How to make a Kite Guitar: Difference between revisions

Line 25:

[[File:B-fret 5.jpg|left|thumb|328x328px|With capo (unfortunately this capo isn't long enough to reach all 8 strings)]]

[[File:B-fret 5.jpg|left|thumb|328x328px|With capo (unfortunately this particular capo isn't long enough to reach all 8 strings)]]

[[File:B-fret 6.jpg|none|thumb|311x311px|Side view. The 2nd fret is still usable, barely.]]

Line 310:

Removing the entire fretboard also has the advantage that you can get a pre-slotted computer-cut fretboard fairly cheaply that has extremely accurate slot placement (see [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Fret%20Placement|Fret Placement]] below).

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. 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 [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Saddle%20and%20Nut%20Compensation|Saddle and Nut Compensation]] below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.

==Fret placement==

On a standard guitar, the nth fret is SL * (1 - 2^(-n/12)) from the nut, where SL is the scale length. On a Kite guitar, for an even-fret layout, it's SL * (1 - 4^(-n/41)). In other words, simply replace the 12th root of 2 with the 41st root of 4. For the a-fret, use n = 0.5. The b-fret is 1.5, the c-fret is 2.5, etc. Or use this LibreOffice spreadsheet:

Some 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, perhaps frets 1 and 13. After gluing down the fretboard, remove those few frets, level, and then install all the frets.

~~These pictures illustrate the clamping on a standard 12-equal guitar:~~

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

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

==Fret ~~Placement~~==

On a standard guitar, the nth fret is L * (1 - 2^(-n/12)) from the nut, where L is the scale length. On a Kite guitar, for an even-fret layout, it's L * (1 - 4^(-n/41)). In other words, simply replace the 12th root of 2 with the 41st root of 4. For the a-fret, use n = 0.5. The b-fret is 1.5, the c-fret is 2.5, etc. Or use this LibreOffice spreadsheet:

[https://en.xen.wiki/images/5/55/KiteGuitarFret%26DotPlacementCalculator.ods.zip KiteGuitarFret&DotPlacementCalculator.ods.zip]

Line 357:

Line 349:

*1/K = 2 ^ (-1/24)= 0.9715

==Fret ~~Markers~~==

==Fret markers==

On an even-frets layout, dots (fretboard markers) are placed every 4 frets in a cycle of single-double-triple. So, the 4th fret has a single dot, the 8th fret has double dots, the 12th fret has triple dots, and then the 16th fret is back to single, and so on. Thus, a 36-fret guitar (pictured) has 18 dots on 9 frets, and a 41-fret guitar has 19 dots on 10 frets.

[[File:Ovation fretboard.jpg|none|thumb|538x538px]]

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Line 356:

Because the frets get closer as one goes up the neck, the double dots are closer to the triple dots than the single dots. As a result, if the distance between the double dots is the same as the distance between any two of the triple dots, the side of each "kite" formed by the dots is a concave line. To make a nice straight line, use the spreadsheet from [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Fret%20Placement|above]].

==DIY ~~Frets~~==

==DIY frets==

By far the largest expense of a conversion is the fretwork. For a cheap conversion, one can defret a guitar, fill the old fret slots with wood filler, and then create new frets without using fretwire.

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|}

== Saddle and ~~Nut Compensation~~ ==

== 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.

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.

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.

These pictures illustrate the clamping on a standard 12-equal guitar:

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

[[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

== Saddle and nut compensation ==

Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than ~~the~~ 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with saddle/nut compensation.

