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Distance nut to bridge

#2
No... Measure from inside edge of nut (fretboard side) to centre of 12th fret and double that - that will be your scale. If it's a typical precision that will be 34". The 34" is measured from the inside edge of your nut to the saddles themselves. Typically, the G saddle will be the closest to the actual 34" witness line, but the others will be a little longer once intonated...
 
#4
Once all the strings are intonated, the G saddle is the one that would sit closest to the "true" 34" line. The rest of the saddles each sit a bit farther than the last. The scale is called out as 34", but in reality the strings are a bit longer than that. It confused me the first time I measured the scale length on one of my basses.
 
#6
Mike in Chicago said:
Precision bass. Standard fender bridge, back of bridge...my frankenjazz is 34 3/4...sound right?
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Mike in Chicago said:
Scared now. Witness line? The saddles are adjustable (i know you know that) so inside of nut + 34. Is the g saddle put about halfway out?
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Why are you asking this exactly?

The saddles should be set at the point where your bass intonates correctly. That depends entirely on what strings you are using.

You don't just move them to some arbitrary measurement. Or are you trying to install a new bridge?
 
#7
Nev375 said:
Why are you asking this exactly?
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I think OP has a bass made from parts - he called it a frankenjazz - and he wants to make sure the bridge is in the right place in relationship to the nut, considering the neck has probably been replaced.

The correct way to determine if your bridge is in the right place is to measure from the fretboard side of the nut to the twelfth fret. On a standard scale neck this should be approximately 17", less on a short scale neck. Then multiply that measurement by 2. Then adjust the G-string saddle to the midpoint of its front-back (intonation) adjustment and measure from the middle of the G-string saddle to the fretboard side of the nut. It should be approximately equal to the scale length you determined by measuring to the 12th fret and multiplying by two. I wouldn't sweat it if its off by 1/4" or less.

Now go ahead and reintonate your bass because you probably moved the G-string saddle to do this measurement.
 
#8
scottbass said:
I think OP has a bass made from parts - he called it a frankenjazz - and he wants to make sure the bridge is in the right place in relationship to the nut, considering the neck has probably been replaced.

The correct way to determine if your bridge is in the right place is to measure from the fretboard side of the nut to the twelfth fret. On a standard scale neck this should be approximately 17", less on a short scale neck. Then multiply that measurement by 2. Then adjust the G-string saddle to the midpoint of its front-back (intonation) adjustment and measure from the middle of the G-string saddle to the fretboard side of the nut. It should be approximately equal to the scale length you determined by measuring to the 12th fret and multiplying by two. I wouldn't sweat it if its off by 1/4" or less.

Now go ahead and reintonate your bass because you probably moved the G-string saddle to do this measurement.
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If you measure it out with the G string in the middle of its travel there is a very good chance you will run out of adjustment on the E string, and its guarenteed on the B if its a five string. Always set it to scale with the G saddle at about 3/4 to 7/8 of its outer most travel. I have never had to move a saddle forward on a new build.
 
#9
Hopkins said:
If you measure it out with the G string in the middle of its travel there is a very good chance you will run out of adjustment on the E string, and its guarenteed on the B if its a five string. Always set it to scale with the G saddle at about 3/4 to 7/8 of its outer most travel. I have never had to move a saddle forward on a new build.
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I don't think OP is talking about mounting a bridge - in which case your advice is correct. I think OP is just asking how to determine if the bridge that's already there is in the correct position.
 
#10
scottbass said:
I don't think OP is talking about mounting a bridge - in which case your advice is correct. I think OP is just asking how to determine if the bridge that's already there is in the correct position.
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In either case, Hopkins is correct - one can place the G saddle nearly to the end of it's travel in order to maximize the travel attainable on the E in case a person wants to downtune or string BEAD. Very unlikely the G would ever need to move toward the nut to intonate, even with a piccolo set, you hardly move it towards the nut...
 
#11
Mike in Chicago said:
Scared now. Witness line? The saddles are adjustable (i know you know that) so inside of nut + 34. Is the g saddle put about halfway out?
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Nothing to be afraid of... :D

The witness line is just the name of the 34" scale line, because in reality, when tensioned and intonated, the saddles will all end up being further away than 34". To maximize the travel, extend the saddles to nearly their max length, and then mount the bridge so the saddle lines up with the 34" "witness line"...
 
#12
Thanks to all. Im getting a body w no holes, and am trying to do this for the first time myself. So...34" from inside nut to G saddle 3/4 to 7/8 out...or, double the octave fret. So that takes care of north south. What about east west...eyeball it?
 
#13
Mike in Chicago said:
Thanks to all. Im getting a body w no holes, and am trying to do this for the first time myself. So...34" from inside nut to G saddle 3/4 to 7/8 out...or, double the octave fret. So that takes care of north south. What about east west...eyeball it?
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My method is to mount the neck, then use a long straightedge (like a metal yardstick if you have one) hold it against the side of the fretboard and extend the lines over the body (on masking tape) as if it were a neck thru.

Then, just find the halfway point between those lines and that gives you the centerline for your bridge.
 
#14
Mike in Chicago said:
Thanks to all. Im getting a body w no holes, and am trying to do this for the first time myself. So...34" from inside nut to G saddle 3/4 to 7/8 out...or, double the octave fret. So that takes care of north south. What about east west...eyeball it?
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String the E and the G with the bridge unattached to the body, pull tight then move the bridge to bass or treble side to the point where you have an equal measurement on both sides of the strings. You measure to the edge of fingerboard from the edge of the string....hope that makes sense!

As to the original question; if you go to stew mac there is a fret position calculator, (which you dont need!) but this also gives you the position of you're bridge mounting screws for some popular bridges.
 
#17
Mike in Chicago said:
Thanks to all. Im getting a body w no holes, and am trying to do this for the first time myself. So...34" from inside nut to G saddle 3/4 to 7/8 out...or, double the octave fret. So that takes care of north south. What about east west...eyeball it?
Click to expand...

Hell no don't eyeball it.

When I built my first bass, I looped a piece of string through E string tuner, over the E string nut slot, all the way to the E saddle, through the hole in the bridge for the E string, then over to the hole for the G string, all the way to the G tuner. Pull the string taut, and make sure your outer strings are equidistant from the fretboard edges.
 
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