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Ok the question has been brought up . I have several mandos that I have looked at , and several plans that I have seen and they have fret markers at 7,10,12 . I have ( 2 ) Guitars one has fret markers at 7,10,12 .... the other is 7,9,12 ? Steve commented on my Mandjo in the challenge build that I used fret 10 instead of 9 ...... Being that I am not a musician , would someone enlighten me to the diffrence and why there would be guitars done both ways ?


Told ya was a dumb question

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I've never seen a guitar with a fret marker at the 10th. If I did it would throw me off. I've been playing for about 20 years. That said, I've never played a mandolin. I wouldn't even know what to do with one.

I've most often seen 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17, 19.

My theory is that the two most important markers are 7 and 12 (7 being the dominant, and 12 being the octave), so those have to be there. Sometimes on 12 fret guitars I only put a single marker at 7, since the body join marks 12 already.

Then if you want more reference points, add more markers at every other fret. But due to the spacing, you have to skip over 2 frets to get to 12. Then repeating the pattern above 12, you skip 2 spaces again to get to 15, which makes a nice symmetry and emphasis of the 12, so it seems like a pretty logical layout.

Can't think of any logical reason to move the 9 marker to 10. But since there's no guitar making bible saying you have to put them anywhere in particular, I assume the maker of your guitar just thought they looked better that way or something.

In 20 years I've never seen a guitar with a fret marker at the 10th as the OP mentioned.
I don't know anything about mandolins, so I don't know if they are marked at the 10th fret or not.

The reason that guitars are marked at the 9th fret is because it too is a natural harmonic, although more difficult to get out than the 5th, 7th and 12th. Michael Hedges used it frequently. The same is true of the 3rd fret, as well their (3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th) equivalents on the other side of the 12th fret.

I have an old Yairi classical with what I assume are original fretboard side dots at 5, 10, & 12. I can't remember if there is one at the 7th fret. I played that guitar for a long time and didn't know any better until I switched guitars and the positions confused me. I don't know why they would have put it at the 10th fret
Wendy

I went through this building a uke, the Hana Lima plans specify 10th fret, apparently that is standard for ukes.

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I have an old Martin 0-27 from 1857 yes pre civil war and it has a marker on 10

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Based on what Im seeing and reading ... the "standard" for Mando's, ukes , banjos today is 10th fret and guitars is 9th fret .... It is interesting to me the diffrences that we can find over the years of building , albiet subtle some times.

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The Shallower the depth of the stream , The Louder the Babble !
The Taking Of Offense Is the Life Course Of The Stupid One !
Wanna Leave a Better Planet for our Kids? How about Working on BETTER KIDS for our Planet !
Forgiveness is the ability to accept an apology that you will probably NEVER GET
The truth will set you free , But FIRST, it will probably Piss you Off !
Creativity is allowing yourself to make Mistakes, Art is knowing which ones to Keep !
The Saddest thing anyone can do , is push a Loyal Person to the point that they Dont Care Anymore
Never met a STRONG person who had an EASY past !
http://wiksnwudwerks.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/groups/GatewayA ... rAssembly/

I would suspect the different tuning intervals used on a guitar verses mandos, ukes and banjos would have something to do with a preference for position markers. I've always been a guitarist so I really don't know, but the next banjo or uke owner to come in will have some explaining to do.....

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Can't speak for all ukulele builders, but I put the fret marker at 10 because it's the note "g."

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