1

42 x 30” 17.368*
13.032* at widest
Flat Sawn Honduran Mahogany
14.375 12.00 8.34375
5.09375
3.50
3.25
Single Cut Les Paul Junior Design Study - ver. 1.2
Click here to check original thread for updates As a design study, this attempts to not only show how it was
originally designed, but also track the changes over the years.
Bold blue italicized type denotes a clickable link throughout this pdf. I’m working from an Extensively Measured Early 56 (EME56)
Download for better viewing in Adobe Reader and specific measurements from a handful of other guitars. This
will update if and when more info / measurements are obtained.
Some of the pages are rather large. Right clicking on the page and
selecting Marquee Zoom allows one to click and drag over an area Anyone have a maple 54, calipers and some free time? ;)
of interest. Control key + click to zoom back out. Holding down the (or any 50s Junior, for that matter - they’re all somewhat unique)
Shift Key switches the cursor to the hand tool to drag the page. It also serves as a guide for the hobbyist (or kid in workshop) to
Even Fraction measurements are given in full (excessive) decimal potentially make their own. There are countless offers of plans,
form due to an odd personality defect. templates and full kits of varying quality readily available online,
6 decimal places = a 64th. 5 = 32nd. 4 = 16th. 3 = 8th. 2 = quarter. so I have no misgivings posting this.
(it sometimes helps understand what the designer was thinking) If you find value in this... consider supporting your favorite
Measurements tagged with an * are either not exact fractions or are forum(s)... they make such things possible.
rounded off for convenience. i.e. - nut width and board length.

neck and headstock are angled up to show full size

0.625 0.571* 0.559* 0.547* 0.5625 transition in blue is angled down

to show flat headstock shape

7.00
1.50 1.75
0.429* 0.441* 0.453*
0.8125 6.00
0.8125 0.53125
1.3125 1.375 1.375
1.00

6.8125
0.375 D
2.40625

0.4375 0.4375 Center of Rotation

1.196* 2.0625
0.5625
6.65625
1.75 0.1875 R
0.25
to 0.25
1.78125 1.00 D 0.625 1.25
1.00° Tenon Cut Angle
0.125
0.25 3.50

2.266* 1.703*
Pot Positioning in Cavity 0.40625 0.1875 0.241* 0.218* 0.1875

0.4375 1.96875 0.15625

2.78175

0.46875 0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Thickness Board
Control Cavity
1.21875
3.65625
2.4375 1.00 3.25

3.25
Control Cover Ledge
0.03125 1.3125 24.75 2.125 to
1.46875
1.4375 0.25 D Rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings
4.28125
2.8125 3.4375 1.375
plastic
pearloid

Control Cavity Cover

1.40625 2.266* 1.703*

2.8125 18.086* 0.1875

0.125
4.21875
0.105* 0.50 2.143* 6.8125
0.625
17°
Wiring View from Back 1.688* 1.340*
Total 4.00 0.50
Bridge Ground 0.022 uf 0.961* 0.927* 0.914* 0.885* 0.902*
Shielded P’up Wire V T 1.410* 0.070*
2.531*
50s Wiring
most commonly:
0.022 uf/mfd non-polar cap
Vol. - 500k split shaft audio taper pot 24.788*
Tone - 250k split shaft audio taper pot
 2
42 x 30” 17.368*
13.032* at widest
Flat Sawn Honduran Mahogany
14.125 11.75 8.125
4.875
3.50
3.25
Single Cut Les Paul Junior Design Study - ver. 1.2
Click here to check original thread for updates As a design study, this attempts to not only show how it was
originally designed, but also track the changes over the years.
Bold blue italicized type denotes a clickable link throughout this pdf. I’m working from an Extensively Measured Early 56 (EME56)
Download for better viewing in Adobe Reader and specific measurements from a handful of other guitars. This
will update if and when more info / measurements are obtained.
Some of the pages are rather large. Right clicking on the page and
selecting Marquee Zoom allows one to click and drag over an area Anyone have a maple 54, calipers and some free time? ;)
of interest. Control key + click to zoom back out. Holding down the (or any 50s Junior, for that matter - they’re all somewhat unique)
Shift Key switches the cursor to the hand tool to drag the page. It also serves as a guide for the hobbyist (or kid in workshop) to
Even Fraction measurements are given in full (excessive) decimal potentially make their own. There are countless offers of plans,
form due to an odd personality defect. templates and full kits of varying quality readily available online,
6 decimal places = a 64th. 5 = 32nd. 4 = 16th. 3 = 8th. 2 = quarter. so I have no misgivings posting this.
(it sometimes helps understand what the designer was thinking) If you find value in this... consider supporting your favorite
Measurements tagged with an * are either not exact fractions or are forum(s)... they make such things possible.
rounded off for convenience. i.e. - nut width and board length.