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

'''Method #1:''' To find the saddle compensation on a standard guitar, one compares the harmonic at the 12th fret with the fretted note at the 12th fret. For the Kite guitar, by a weird coincidence, one does the same! But the 12th fret now makes the 3rd harmonic, not the 2nd. Thus the two notes should be an octave apart, not a unison. If using a tuner, this is not a problem. But if using your ear, a unison is easier to hear than an octave. To get a unison, when you fret the string, play the 2nd harmonic with your other hand. With your forefinger or middle finger, touch the string midway between the 32nd and 33rd frets. Then stretch your hand and pluck with your thumb as close as you can get to the midpoint between your finger and the bridge. If this isn't feasible (e.g. with a bass guitar), you can capo the string at the 12th fret and use both hands to play the harmonic. (And to be extremely precise, the fretted note should be 0.48¢ sharper than the harmonic. The 3rd harmonic is 701.96¢ and the 41-equal interval is 702.44¢.)

On a standard guitar, there's a formula for saddle compensation. Move the saddle point back by about 0.015" for every cent that the 12th fret note is sharp of the open string's 2nd harmonic. The 0.015" figure is more precisely the scale length times ln(2)/1200, which is approximately scaleLength/1731. Saddle compensation flattens the 12th fret note twice as much as the open string note. So if the 12th fret note is 3¢ sharp, flattening the open string note by 3¢ (about 0.045") flattens the 12th fret note by 6¢, and the interval between them is flattened by 3¢ to an exact octave.

On a standard guitar, there's a formula for saddle compensation. Move the saddle point back (i.e. away from the soundhole) by about 0.015" for every cent that the 12th fret note is sharp of the open string's 2nd harmonic. The 0.015" figure is more precisely the scale length times ln(2)/1200, which is approximately scaleLength/1731. Saddle compensation flattens the 12th fret note twice as much as the open string note. So if the 12th fret note is 3¢ sharp, flattening the open string note by 3¢ (about 0.045") flattens the 12th fret note by 6¢, and the interval between them is flattened by 3¢ to an exact octave.

The following table gives more precise values of this 0.015" figure for various scale lengths. For example, for a 27" guitar, if the note is 10¢ sharp, move the saddle point back 0.156".

{| class="wikitable"

|+saddle compensation per cent = scaleLength / 1731

! colspan="2" |imperial

! colspan="2" |metric

|-

!scale length

!mil per cent

!scale length

!mm per cent

|-

|24.5"

|14.2

|640mm

|0.370mm

|-

|25"

|14.4

|645mm

|0.373mm

|-

|25.5"

|14.7

|650mm

|0.375mm

|-

|26"

|15.0

|655mm

|0.378mm

|-

|26.5"

|15.3

|660mm

|0.381mm

|-

|27"

|15.6

|665mm

|0.384mm

|}

On a Kite guitar, the scaleLength/1731 formula still holds. But saddle compensation affects the 12th fret note only one and a half times as much as the open string note. (Because an octave has [[frequency ratio]] 2/1 = twice as much, and a fifth has 3/2 = one and a half as much.) Hence for each cent of sharpness, one must flatten by two cents.

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{| class="wikitable"

|+~~Best~~ frets to check for Kite Guitar intonation setup

|+best frets to check for Kite Guitar intonation setup

! fret

!interval

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'''Method #2:''' The first method serves as a rough check of the saddle points. But it's much safer to check multiple frets. ~~The~~ [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Cents|cents table]] below (printable pdf [http://tallkite.com/KiteGuitar/KiteGuitarNotes.pdf here]) has the pitch of every single note on the fretboard. The 2nd page of the pdf omits some redundant information to make room to pencil in discrepancies in cents. But the open strings aren't reliable, because the nut is not yet compensated (nut compensation must be done after saddle compensation). Use a capo to remove the nut issue. Capo the string at the 1st fret (or 2nd or 3rd, if the capo doesn't fit your 8-string very well). Tune the capo'ed string to the table, then compare the other frets to the table. Important: do not remove the capo during this process, as that will change the tension, and thus the pitch. It's usually sufficient to check every 4th fret, i.e. every dot. Look for the general trend. If the saddle point is too far back, the higher frets will be increasingly flat. Too far forward, and they will trend sharp. If there's an outlier that breaks the pattern, check its neighboring frets. No guitar is perfect. If some frets are sharp and some equally flat, that's the best you can get. Once you find the trend, estimate how much cents error would be expected at the 5th dot, which is almost an octave. That's roughly how many cents to compensate by. (To be super-precise, you could increase the cents by about 3%, so that 6¢ becomes 6.2¢.) Compensate as in method #1 with the scaleLength/1731 formula.

