How to make a Kite Guitar: Difference between revisions

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* half-round dental clasp wire

*tangless fretwire meant for [[wikipedia:Parker_Guitars|Parker guitars]]

*tangless fretwire from [https://sintoms.com/en/frets-and-tools-for-frets-production/frets-production/microtonal-frets/ Sintoms.com]

*[https://Fretlet.com fretlets] from John Schneider

*short sections of an old guitar string (good for a radiused fretboard)

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==Fretboard placement ==

When building a guitar, the bridge is positioned relative to the fretboard. When converting a guitar, ~~it's crucial to place~~ the fretboard ~~accurately~~ relative to the bridge. This process is like saddle compensation, but instead of moving the saddle points back and forth, one moves the entire fretboard back and forth.

When building a guitar, the bridge/saddle is positioned relative to the fretboard. When converting a guitar, the fretboard is positioned relative to the bridge/saddle. This process is like saddle compensation, but instead of moving the saddle points back and forth, one moves the entire fretboard back and forth.

~~One method~~: first ~~put~~ the frets on the fretboard. Then clamp it to the neck using narrow wooden blocks that won't interfere with the strings. Then string it up, test the intonation, and adjust the fretboard placement as needed (see below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.

On an electric guitar, the saddle points are adjustable, so the fretboard placement need be only roughly correct. But on an acoustic or classical guitar, it's crucial to place the fretboard accurately.

=== Method #1 ===

Before removing the old fretboard, check the intonation. Assuming it's on, mark the location of the old (12edo) 7th fret on both sides of the neck. Do the same with the old 17th fret by putting tape on the guitar body on both sides of the fretboard. We'll be using these 4 guide marks to place the new (41edo) fretboard.

If the intonation is off, use a formula to convert the error in cents to an error in millimeters or inches. This formula is given in the section below on saddle compensation. We're doing saddle compensation in reverse: rather than moving the saddle points, we're moving the guide marks.

Remove the old fretboard. Use the guide marks to position the new fretboard, which at this point has no frets in it. The new 12th fret slot will be only 2.5¢ closer to the soundhole than the old 7th fret. And the new 29th fret slot will be 2.5¢ further from the soundhole than the old 17th fret. That 2.5¢ distance will be almost twice as large for the new 12th fret as for the new 29th fret (almost twice because a 34\41 minor 7th is almost an octave). So eyeball the marks and the fret slots until it looks right on both sides of the neck/body. Clamp the fretboard to the neck.

The rest is standard (non-microtonal) luthier practice: drill two 1/16" guide holes through the fretboard and partway into the neck, to position the neck during glue-up. Drill the holes in the fret slots so that the frets will hide the holes. Drill on either side of the fretboard to avoid the truss rod. Drill one hole at the first fret slot and the other near the top of the neck. Do not drill into the body. Unclamp the fretboard and glue it on, putting 1/16" locating pins in the guide holes to position the fretboard exactly. Do one final levelling on the fretboard along each string path, then install the frets.

=== Method #2 ===

Remove the old fretboard. Put the frets on the new fretboard. Then clamp it to the neck using narrow wooden blocks that won't interfere with the strings. Then string it up, test the intonation, and adjust the fretboard placement as needed (see below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.

But many luthiers prefer to install the frets after the fretboard is attached, so that they can do one final levelling on the fretboard along each string path. If so, only install those frets needed for intonation. After gluing down the fretboard, remove those few frets, level, and then install all the frets.

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[[File:Positioning a Kite Guitar fretboard -2.jpg|thumb|alt=|none]]

Always install at least two frets, because the nut might need compensation (see below), and can't be trusted yet. One might use frets 1 and 13 to get a fifth, or frets 0.5 (the a-fret) and 21 to get an octave. Or one might install 3 or 4 frets, for safety. Check the tuning at all the frets and all the strings, using Method #2 below. Then place the fretboard

Always install at least two frets, because the nut might need compensation (see below), and can't be trusted yet. One might use frets 1 and 13 to get a fifth, or frets 0.5 (the a-fret) and 21 to get an octave. Or one might install 3 or 4 frets, for safety. Check the tuning at all the frets and all the strings, using Method #2 below. Then place the fretboard.

==Saddle and nut compensation ==

Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than a 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with compensation. On an electric guitar, one can simply dial in the correct saddle compensation. On an acoustic or ~~nylon~~, one must file the saddle.

Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than a 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with compensation. On an electric guitar, one can simply dial in the correct saddle compensation. On an acoustic or classical, one must file the saddle.