neck and headstock are angled up to show full size

0.625 0.571* 0.559* 0.547* 0.5625 transition in blue is angled down

to show flat headstock shape

7.00
1.50 1.75
0.429* 0.441* 0.453*
0.75 6.00
0.78125 0.53125
1.3125 1.375 1.375
1.00

6.75
0.375 D
2.40625

0.4375 0.4375 Center of Rotation

1.196* 2.0625
0.5625
6.65625
1.75 0.1875 R
0.25
to 0.25
1.78125 1.00 D 0.625 1.25
1.00° Tenon Cut Angle
0.125
0.25 3.50

2.266* 1.703*
Pot Positioning in Cavity 0.40625 0.1875 0.241* 0.218* 0.1875

0.4375 1.96875 0.125

2.78175

0.53125 0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Thickness Board
Control Cavity
1.21875
3.65625
2.4375 1.00 2.28125

3.25
Control Cover Ledge
0.03125 1.3125 24.75 2.125 to
1.46875
1.4375 0.25 D Rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings
4.28125
2.8125 3.4375 1.375
plastic
pearloid

Control Cavity Cover

1.40625 2.266* 1.703*

2.8125 18.086* 0.1875

0.125
4.21875
0.105* 0.46875 2.143* 6.75
0.625
17°
Wiring View from Back 1.688* 1.340*
Total 4.00 0.50
Bridge Ground 0.022 uf 0.975* 0.952* 0.939* 0.924* 0.918*
Shielded P’up Wire V T 1.410* 0.070*
2.513*
50s Wiring
most commonly:
0.022 uf/mfd non-polar cap
Vol. - 500k split shaft audio taper pot 24.729*
Tone - 250k split shaft audio taper pot
 3
8.50 3.50 22 x 14”
5.25 3.25

Early

54
???

Pic of Maple Body 54 pup route

No measurements available.
Measurements of particular interest
would include the tenon under the
pickguard, headstock length, neck
angle and the p’up placement.
Judging from the pic linked above,
I’m thinking they may have used the
early trapeze Goldtop p’up position.
On those that have a tenon extending
beyond the end of the board,

I’d suspect that the odds of getting

the end of the fret board acurately
placed 3.25” inside the body would
be greatly increased, but that required
more skilled worker attention than
the sawn off neck they settled on.

Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket

5.25 best guess 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
Measurements Welcomed Measurements Welcomed Measurements Welcomed
 4
8.34375 3.50 22 x 14”
5.09375 3.25

55
Mahogany is not as hard as Maple
The p’up position was moved forward
(assuming I was close with the guess
on the 54).

compliments of Liam

Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket

5.09375 expected 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
5.079* measured 3.2756* measured 3.49607* measured
0.01085* measured as 129 mm measured as 83.2 mm gap measured 5.6 mm
 5
8.34375 3.4375 22 x 14”
5.09375 3.25

Early 6 101**

56
Stamped “Made in USA”
Does a 6 digit s/n indicte it was made
for Canada / other markets?
...or just made later in the year?
As with the 56 on the next page, the
neck pocket is a 16th shorter than
expected. With this one, the neck is
essentially at the 3.25 mark where it
should be. Not so with the next one.
A potential rationale for the short
pocket (pure speculation) follows.

The nature of the neck join makes it

difficult to hit the end of neck 3.25”
mark exactly. The tendency was for
it to be long... messing up the 16th
fret at the edge of the body aesthetic.
The bridge was placed after the neck
was set (referenceing the nut), so it
really didn’t matter otherwise... a fool
proof production sequence.
If you replaced the 1/4” corner radius
with a 3/16ths R and made the pocket
compliments of buyusfear 1/16th shorter, then the sharper
corner would reduce the potential to
overshoot the 3.25” mark.
Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket
5.09375 expected 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
5.2135* measured 3.241* measured 3.4435* measured
0.00125* 0.009* 3.4375 closest 16th
 6
8.40625 3.4375 22 x 14”
5.15625 3.25

3.1875 Early 6 49**

56
Pic of measured pup route
Freddy repaired the bushing break
over 20 years ago.
This Extensively Measured Early 56
(EME56) held a few suprises (to me,
at least)... not the least of which was
the neck pocket being a 16th shorter
than expected (as with the 56 on the
previous page). With paint build-up
in the neck pocket, Freddy couldn’t
definitively say what the corner radius
was... 1/4 or 3/16ths.