'''Method #2:''' The first method serves as a rough check of the saddle points. But it's much safer to check multiple frets. If not using a [[Kite Guitar#Tuning software options|microtonal tuning app]], use the [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Cents|cents table]] below (printable pdf [http://tallkite.com/KiteGuitar/KiteGuitarNotes.pdf here]), which has the pitch of every single note on the fretboard. The 2nd page of the pdf omits some redundant information to make room to pencil in discrepancies in cents. But the open strings aren't reliable, because the nut is not yet compensated (nut compensation must be done after saddle compensation). Use a capo to remove the nut issue. Capo the string at the 1st fret (or 2nd or 3rd, if the capo doesn't fit your 8-string very well). Tune the capo'ed string to the table, then compare the other frets to the table. Important: do not remove the capo during this process, as that will change the tension, and thus the pitch. It's usually sufficient to check every 4th fret, i.e. every dot. Look for the general trend. If the saddle point is too far back, the higher frets will be increasingly flat. Too far forward, and they will trend sharp. If there's an outlier that breaks the pattern, check its neighboring frets. No guitar is perfect. If some frets are sharp and some equally flat, that's the best you can get. Once you find the trend, estimate how much cents error would be expected at the 5th dot, which is almost an octave. That's roughly how many cents to compensate by. (To be super-precise, you could increase the cents by about 3%, so that 6¢ becomes 6.2¢.) Compensate as in method #1 with the scaleLength/1731 formula.

This next table shows the multiplicative factor for any fret distance. As we've seen, 20.5 (an octave) is 1 and 12 (a fifth) is about 2. Suppose you have a guitar with 32 frets, and you want to check the compensation using the first and last fret. From fret 1 to fret 32 is 31 frets. For each cent of sharpness, flatten by 0.540 cents. Thus if you're 10¢ sharp, flatten by 5.4¢. Since you're capoing at the 1st fret, the scale length is reduced by about 3.3%. Thus 25 1/2" becomes 24 5/8". This divided by 1731 is about 14.2 mil of compensation per cent. 14.2 x 5.4 = 77 mil = 0.077".

{| class="wikitable"

|+multiplicative factors for various fret distances.

!frets

!factor

!

!frets

!factor

!

!frets

!factor

!

