for me.
Terry

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It's not what you don't know that hurts you, it's what you do know that's wrong.

The width at the nut and the width at the bridge are completely independent of each other. Decide what width you want at the nut, then the width you want at the bridge, this will then set the taper, as Terence said the width of the fingerboard at the 12th fret is usually the same as the width at the bridge.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Just noticed this thread and thought I'd add this. I'm finishing a 30's style 000-18 with 1 3/4 neck at the nut. The
fingerboard is 2 1/4 at the 12th fret, I set up both a 2 1/4 bridge and a 2 3/8 bridge and found the larger spacing worked
well. Then checked it against my 1931 0M 28 and found the same thing, the 2 3/8 bridge spacing on that guitar feels
good in my hands. There is not a lot of difference between the two so it's a bit of a personal choice.

Bruce

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Bruce Herrmann
"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us."

I also think i'ts a personal choice.I'm building one for myself right now with the same spacing of the electric i play which is 1/58" at the nut and 2'' at the 12th and and bridge so it will feel the same while playing.

I have a Washburn "New Model" parlor guitar that fits my fat fingers just so - 1 7/8" nut and 2 3/8" string spacing at the bridge.

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John Lewis
Wannabe builder owned by 2 crazy dachshunds