Given the actual measurements

below and the speculation on the
previous page, I’m not sure what the
heck is going on here.
Perhaps they were set up to route
the pocket 1/16th short, but forgot to
use the 3/8ths diameter bit with it for
the sharper corner radius?
The numbers tell stories?
Oblivious employee: “but we’ve
always used a 1/2” bit in the
Junior’s neck pocket.”

Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket

5.15625 expected 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
5.2085* measured 3.200* measured 3.418* measured
0.00225* 3.1875 closest 16th 3.4375 closest 16th
 7
8.1875 3.50 22 x 14”
4.9375 3.25

Late

56
Measurements Needed
Clearly there are Juniors out there
with a p’up position that seems to be
approaching the final 57 position.
4-15/16ths from the end of the neck
is merely a best guess.
Again, the real measurement would
be from the treble ledge corner
i.e. - corner to end of neck + end of
neck to center of p’up route as the
end of neck result varied.

Would the pocket be a 16th short?

There’s no telling without
measurements, but if my speculation
was correct, they seem to have
abandonned that idea by 57.

One might wonder if moving the p’up

forward had anything to do with the
switch to A5 magnets.

A5s a little too brittle sounding

closer to the bridge?

Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket

4.9375 best guess 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
Measurements Welcomed Measurements Welcomed Measurements Welcomed
 8
8.125 3.50 22 x 14”
4.875 3.25

57
The Junior gets a new guard.
and what a coincidence... 4-7/8ths
end of neck to center of p’up route
is also the measurement that shows
up later with the Double Cut Junior.

Center of Route End of Board Neck Pocket

4.875 expected 3.25 expected 3.50 expected
4.823* measured 3.2756* measured 3.49835* measured
0.0005* measured as 122.5 mm measured as 83.9 mm gap measured 5.6 mm
 9
8.34375 3.50 22 x 17”
13.025* 5.09375 3.25
at widest

0.25 R - 0.50 D Bit

0.25
17.368* 12.00 8.34375 3.50
3.00 1.314*

4.28125

3.65625
3.4375
2.375
1.375
1.46875

1.21875 0.40625

0.50 D
1.00 D Bit

drill depth:
2.75 min.
3.375 max. 0.15625

0.4375 D
Bit

0.46875

2.25

0.1875 R 1.75 1.25

0.25
0.25 to
0.625 3.50 1.00
1.00 D 1.78125 1.3125
0.125

0.03125 0.03125
 10
8.125 3.50 22 x 17”
13.025* 4.875 3.25
at widest

0.25 R - 0.50 D Bit

0.25
17.368* 11.25 8.125 3.50
3.00 1.314*

4.28125

3.65625
3.4375
2.375
1.375
1.46875

1.21875 0.40625

0.50 D
1.00 D Bit

drill depth:
2.75 min.
3.375 max. 0.125

0.50 D
Bit

0.53125

2.28125

0.1875 R 1.75 1.25

0.25
0.25 to
0.625 3.50 1.00
1.00 D 1.78125 1.3125
0.125

0.03125 0.03125
 11
Pickup Route and Bridge Bushings Miscellaneous Notes 22 x 17”
What does it say that even with a cnc’d body and cnc’d neck,
Gibson waits until the neck is set to route for the pickup and
bridge bushings? Sharp Corner Roundover
Waiting to drill the pickup mounting screw holes until after the guitar Having looked at more than just a few pics
is strung up is also a good idea. of vintage Juniors, this detail varied.
Sometimes, the sharp edge is just knocked
down with sandpaper before or after the
front and back are done... minimal radius.
Other times, it appears to be almost a full
3/16 R... whether tooled or sanded.
On the back, the roundover goes all the
way around the body.
On the front, it sometimes appears to have
1.00 D gone all the way around... other times, it
drill depth: appears to have started inside where the
2.75 min. neck pocket will be and to have stopped at
3.375 max. How did I miss this for so long? the end of the treble ledge... not making
the sharp turn back up into the pocket.
https://youtu.be/ub6PsY4cgwg