!frets

!factor

|-

|10

|2.486

| rowspan="20" |

|20

|1.035

| rowspan="20" |

|30

|0.569

| rowspan="20" |

|40

|0.349

|-

|10.5

|2.346

|20.5

|1.000

|30.5

|0.554

|40.5

|0.341

|-

|11

|2.220

|21

|0.967

|31

|0.540

|41

|0.333

|-

|11.5

|2.104

|21.5

|0.936

|31.5

|0.526

| colspan="2" rowspan="17" |

|-

|12

|1.998

|22

|0.906

|32

|0.513

|-

|12.5

|1.901

|22.5

|0.877

|32.5

|0.500

|-

|13

|1.812

|23

|0.850

|33

|0.487

|-

|13.5

|1.729

|23.5

|0.824

|33.5

|0.475

|-

|14

|1.652

|24

|0.799

|34

|0.464

|-

|14.5

|1.580

|24.5

|0.775

|34.5

|0.452

|-

|15

|1.514

|25

|0.753

|35

|0.441

|-

|15.5

|1.452

|25.5

|0.731

|35.5

|0.431

|-

|16

|1.393

|26

|0.710

|36

|0.421

|-

|16.5

|1.339

|26.5

|0.690

|36.5

|0.411

|-

|17

|1.287

|27

|0.670

|37

|0.401

|-

|17.5

|1.239

|27.5

|0.652

|37.5

|0.392

|-

|18

|1.193

|28

|0.634

|38

|0.383

|-

|18.5

|1.150

|28.5

|0.617

|38.5

|0.374

|-

|19

|1.110

|29

|0.600

|39

|0.365

|-

|19.5

|1.071

|29.5

|0.584

|39.5

|0.357

|}

'''Nut compensation''' can be done similarly to a standard guitar, by comparing the open string to the fretted notes. But extra care might be taken here too. One can shorten the fingerboard by around 0.030" (more if the nut action is high) to slightly overcompensate, then de-compensate empirically by filing the front of the nut to move the exit points back. One can determine the exact amount to file by finding the sharpness in cents with a tuner, then using the scaleLength/1731 formula. The front of the nut can be filed lengthwise to move all the exit points at once, or up and down to move individual exit points.

'''Placing the saddle:''' If you're building a guitar from scratch, you can find the saddle exit points empirically by placing a small rod on the bridge, under the strings, where the saddle slot will later be cut. The rod serves as a temporary saddle. Move the rod back and forth until the string is perfectly in tune. Then measure the distance from the front of the bridge to this exit point. Repeat for each string. Once you've found your exit points, you can use this spreadsheet to place the saddle slot precisely. It even tells you how wide the saddle blank needs to be. Works for any guitar.

'''Placing the saddle:''' If you're building a guitar from scratch, you can find the saddle exit points empirically by placing a small rod on the bridge, under the strings, where the saddle slot will later be cut. The rod serves as a temporary saddle. Move the rod back and forth until the string is perfectly in tune. Then measure the distance from the front of the bridge to this exit point. Repeat for each string. Once you've found your exit points, you can use this spreadsheet to place the saddle slot precisely. It even tells you how wide the saddle blank needs to be. Works for any guitar, not just Kite guitars.

[https://en.xen.wiki/images/b/b5/SaddleSlotCalculator.ods.zip SaddleSlotCalculator.ods.zip]

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Line 747:

*https://www.proguitar.com/academy/guitar/intonation/byers-classical (Greg Byers)

==String ~~Spacing~~==

==String spacing==

With 7 or 8 strings, it's important to avoid both a too-wide neck and a too-tight string spacing. Every millimeter counts. One can reduce neck width by minimizing the distance from the outer string to the edge of the fretboard. To do this, minimize the amount of rounding of the edge of the fretboard. And preserve as much usable fret length as possible by beveling the ends of the frets at a steeper angle and not over-rounding the shoulder of the fret where the top and the end meet.

With 7 or 8 strings, it's important to avoid both a too-wide neck and a too-tight string spacing. Every millimeter counts. One can reduce neck width by minimizing the distance from the outer string to the edge of the fretboard (known as the "reveal"). To do this, minimize the amount of rounding of the edge of the fretboard. And preserve as much usable fret length as possible by beveling the ends of the frets at a steeper angle and not over-rounding the shoulder of the fret where the top and the end meet.

The spacing can be slightly improved further as follows:

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[https://Thomastik-infeld.com Thomastik-infeld.com] sells kf110 string sets, which are low-tension steel strings that supposedly can be used on a classical guitar.

Microtonal tuning apps that use 41-equal: [[Kite_Guitar#Tuning_software_options]]

