Official Luthiers Forum!

So Bobs run on pyramid bridges started me thinking about string spacing. I want to get a bunch in this run but I'm debating on the spacing. I plan on using them for OOO, OO and O sizes. I've looked all over the place and it appears that there is a lot of variation on what are used for those sizes. Martins are all over the board, Santa Cruz has all 2 3/16. I stopped at a Guitar Center on my way home last night with a post-it in hand with spacings marked off on it. This again reminded me why i dont go to music stores anymore. Every guitar there was 2 3/16 except for one Martin OM that had 2 5/16. It seemed a tad under but closer that 2 1/4. Naturally felt weird as all five acoustic I own are 2 3/16, I have a suspicion the Larrivees are 55 mm. Crazy Canadians. So I pose the question to all of you . What do you see most common for these smaller size guitars? What do you personally prefer/recommend? I know this is just a preference thing, but I still have to ask. Keep in mind the ones I build are for me, at least for now, and I mainly play finger style and have good sizes hands. I suspect I would adapt to 2 5/16 easily.

I guess I could get some not drilled but with the slot. Would the milling of the slot change at all between 2 1/4 and 2 5/16, or would any changes be done in the saddle?

Hey Z, my 6 string guitars are all 2 5/16", unless someone wants something different. Also, the saddle slot shouldn't have to change for different spacing.... But, the neck and fingerboard will need to change.

long

_________________
"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” -Heraclitus of Ephesus

Z,

If you play fingerstyle, and if you have big hands as well, then wider is better. My bet is that once you got used to wider spacing (and you would get used to it quite quickly) you would not want to go back to narrower. And I imagine that your playing would improve as well. In my experience, wider spacing at the nut reduces inadvertently touching strings other than the ones you're intending to fret. But the wider string separation at the bridge really allows you to get a better feel for individual strings, and not 'miss' plucking an intended string completely, which probably is more noticeable than mis-touch errors at the other end.

Ken