0.1875 R 1.75 1.25

0.25
0.25 to
1.00 D 0.625 1.78125 3.50
0.125

What’s with the Red Roundover bit? Holes for Potentiometers Pickup Routes Positioning of the Bridge Thinking through a process
Because I’ve seen it in build threads The 13/32nds hole gives a 64th gap In determining the position of the p’up The positions of the bridge bushings (mostly thinking to myself here)
more times than I care to mention. around a 3/8ths pot bushing to allow routes over the years, I initially thought would seem fairly important... not only Adhere outline page to thin template material
Even experienced builders sometimes for paint build-up. CTS / Emerson pots their positions were set in reference to for intonation, but perhaps more critical, Cut and sand to body outline
get absent minded and/or impatient have 3/8ths bushings... others may vary where the neck was set... i.e. - a set string alignment down the neck. (keeping sides as perpendicular as possible)
and forget that sequence matters. and hole sizes may need changed. distance from the end of the fret board. Pics of the bridge jig exist online.
Adhere thin template to 3/4 template material
Rounding over the front and back before Control Cavity Depth This thinking lead to headaches when It’s a steel bar that extends from the nut and create a copy with pattern bit
drilling the jack hole would make sense. trying to make sense of the end of the fretboard to where the holes
The measurement that counts is not
measurements given. are to be drilled. It lines itself up with With the two still together, use a 13/32nds brad point
At the very least, one should check their the depth, but what’s left after routing.
What snapped all the measurements the sides of the neck bit to drill the pot holes through both templates
intended set up to avoid unintended For a pot with a 3/8ths long bushing,
consequences. 1/4” would be fine. Adjust as necessary into place was imagining a jig similar to Reason for different measurements With the two still together, mark the centerline on both
for the pots to be used. what’s shown in the vid linked at the ends of the thicker template... also the jack hole and
On early Goldtops, Gibson would drill With the bridge jig referencing the nut
top of the page (minus the cnc). strap button positions.
a 7/16ths hole through to the control Control Cavity Cover Ledge end of the neck, the neck and bridge
cavity and come back later with a what The jig would snug up the sides of the float together. No matter where the end Route the body
Adjust for the thickness of the cover neck such that the route would be of the neck ends up when it’s set in
one would think was a 1” counterbore Drill the pot holes through the body.
material to be used... while also allowing perfectly in line... and it would use the reference to the target of 3.25” inside
with a 7/16ths pilot. for paint build up. end of the treble ledge of the body as the neck pocket, the bridge will always With the template still attached, mark the jack hole
A SwitchCraft 1/4” jack is 3/4” in be positioned correctly. and strap button locations with a center punch / awl
Routing From the Back a stop to set the route at a consistent
diameter at its widest. I’d imagine Now consider the p’up route being a / nail set... deep enough that it won’t be sanded out.
One way of placing the templates distance back on the neck centerline.
Gibson got into the habit of a 1” hole consistent distance from the front edge
accurately on the back of the guitar is That consistency could lead some to Remove template and clean up the edges.
for ease of fishing components into of the body. Juniors from the same
to use the pots holes (drilled fully through believe that the route was done before
hollow body guitars. production run could (and probably do) Roundover front and back
the body) as refence points. Using a the neck was even set... but I’m fairly
13/16ths (minimum) would work. have slightly different end of neck to Drill jack hole (after rounding over)
drill press and drilling slowly with a sharp certain good alignment was valued...
13/32nds brad point bit would seem center of p’up route measurements.
if only out of habit / routine for the Use the pot holes though the back to position control
ideal for such an approach. tighter / more critical soapbar routes. NTS: You’re out of Aspirin cavity template for routing control cavity, etc.
1-7/32nds 3.65625 1-15/32nds 4.28125 4.21875 12
CTS 0.9375 22 x 14”

1.46875 1.40625
1.21875
1.96875
0.40625
0.125
Control Cavity Control Cavity Cover Ledge 0.105*