==Tables==

@@ Line 25: / Line 25: @@
-[[File:B-fret 5.jpg|left|thumb|328x328px|With capo (unfortunately this capo isn't long enough to reach all 8 strings)]]
+[[File:B-fret 5.jpg|left|thumb|328x328px|With capo (unfortunately this particular capo isn't long enough to reach all 8 strings)]]
 [[File:B-fret 6.jpg|none|thumb|311x311px|Side view. The 2nd fret is still usable, barely.]]
@@ Line 310: / Line 310: @@
 Removing the entire fretboard also has the advantage that you can get a pre-slotted computer-cut fretboard fairly cheaply that has extremely accurate slot placement (see [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Fret%20Placement|Fret Placement]] below).
-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. 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 [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Saddle%20and%20Nut%20Compensation|Saddle and Nut Compensation]] below). Finally, mark the correct position, remove the strings, and glue down the fretboard.
+==Fret placement==
+On a standard guitar, the nth fret is SL * (1 - 2^(-n/12)) from the nut, where SL is the scale length. On a Kite guitar, for an even-fret layout, it's SL * (1 - 4^(-n/41)). In other words, simply replace the 12th root of 2 with the 41st root of 4. For the a-fret, use n = 0.5. The b-fret is 1.5, the c-fret is 2.5, etc. Or use this LibreOffice spreadsheet:
-Some 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, perhaps frets 1 and 13. After gluing down the fretboard, remove those few frets, level, and then install all the frets.
-These pictures illustrate the clamping on a standard 12-equal guitar:
-[[File:Positioning a Kite Guitar fretboard.jpg|thumb|alt=|none]]
-[[File:Positioning a Kite Guitar fretboard -2.jpg|thumb|alt=|none]]
-==Fret Placement==
-On a standard guitar, the nth fret is L * (1 - 2^(-n/12)) from the nut, where L is the scale length. On a Kite guitar, for an even-fret layout, it's L * (1 - 4^(-n/41)). In other words, simply replace the 12th root of 2 with the 41st root of 4. For the a-fret, use n = 0.5. The b-fret is 1.5, the c-fret is 2.5, etc. Or use this LibreOffice spreadsheet:
 [https://en.xen.wiki/images/5/55/KiteGuitarFret%26DotPlacementCalculator.ods.zip KiteGuitarFret&DotPlacementCalculator.ods.zip]
@@ Line 357: / Line 349: @@
 *1/K = 2 ^ (-1/24)=  0.9715
-==Fret Markers==
+==Fret markers==
 On an even-frets layout, dots (fretboard markers) are placed every 4 frets in a cycle of single-double-triple. So, the 4th fret has a single dot, the 8th fret has double dots, the 12th fret has triple dots, and then the 16th fret is back to single, and so on. Thus, a 36-fret guitar (pictured) has 18 dots on 9 frets, and a 41-fret guitar has 19 dots on 10 frets.
 [[File:Ovation fretboard.jpg|none|thumb|538x538px]]
@@ Line 364: / Line 356: @@
 Because the frets get closer as one goes up the neck, the double dots are closer to the triple dots than the single dots. As a result, if the distance between the double dots is the same as the distance between any two of the triple dots, the side of each "kite" formed by the dots is a concave line. To make a nice straight line, use the spreadsheet from [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Fret%20Placement|above]].
-==DIY Frets==
+==DIY frets==
 By far the largest expense of a conversion is the fretwork. For a cheap conversion, one can defret a guitar, fill the old fret slots with wood filler, and then create new frets without using fretwire.
@@ Line 452: / Line 444: @@
 |}
-== Saddle and Nut Compensation ==
+== 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.
+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.
+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.
+These pictures illustrate the clamping on a standard 12-equal guitar:
+[[File:Positioning a Kite Guitar fretboard.jpg|thumb|alt=|none]]
+[[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
+== Saddle and nut compensation ==
-Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than the 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with saddle/nut compensation.