===Short answer===

@@ Line 378: / Line 378: @@
 * half-round dental clasp wire
 *tangless fretwire meant for [[wikipedia:Parker_Guitars|Parker guitars]]
+*tangless fretwire from [https://sintoms.com/en/frets-and-tools-for-frets-production/frets-production/microtonal-frets/ Sintoms.com]
 *[https://Fretlet.com fretlets] from John Schneider
 *short sections of an old guitar string (good for a radiused fretboard)
@@ Line 473: / Line 474: @@
 ==Fretboard placement ==
-When building a guitar, the bridge is positioned relative to the fretboard. When converting a guitar, it's crucial to place the fretboard accurately relative to the bridge. This process is like saddle compensation, but instead of moving the saddle points back and forth, one moves the entire fretboard back and forth.
+When building a guitar, the bridge/saddle is positioned relative to the fretboard. When converting a guitar, the fretboard is positioned relative to the bridge/saddle. This process is like saddle compensation, but instead of moving the saddle points back and forth, one moves the entire fretboard back and forth.
-One method: first put the frets on the fretboard. Then clamp it to the neck using narrow wooden blocks that won't interfere with the strings. Then string it up, test the intonation, and adjust the fretboard placement as needed (see below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.
+On an electric guitar, the saddle points are adjustable, so the fretboard placement need be only roughly correct. But on an acoustic or classical guitar, it's crucial to place the fretboard accurately.
+=== Method #1 ===
+Before removing the old fretboard, check the intonation. Assuming it's on, mark the location of the old (12edo) 7th fret on both sides of the neck. Do the same with the old 17th fret by putting tape on the guitar body on both sides of the fretboard. We'll be using these 4 guide marks to place the new (41edo) fretboard.
+If the intonation is off, use a formula to convert the error in cents to an error in millimeters or inches. This formula is given in the section below on saddle compensation. We're doing saddle compensation in reverse: rather than moving the saddle points, we're moving the guide marks.
+Remove the old fretboard. Use the guide marks to position the new fretboard, which at this point has no frets in it. The new 12th fret slot will be only 2.5¢ closer to the soundhole than the old 7th fret. And the new 29th fret slot will be 2.5¢ further from the soundhole than the old 17th fret. That 2.5¢ distance will be almost twice as large for the new 12th fret as for the new 29th fret (almost twice because a 34\41 minor 7th is almost an octave). So eyeball the marks and the fret slots until it looks right on both sides of the neck/body. Clamp the fretboard to the neck.
+The rest is standard (non-microtonal) luthier practice: drill two 1/16" guide holes through the fretboard and partway into the neck, to position the neck during glue-up. Drill the holes in the fret slots so that the frets will hide the holes. Drill on either side of the fretboard to avoid the truss rod. Drill one hole at the first fret slot and the other near the top of the neck. Do not drill into the body. Unclamp the fretboard and glue it on, putting 1/16" locating pins in the guide holes to position the fretboard exactly. Do one final levelling on the fretboard along each string path, then install the frets.
+=== Method #2 ===
+Remove the old fretboard. Put the frets on the new fretboard. Then clamp it to the neck using narrow wooden blocks that won't interfere with the strings. Then string it up, test the intonation, and adjust the fretboard placement as needed (see below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.
 But many luthiers prefer to install the frets after the fretboard is attached, so that they can do one final levelling on the fretboard along each string path. If so, only install those frets needed for intonation. After gluing down the fretboard, remove those few frets, level, and then install all the frets.
@@ Line 483: / Line 496: @@
 [[File:Positioning a Kite Guitar fretboard -2.jpg|thumb|alt=|none]]
-Always install at least two frets, because the nut might need compensation (see below), and can't be trusted yet. One might use frets 1 and 13 to get a fifth, or frets 0.5 (the a-fret) and 21 to get an octave. Or one might install 3 or 4 frets, for safety. Check the tuning at all the frets and all the strings, using Method #2 below. Then place the fretboard
+Always install at least two frets, because the nut might need compensation (see below), and can't be trusted yet. One might use frets 1 and 13 to get a fifth, or frets 0.5 (the a-fret) and 21 to get an octave. Or one might install 3 or 4 frets, for safety. Check the tuning at all the frets and all the strings, using Method #2 below. Then place the fretboard.
 ==Saddle and nut compensation ==
-Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than a 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with compensation. On an electric guitar, one can simply dial in the correct saddle compensation. On an acoustic or nylon, one must file the saddle.
+Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than a 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with compensation. On an electric guitar, one can simply dial in the correct saddle compensation. On an acoustic or classical, one must file the saddle.
 ===Short answer===