1-7/32nds is a bit weird for a dimension... perhaps the designer was and here we are again with a radiused end a weird 32nd measurement. Control Cavity Cover Ledge
having a bit of fun making it 3 times the diameter of the pot hole. This time, it may be more important to not change the measurement...
i.e. getting the plastic cover from somewhere / someone else rather Oh joy...an outside end radius this time. If you have access to cnc
One could drill two 1-3/16ths holes (a more commmon forstner bit or a laser cutter, then you probably haven’t been reading any of this.
size) and use a pin / rub collar / bearing 1/16th smaller than the router than making it yourself. It’s sized to leave a 32nd gap around the
bit to end up wit the correct dimensions... or just leave it 1.1875 high. cover before the inevitable paint buildup inside. It’s easiest to just shape a template by hand as best one can... it’s
The obvious: 1-15/32nds is a 32nd smaller than 1-1/2... a 32nd larger not all that hard.
Drilling a hole in one piece to use as a template to make the final
template wouldn‘t be uncommon at all. than 1-7/16ths (1.4375)... there’s bound to be a combination of drill Having looked online for covers this size, I found some original vintage
bit and pin / rub collar / bearing and router bit combination that’ll work. covers on ebay (with prices you’d expect). The only new covers I
With the pot holes through the body, one could lay down some tape found were at MojoAxe.com.
on the body and mark the positioning of the template. Be sure to
account for differences in your cavity size (1-3/16ths high) or differences [Eric O - SMA] “Not a sponsor” [/Eric O - SMA]
in pin / rub collar / bearing and bit.

1.46875 1.40625
1.21875

0.609375 2.4375 0.609375 0.734375 2.8125 0.734375 0.703125 2.8125 0.703125

3.65625 4.28125 4.21875

0.105*
0.125
0.40625 reference through holes 0.40625

0.125
1.96875
0.125

0.40625 0.4375 0.4375

0.3125 0.3125
 13
Neck and Body Alignment 22 x 14”

The Outline Template has lines extending down the body to

hopefully help block the completed neck to that original thin
template. Block it out - route it with a 1/2 bit (or 3/16ths, if
you prefer the 1/16th shorter neck pocket approach) and
copy it to thicker template material.

Test the fit of the neck in the template.

Sand to make a looser fit - add tape to
make it tighter. You’ll probably want
to make it slightly too snug such that
you can block sand the sides of the
neck’s tenon to fit when you’re
dry fitting it into the body...
sanding both sides
evenly.

half half half

half half half

The main point of this page is to stress the

importance of finding the resulting neck center line
once the neck is set. I drew it up just referencing
things within arm’s reach here... an 18” stainless
ruler and the cardboard on the back of a letter pad.
The cardboard was stiff, had sharp edges on the
sides that are, most importantly, cut parallel to
each other for butting up against the butt end of
the neck to draw a line perpendicular to the neck
center line. It’s easier / quicker than measuring
out along the extended lines of the neck’s sides.

Of course, the p’up routes and bridge placement

will reference this center line.
circa circa circa circa circa
14
54 1.375
55 1.375
56
1.375
57?
1.375
59
1.375 1.375 30 x 15”

3.4375 0.15625 3.4375 0.15625 3.4375 0.125 3.4375 0.125 3.4375 0.125 3.4375
0.421875
0.453125
0.390625 0.46875 0.50 0.53125 0.53125

3.25 1.00 3.25 1.00 2.28125 1.00 1.00 1.00

1.3125 0.03125 1.3125 0.03125 1.3125 0.03125 1.3125 0.03125 1.3125 0.03125
Main route has 0.25 R corners. Main route has 0.25 R corners. Main route has 0.25 R corners. Main route has 0.25 R corners. Main route has 0.25 R corners.
Channel route has 0.4375 R corners? Channel route has 0.4375 R corners? Channel route has 0..25 R corners Channel route has 0..25 R corners Channel route has 0..25 R corners
0.375 D bit used in channel route. 0.4375 D bit used in channel route. 0.25 D bit used in channel route. 0.25 D bit used in channel route. 0.25 D bit used in channel route.

stop over 0.03125 over 0.03125

over 0.015625 over 0.03125
up up up
up up 0.03125 0.03125 0.03125
down down longer down longer down longer