+Since the Kite guitar is so much more in tune than a 12-equal guitar, extra care should be taken with saddle/nut compensation. On an electric guitar, one can simply dial in the correct saddle compensation. On an acoustic or nylon, one must file the saddle.
 '''Method #1:''' To find the saddle compensation on a standard guitar, one compares the harmonic at the 12th fret with the fretted note at the 12th fret. For the Kite guitar, by a weird coincidence, one does the same! But the 12th fret now makes the 3rd harmonic, not the 2nd. Thus the two notes should be an octave apart, not a unison. If using a tuner, this is not a problem. But if using your ear, a unison is easier to hear than an octave. To get a unison, when you fret the string, play the 2nd harmonic with your other hand. With your forefinger or middle finger, touch the string midway between the 32nd and 33rd frets. Then stretch your hand and pluck with your thumb as close as you can get to the midpoint between your finger and the bridge. If this isn't feasible (e.g. with a bass guitar), you can capo the string at the 12th fret and use both hands to play the harmonic. (And to be extremely precise, the fretted note should be 0.48¢ sharper than the harmonic. The 3rd harmonic is 701.96¢ and the 41-equal interval is 702.44¢.)
-On a standard guitar, there's a formula for saddle compensation. Move the saddle point back by about 0.015" for every cent that the 12th fret note is sharp of the open string's 2nd harmonic. The 0.015" figure is more precisely the scale length times ln(2)/1200, which is approximately scaleLength/1731. Saddle compensation flattens the 12th fret note twice as much as the open string note. So if the 12th fret note is 3¢ sharp, flattening the open string note by 3¢ (about 0.045") flattens the 12th fret note by 6¢, and the <u>interval</u> between them is flattened by 3¢ to an exact octave.
+On a standard guitar, there's a formula for saddle compensation. Move the saddle point back (i.e. away from the soundhole) by about 0.015" for every cent that the 12th fret note is sharp of the open string's 2nd harmonic. The 0.015" figure is more precisely the scale length times ln(2)/1200, which is approximately scaleLength/1731. Saddle compensation flattens the 12th fret note twice as much as the open string note. So if the 12th fret note is 3¢ sharp, flattening the open string note by 3¢ (about 0.045") flattens the 12th fret note by 6¢, and the <u>interval</u> between them is flattened by 3¢ to an exact octave.
+The following table gives more precise values of this 0.015" figure for various scale lengths. For example, for a 27" guitar, if the note is 10¢ sharp, move the saddle point back 0.156".
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+saddle compensation per cent = scaleLength / 1731
+! colspan="2" |imperial
+! colspan="2" |metric
+|-
+!scale length
+!mil per cent
+!scale length
+!mm per cent
+|-
+|24.5"
+|14.2
+|640mm
+|0.370mm
+|-
+|25"
+|14.4
+|645mm
+|0.373mm
+|-
+|25.5"
+|14.7
+|650mm
+|0.375mm
+|-
+|26"
+|15.0
+|655mm
+|0.378mm
+|-
+|26.5"
+|15.3
+|660mm
+|0.381mm
+|-
+|27"
+|15.6
+|665mm
+|0.384mm
+|}
 On a Kite guitar, the scaleLength/1731 formula still holds. But saddle compensation affects the 12th fret note only one and a half times as much as the open string note. (Because an octave has [[frequency ratio]] 2/1 = twice as much, and a fifth has 3/2 = one and a half as much.)  Hence for each cent of sharpness, one must flatten by <u>two</u> cents.
@@ Line 473: / Line 520: @@
 {| class="wikitable"
-|+Best frets to check for Kite Guitar intonation setup
+|+best frets to check for Kite Guitar intonation setup
 ! fret
 !interval
@@ Line 516: / Line 563: @@
