Pedal Steel fretboard scale length

[Ron Wendler]

I am looking at building a entry model pedal steel. I say entry because I have never learned or attempted to play one before. I've played 6 string since I was 12 but I so want to learn the steel.
I maybe know the answer to my question but want to affirm that I'm on the right track. The plans I have are for a 24" scale length fretboard. To begin with, I really don't want to make one and was looking to purchase one. I'm not finding any that are plain and simple. There are many that are what I would like but are of different scale length. Can I get say a 24.5" or 25" and just adjust the nut and headstock for that length? It wouldn't effect the E9 tuning of the guitar?

[George Piburn]

GeorgeBoards Stocks peel and stick fretboards that are trim to fit project with utility knife,
professionally made from the current finest 3M cast vinyl with added clear coat - cast material is less able to shrink and the ink is archival (lasts outdoors for years).

I currently have in pedal steel sizes , 24.25 24.5 and 25 scales. All have a center line to help your install and lines for the placement of the nut and bridge again to help.

These can be installed as is, with the existing clear coat to help protect them.

I saw a recent thread about making a fretboard by having a 1/8" plexi sheet cut to size and installed over a material that is the layout.
This works excellent with our peel and stick FB's.

go to georgeboards dot com/parts.html to view and purchase.

GeorgeBoards has been providing parts to help folks build their own steel guitars for numerous years, our peel and stick FB's work great and are very accurate for less than 20 US Dollars including shipping within USA.

[Jon Light (deceased)]

Can I get say a 24.5" or 25" and just adjust the nut and headstock for that length? It wouldn't effect the E9 tuning of the guitar?

Find a 24" board -- you can get them from Tom Bradshaw -- or go with the 24.25" from George.

Longer than that and you are getting into potential string breaking territory -- especially 25" -- that experienced builders have worked hard to overcome, some successfully, some....well.....

[Ron Wendler]

George, My plans call for a 24" scale length. If I went with your 24.25 fretboard, would I just lengthen the Nut spacing .25 inch longer? This is new territory for me. Sorry to ask dumb questions.
Ron

[John Hyland]

I’m not sure what you are saying regarding adding length to the nut but what ever scale you have the nut to bridge dimension must match the scale. The 12 fret in the middle. Adjust your plans by moving the bridge or nut or both to achieve the scale length.
The issue with pedal steel fret boards is the rollers make that the nut fatter than a normal instrument. This usually makes the fret board’s first fret smaller than otherwise would be expected; to compensate. In other words the scale is to the centre of the rollers, not necessarily to the end of the fretboard.

Also there is no reason to stop you making your own fret board. I don’t have it at hand but the formula is not complicated, just each next fret is a percent smaller the preceding one.

[Per Berner]

If you want to make your own, here's how to get the right distances without the need for doing your own arithmetics:

https://www.stewmac.com/fret-calculator/

[Jim Palenscar]

You cannot use any other scale length fretboard for the scale that you have. There are a bunch out there- 24" and 24.25" are the 2 standards with some others notably the later Sierras w 25" and some Excels w 25.5". In order to reduce your frustration w string breakage I'd recommend a 24" or 24.25".

[George Piburn]

Ron ,

In theory YES adjust the nut and bridge , our peel and stick FB's have lines on each end to help you position your parts.

That Said ; John is correct, you need to compensate for "Top Dead Center" of both the Nut Rollers axel and Bridge (Changers) which equals the zero points on both ends of your scale length.

Since our FB's are Trim to Fit it is easy to cut them with an exacto or utility knife.

We measure the length, as best we can and place blue painters tape at the 12th fret (center) to help further.

You do need to trim some on the zero fret end.

Back when I made laser etched FB's for pedal folks, we got the offset measurement and laser trimmed the nut end so it was easy to install.

Hope some of this makes since.

[Ron Wendler]

Thank you guys for the information. I sometimes over think and get confused.

[Bill Ford]

Go with George, I have one of his trim to fit on my S12, works like a charm.

Bill

[J D Sauser]

George, My plans call for a 24" scale length. If I went with your 24.25 fretboard, would I just lengthen the Nut spacing .25 inch longer? This is new territory for me. Sorry to ask dumb questions.
Ron

SCALE length os the space between the nut and the bridge. The total vibrating length of the “open” string.

Each scale length requires a fretboard calculated specifically for that scale length so that the frets all represent a true semi tone. That is NOT the fretboards total length, as that depend on how many frets it will show.

There are free online fretboard calculators, some of which will even generate a printable “fretboard” of any input scale length. Google for “fretboard calculator”.

…. JD.