0.390625 0.46875 0.50 0.53125 0.53125

template new template 0.46875 0.46875 0.46875

template template template
0.375 pin 0.4375 pin
0.4375 pin 0.4375 pin 0.4375 pin
0.375 bit 0.4375 bit
0.50 bit 0.50 bit 0.50 bit
Width at nut - measured 1.695” - drawn as 1.703125 (1.703*) “I double and triple checked Gang Saw Slots Alone Extensively Measured Early 56 24.75 by Rule of 18 24.75 by Rule of 18 15
(I’m thinking the transition to headstock was sanded) FreddyG AccuMeasure™ the measurements for accuracy 1st fret vs. vs. vs. 34 x 22”
Width at butt - measured 2.267” - drawn as 2.265625 (2.266*) February 2, 2016... This was posted. Call it a hunch. and I’m confident they are within positions lined up to 24.625 by Rule of 17.817 24.625 by Rule of 17.817 24.5625 by Rule of 17.817
+/- .001” isolate gang saw slots
Length - measured18.089” - drawn as 18.0859375 (18.086*) Immediately to the left, we compare Freddy’s Fret measurements from how the board was
(feel free to add the extra 0.0030625” if you like) of the EME56 (Extensively Measured Early 56) to a 24.75 Base Scale calculated I believe him. fed into the gang saw
by the old school Rule of 18. With the nut to fret measurements an average of or trimmed to length.
1.703125 1.703125 0.0206” off, something wasn’t right... and it wasn’t Freddy’s measurements. 0.0206* Avg. Difference 0.0016* avg. diff. 0.0076* Avg. Difference 0.0199* Avg. Difference 0.0140* Avg. Difference
1.625 Mapping Numbers to Get the Picture Nut to Fret Fret to Fret Nut to Fret Fret to Fret Nut to Fret
With an average fret to fret error of only 0.0016” (after taking the obvious nut to FreddyG AccuMeasure™ 24.75 0.0180* diff. FreddyG AccuMeasure™ 24.625 24.75 24.5625
1st fret error out of the equation), you’ve got to admit that whoever spaced that calculated by Nut to Fret calculated by calculated by Rule of
gang saw earned their pay that week. Talk about splitting hairs. Rule of 18 avg. diff. Rule of 17.817 Rule of 18 17.817
0.0033
Further to the right, in red, I take the nut to 1st fret error out of the equation by
lining up the 1st frets of the actual measurements and the calculated numbers. 1.393* 0.0180* diff. 1.3750 0.0000 diff. 1.393* 0.0109* diff. 1.3821* 0.0071* diff. 1.3750 0.0036* diff. 1.3786*
Cumulative error has the average nut to fret error at 0.0033... still impressive.
The excellent David Collins vid mentioned earlier
“... and how did they end up at such a weird number to begin with? I mean, this
is America and we really love our simple fractions or whole numbers.” 2.690* 0.0164* diff. 2.6736* 0.0016* diff. 2.690* 0.0034* diff. 2.6866* 0.0130* diff. 2.6736* 0.0062* diff. 2.6798*
I can relate... ‘cuz Merca!!1!
as an aside, see my (doneone) 1st post in this thread from 2011
It’s a bit embarrassing looking back on it, but for the longest time, I couldn’t figure
out why the board length on Juniors was such a weird number... i.e. not a simple 3.916* 0.0159* diff. 3.9001* 0.0016* diff. 3.916* 0.0019* diff. 3.9179* 0.0178* diff. 3.9001* 0.0079* diff. 3.9080*
fraction or whole number. I mean, there must be a reason, Right?
(See illustration to the left - scroll to bottom)
And yes, I mistyped 3/16ths when I meant 3/32nds in the post.