-'''Method #2:''' The first method serves as a rough check of the saddle points. But it's much safer to check multiple frets. The [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Cents|cents table]] below (printable pdf [http://tallkite.com/KiteGuitar/KiteGuitarNotes.pdf here]) has the pitch of every single note on the fretboard. The 2nd page of the pdf omits some redundant information to make room to pencil in discrepancies in cents. But the open strings aren't reliable, because the nut is not yet compensated (nut compensation must be done after saddle compensation). Use a capo to remove the nut issue. Capo the string at the 1st fret (or 2nd or 3rd, if the capo doesn't fit your 8-string very well). Tune the capo'ed string to the table, then compare the other frets to the table. <u>Important</u>: do not remove the capo during this process, as that will change the tension, and thus the pitch. It's usually sufficient to check every 4th fret, i.e. every dot. Look for the general trend. If the saddle point is too far back, the higher frets will be increasingly flat. Too far forward, and they will trend sharp. If there's an outlier that breaks the pattern, check its neighboring frets. No guitar is perfect. If some frets are sharp and some equally flat, that's the best you can get. Once you find the trend, estimate how much cents error would be expected at the 5th dot, which is almost an octave. That's roughly how many cents to compensate by. (To be super-precise, you could increase the cents by about 3%, so that 6¢ becomes 6.2¢.) Compensate as in method #1 with the scaleLength/1731 formula.
+'''Method #2:''' The first method serves as a rough check of the saddle points. But it's much safer to check multiple frets. If not using a [[Kite Guitar#Tuning software options|microtonal tuning app]], use the [[How to make a Kite Guitar#Cents|cents table]] below (printable pdf [http://tallkite.com/KiteGuitar/KiteGuitarNotes.pdf here]), which has the pitch of every single note on the fretboard. The 2nd page of the pdf omits some redundant information to make room to pencil in discrepancies in cents. But the open strings aren't reliable, because the nut is not yet compensated (nut compensation must be done after saddle compensation). Use a capo to remove the nut issue. Capo the string at the 1st fret (or 2nd or 3rd, if the capo doesn't fit your 8-string very well). Tune the capo'ed string to the table, then compare the other frets to the table. <u>Important</u>: do not remove the capo during this process, as that will change the tension, and thus the pitch. It's usually sufficient to check every 4th fret, i.e. every dot. Look for the general trend. If the saddle point is too far back, the higher frets will be increasingly flat. Too far forward, and they will trend sharp. If there's an outlier that breaks the pattern, check its neighboring frets. No guitar is perfect. If some frets are sharp and some equally flat, that's the best you can get. Once you find the trend, estimate how much cents error would be expected at the 5th dot, which is almost an octave. That's roughly how many cents to compensate by. (To be super-precise, you could increase the cents by about 3%, so that 6¢ becomes 6.2¢.) Compensate as in method #1 with the scaleLength/1731 formula.
+This next table shows the multiplicative factor for any fret distance. As we've seen, 20.5 (an octave) is 1 and 12 (a fifth) is about 2. Suppose you have a guitar with 32 frets, and you want to check the compensation using the first and last fret. From fret 1 to fret 32 is 31 frets. For each cent of sharpness, flatten by 0.540 cents. Thus if you're 10¢ sharp, flatten by 5.4¢. Since you're capoing at the 1st fret, the scale length is reduced by about 3.3%. Thus 25 1/2" becomes 24 5/8". This divided by 1731 is about 14.2 mil of compensation per cent. 14.2 x 5.4 = 77 mil = 0.077".
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+multiplicative factors for various fret distances.
+!frets
+!factor
+!
+!frets
+!factor
+!
+!frets
+!factor
+!
+!frets
+!factor
+|-
+|10
+|2.486
+| rowspan="20" |
+|20
+|1.035
+| rowspan="20" |
+|30
+|0.569
+| rowspan="20" |
+|40
+|0.349
+|-
+|10.5
+|2.346
+|20.5
+|1.000
+|30.5
+|0.554
+|40.5
+|0.341
+|-
+|11
+|2.220
+|21
+|0.967
+|31
+|0.540
+|41
+|0.333
+|-
+|11.5
+|2.104
+|21.5
+|0.936
+|31.5
+|0.526
+| colspan="2" rowspan="17" |
+|-
+|12
+|1.998
+|22
+|0.906
+|32
+|0.513
+|-
+|12.5
+|1.901
+|22.5
+|0.877
+|32.5
+|0.500
+|-
