Scale length ?

Cory Dolinsky · From: Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

I'm currently making a d 10 lap steel trying to replicate my sho buds dimensions. I wanted to use a piece of brass 1/4 inch square stock for the nut and Half inch stock for the bridge. Should I try to round off the square stock or leave it. If so would I measure my scale length from the edge of the square stock where the string comes off the nut closest to the fretboard to the center of the bridge.
Thanks Cory

Steve Green · From: Gulfport, MS, USA

I may be wrong, but I always thought that the scale length, was the length of string that actually vibrated, and therefore would be measured from inside to inside. JMHO
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Some songs I've written

Robert Jenkins · From: Massachusetts, USA

Steve's got it.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

You'll probably get differing sound/tone/sustain results using a rounded point vs sharp vs a combination.

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

The sound, or maybe even the tone (?) may be a bit different with a round-top bridge or nut. Sort of depends on the radius of the round part, from what I've found......solid mounting of the bridge & nut seem important for purity and sustain.

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

Here's something similar that is working for me.
I'm using 1/4" brass stock, shaping the top edge first with a 4" grinder, more fine tuning with a flat file, and then smoothing with emery cloth. The rounded areas are first rough cut with a jig saw, and then finished with a sanding drum on the drill press.
I rounded the top edge back toward the tuners, leaving a crisp (though smooth) take off point for the strings. I will notch it for string gauges, and do a final rounding, smoothing, and polishing of its corners. The whole thing will get a final polish before installation.
The main consideration seems to be creating a clean point where the string leaves the nut, or else you will hear a buzz or rattle.
I am using 1/4" brass and stainless rods set into a groove for the bridge.

Hope this helps.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

John Bruce · From: Fresno, California, USA

For Don,
Is the Stainless rod also 1/4"?
thanks,
John

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

Thanks. Yes, 1/4".
Ryan Rukavina had made me one similar once, and I was struck by how much it resembled a Martin or Gibson acoustic bridge. It was simple to adapt the basic design to a string through with a routed groove to accept the rod.

Cory Dolinsky · From: Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

thank everyone for the info.

Don, that looks really nice. That was kind of what i was thinking, nice crisp edge and round the front towards the tuning keys.

I came up with this last night. i just routed it so it fits tight in the groove and sits a 1/2 inch above the fretboard. Now i just have to round the front tomorrow

Cory

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Nice work Don ! I like the bridge setting in a piece of what appears to be purple heart wood.

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

Cory,
That's some beautiful work there. Are you shaping the keyheads, neck and body out of one piece of wood? That's amazing. And brave. I like making each part, and putting them together, kind of a safety net, in case my router decides to eat a piece. And what kind of wood is that? It looks a lot like some slabs of African Mahogany I've been working with, though yours looks a little lighter than that in the photo.
This one I am doing is pretty much a prototype and a learning process. I seem to spend more time making router jigs than I do making instruments. It's a 22-1/2" scale, with 3/8" string spacing at nut and bridge.
I'm eager to see what you are doing next. Please post any pictures you get of your progress.

Cory Dolinsky · From: Old Saybrook, Connecticut, USA

Don,
I had had this solid 2 1/2 inch thick piece of mahogany that I got from a job I was doing for free. It was destined to be a steel guitar, I didn't want to chop it up so I'm routing it out of the single piece of wood. The hardest part is doing the bottom neck because I don't have an even working area for the router, but I'm almost there. Your right one sketchy move and your in &$&@"s creek.
Cory

Don McGregor · From: Memphis, Tennessee

You are a brave man.
I bought a few slabs of African Mahogany a few years ago, and am just now putting them to use. Mine are milled 1-1/2" thick, and one is 20+" wide.
I had a hard time getting up the guts to even cut such a nice plank.
This is actually my first steel project, that got to be kid of overwhelming in its triple neck scope. Still haven't made a final decision on how to wire it. Now that I'm getting close to finishing the Purple Heart and Maple single 8, my confidence is returning, and I think I'm ready to finally put the Mahogany & Lacewood T-8 together.
Mine is going to be so heavy, it will probably never leave the house. I've considered stair stepping the one piece body with a router, but I'm certain I'll stick to making my necks and keyheads separate. I'm gluing two pieces of Mahogany onto the already thick slab to make my stair steps, and I'm cheating on the keyheads by using recycled aluminum ones.
I'm hoping to get back to working on this one in the next week or two. Here's a pic of its most recent stage of progress with an assortment of pickups and bridges I'm choosing from. Mark Bracewell made me three matching plexiglass fretboards, and I will stain the etched markings on the underside to make them more legible.

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