Also see David Collin’s posts in that thread. 5.074* 0.0156* diff. 5.0584* 0.0024* diff. 5.074* 0.0061* diff. 5.0801* 0.0217* diff. 5.0584* 0.0088* diff. 5.0672*
Base Scale vs Relative Scale
Not to belabor the point, but just to be clear because we’ll eventually need to
place a bridge... Gibson Electrics have a Base Scale of 24.75 calulated by the 6.1524* 0.0004* diff. 0.0247* diff. 6.1524* 0.0090* diff. 6.1614*
6.170* 0.0176* diff. 6.170* 0.0071* diff. 6.1771*
old Rule of 18 which gives us a Relative Scale of 24.57
(2 times the 12th fret measurement of 12.285).
At the far right of this page (massive as it is), we compare a 24.5625 scale
calculated by the Modern Method (12th root of 2 - Rule of 17.817 - whatever you 7.205* 0.0194* diff. 7.1856* 0.0014* diff. 7.205* 0.0075* diff. 7.2125* 0.0269* diff. 7.1856* 0.0086* diff. 7.1942*
care to call it) to the 24.75 Scale calulated by the Rule of 18. The Relative Scale
lengths of each are the same - 24.57 vs 24.5625 - off by only 0.0075 - essentially
a rounding error. As seen later, the bridge would be placed in the same spot. 8.1614* 0.0036* diff. 0.0284* diff. 8.1614* 0.0076* diff.
8.183* 0.0216* diff. 8.183* 0.0068* diff. 8.1898* 8.1690*
I used absolute values (ignored whether the number was + or -) for the difference
of the placements given for each fret so the overall average would be more
accurate. In this comparison, the 1st through 10th fret differences are negative...
9.103* 0.0200* diff. 9.0830* 0.0020* diff. 9.103* 0.0092* diff. 9.1122* 0.0292* diff. 9.0830* 0.0061* diff. 9.0890*
meaning the 24.75 rule of 18 Base Scale 1st though 10th frets are flat relative
to the 24.5625 Base Scale Rule of 17.817. From the 11the fret on, the Rule of
18 fret placements are increasingly sharp. This is the textbook difference.
9.974* 0.0206* diff. 9.9534* 0.0026* diff. 9.974* 0.0089* diff. 9.9829* 0.0295* diff. 9.9534* 0.0042* diff. 9.9576*
As Mr. Collins mentioned in the thread linked above, it comes down to splitting
hairs. (if you haven’t noticed by now, I’m a big fan of splitting hairs)
For our purposes here... 10.975* 0.0196* diff. 10.7754* 0.0016* diff. 10.975* 0.0097* diff. 10.8047* 0.0293* diff. 10.7754* 0.0019* diff. 10.7773*
Would a 24.5625 Rule of 17.817 slotted board be a suitable substitute?
As every correct answer in an economics class begins... “it all depends...”.
11.574* 0.0222* diff. 11.5518* 0.0042* diff. 11.574* 0.0064* diff. 11.5804* 0.0286* diff. 11.5518* 0.0008* diff. 11.5510*
If you fret your own slots and are set up for a 24.5625 Base Scale, then sure...
provided that you aren’t bothered by the extra spacing between the 22nd fret
and the end of the board. By me just mentioning that, you can probably 12.307* 0.0220* diff. 12.2850* 0.0040* diff. 12.307* 0.0055* diff. 12.3125* 0.0275* diff. 12.2850* 0.0038* diff. 12.28125
deduce that it would bother me... it would catch my eye as looking odd.
...but then again, I may, indeed, be a freak.
13.001* 0.0235* diff. 12.9775* 0.0055* diff. 13.001* 0.0025* diff. 13.0035* 0.0260* diff. 12.9775* 0.0070* diff. 12.9705*
If you were to order a 24.5625 pre-slotted board from Stewmac, then there would
be a problem with the board length. Stewmac cuts 24 slots in their boards...
13.652* 0.0205* diff. 13.6315* 0.0025* diff. 13.652* 0.0038* diff. 13.6558* 0.0243* diff. 13.6315* 0.0104* diff. 13.6212*