+|13
+|1.812
+|23
+|0.850
+|33
+|0.487
+|-
+|13.5
+|1.729
+|23.5
+|0.824
+|33.5
+|0.475
+|-
+|14
+|1.652
+|24
+|0.799
+|34
+|0.464
+|-
+|14.5
+|1.580
+|24.5
+|0.775
+|34.5
+|0.452
+|-
+|15
+|1.514
+|25
+|0.753
+|35
+|0.441
+|-
+|15.5
+|1.452
+|25.5
+|0.731
+|35.5
+|0.431
+|-
+|16
+|1.393
+|26
+|0.710
+|36
+|0.421
+|-
+|16.5
+|1.339
+|26.5
+|0.690
+|36.5
+|0.411
+|-
+|17
+|1.287
+|27
+|0.670
+|37
+|0.401
+|-
+|17.5
+|1.239
+|27.5
+|0.652
+|37.5
+|0.392
+|-
+|18
+|1.193
+|28
+|0.634
+|38
+|0.383
+|-
+|18.5
+|1.150
+|28.5
+|0.617
+|38.5
+|0.374
+|-
+|19
+|1.110
+|29
+|0.600
+|39
+|0.365
+|-
+|19.5
+|1.071
+|29.5
+|0.584
+|39.5
+|0.357
+|}
 '''Nut compensation''' can be done similarly to a standard guitar, by comparing the open string to the fretted notes. But extra care might be taken here too. One can shorten the fingerboard by around 0.030" (more if the nut action is high) to slightly <u>over</u>compensate, then <u>de</u>-compensate empirically by filing the front of the nut to move the exit points back. One can determine the exact amount to file by finding the sharpness in cents with a tuner, then using the scaleLength/1731 formula. The front of the nut can be filed lengthwise to move all the exit points at once, or up and down to move individual exit points.
-'''Placing the saddle:''' If you're building a guitar from scratch, you can find the saddle exit points empirically by placing a small rod on the bridge, under the strings, where the saddle slot will later be cut. The rod serves as a temporary saddle. Move the rod back and forth until the string is perfectly in tune. Then measure the distance from the front of the bridge to this exit point. Repeat for each string. Once you've found your exit points, you can use this spreadsheet to place the saddle slot precisely. It even tells you how wide the saddle blank needs to be. Works for any guitar.
+'''Placing the saddle:''' If you're building a guitar from scratch, you can find the saddle exit points empirically by placing a small rod on the bridge, under the strings, where the saddle slot will later be cut. The rod serves as a temporary saddle. Move the rod back and forth until the string is perfectly in tune. Then measure the distance from the front of the bridge to this exit point. Repeat for each string. Once you've found your exit points, you can use this spreadsheet to place the saddle slot precisely. It even tells you how wide the saddle blank needs to be. Works for any guitar, not just Kite guitars.
 [https://en.xen.wiki/images/b/b5/SaddleSlotCalculator.ods.zip SaddleSlotCalculator.ods.zip]
@@ Line 535: / Line 747: @@
 *https://www.proguitar.com/academy/guitar/intonation/byers-classical (Greg Byers)
-==String Spacing==
+==String spacing==
-With 7 or 8 strings, it's important to avoid both a too-wide neck and a too-tight string spacing. Every millimeter counts. One can reduce neck width by minimizing the distance from the outer string to the edge of the fretboard. To do this, minimize the amount of rounding of the edge of the fretboard. And preserve as much usable fret length as possible by beveling the ends of the frets at a steeper angle and not over-rounding the shoulder of the fret where the top and the end meet.
+With 7 or 8 strings, it's important to avoid both a too-wide neck and a too-tight string spacing. Every millimeter counts. One can reduce neck width by minimizing the distance from the outer string to the edge of the fretboard (known as the "reveal"). To do this, minimize the amount of rounding of the edge of the fretboard. And preserve as much usable fret length as possible by beveling the ends of the frets at a steeper angle and not over-rounding the shoulder of the fret where the top and the end meet.
 The spacing can be slightly improved further as follows:
@@ Line 607: / Line 819: @@
 [https://Thomastik-infeld.com Thomastik-infeld.com] sells kf110 string sets, which are low-tension steel strings that supposedly can be used on a classical guitar.
+Microtonal tuning apps that use 41-equal: [[Kite_Guitar#Tuning_software_options]]
 ==Tables==