14.271* 0.0218* diff. 14.2492* 0.0038* diff. 14.271* 0.0005* diff. 14.2715* 0.0223* diff. 14.2492* 0.0140* diff. 14.2352*
+ 0.018 nut to 1st
16th 14.852* 0.0194* diff. 14.8326* 0.0014* diff. 14.852* 0.0006* diff. 14.8526* 0.0200* diff. 14.8326* 0.0177* diff. 14.8149*

3.50 24.75 - Rule of 18 15.403* 0.0194* diff. 15.3836* 0.0014* diff. 15.403* 0.0020* diff. 15.4010* 0.0174* diff. 15.3836* 0.0216* diff. 15.3620*
3.25
15.928* 0.0241* diff. 15.9039* 0.0060* diff. 15.928* 0.0093* diff. 15.9187* 0.0147* diff. 15.9039* 0.0256* diff. 15.8783*

16.419* 0.0236* diff. 16.3954* 0.0056* diff. 16.419* 0.0116* diff. 16.4074* 0.0120* diff. 16.3954* 0.0296* diff. 16.3657*
binding = 0.040
before scraping 16.882* 0.0225* diff. 16.8595* 0.0045* diff. 16.882* 0.0134* diff. 16.8686* 0.0091* diff. 16.8595* 0.0337* diff. 16.8258*
...the 23rd fret slot on the pre-slotted Stewmac board is inside the Junior’s board
length and would have to be cut out... making the board (and neck) shorter. 17.321* 0.0231* diff. 17.2979* 0.0051* diff. 17.321* 0.0171* diff. 17.3039* 0.0060* diff. 17.2979* 0.0379* diff. 17.2600*
18.0859375 18.125 The good news is that the 22nd fret to end of board space would look more
17.738* 0.0261* diff. 17.7119* 0.0081* diff. 17.738* 0.0232* diff. 17.7148* 0.0029* diff. 17.7119* 0.0420* diff. 17.6699*
(5/128ths) authentic. It can be done. Good luck if you go that route.
(11/128ths) 0.3480* to EOB 0.3740* to EOB 0.0261* diff. 0.0232* diff. 0.3711* to EOB 0.0029* diff. 0.3740* to EOB 0.0420* diff. 0.4161*
A modern spaced 24.625 pre-slotted board would be a suitable substitute with
2.1875 the bridge moved back a 16th of an inch. More on that later. The 22nd fret to Stewmac’s 23rd fret should be centered around
2.265625 0.0390625 2.265625 the EOB would be essentially the same as the Rule of 18 board. 18.056*... minus half the kerf = 18.045*
1mm = 0.039370 18.086 board length - 18.045* = 0.041* minimum
 16
Tapered Thickness Fret Boards 28 x 14”

Imagine looking down at the neck in playing position and focussing on the side
24.75
of the board. If the side of the nut end looks thicker than the body end, then
1.4375 0.25 D Rule of 18
the board is not tapered in thickness. It’s not necessary... more of a finer detail.

plastic 2.265625
pearloid
12” Radius
1.703125
17.712*
17.298*
16.860*

16.395*

15.904*

15.384*

14.833*

14.249*

13.632*

12.978*

12.258*

11.552*

10.775*

9.953*

9.083*

8.161*

7.186*

6.152*

5.058*

3.900*

2.674*

1.375
0.187* 0.241* 0.211*

0.241” Even Thickness

0.187* 0.241* 0.023* 0.241* 0.211*

0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered for 3/16ths even sides
0.1875 0.241* 0.218* 0.1875

0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered for 5/32nds even sides
0.15625 0.210* 0.187* 0.15625

I’m convinced the bottom 2 are the target dimmensions Gibson went for...
17.712*
17.298*
16.860*

16.395*

15.904*

15.384*

14.833*

14.249*

13.632*

12.978*

12.258*

11.552*

10.775*

9.953*

9.083*

8.161*

7.186*

6.152*

5.058*

3.900*

2.674*

1.375
the general rule was the thicker board for earlier juniors... the thinner board for
Goldtops and later Stds / bursts, etc. Note that they didn’t hit the mark exactly,
but the measurements make it clear what the target was. i.e. one 59 burst had
the butt end at 0.215 and the nut end as 0.190... clearly the thinner board.
24.75 However, the general rule was more of a guideline than a hard and fast rule.
1.4375 0.25 D Rule of 18 There may have been a rhyme and reason to it all, but I don’t have enough
measurements to say for sure. It could be that the bound Specials were
Lines supposed to get the thinner boards... perhaps even tv yellow models.
plastic
pearloid = Some, if not all, 59 Double Cut Jrs have the thinner board.
0.023
Or maybe they just used whatever they had ready to go... like putting soapbar
p’ups under the dogear covers on some juniors.... or 3**k volume pots when
they were running short on 500k ones?
 18.50 Compression Rod 17
28 x 18”

0.3125 18.1875

1.023*
0.50
0.625

0.50
55 normal board

0.125
0.625 0.143* 0.139* 0.142* 0.145* 0.134* 0.172*

0.50
0.65625

0.53125
55 thin board

0.125
0.65625 0.142* 0.137* 0.140* 0.143* 0.132* 0.169*

0.46875
0.625

0.50
57 normal board

0.125
0.625 0.162* 0.167* 0.170* 0.173* 0.188*

0.50
0.65625

0.53125
57 thin board

0.125
0.65625 0.162* 0.167* 0.170* 0.173* 0.177*
 18
Nut Access - Fun with Counterbores The only difference the size of the Stewmac Philadelphia Luthier 0.4375 D
thin wall
excess depth
without shim
amount of shim for
1/64th clearance 34 x 17”
counterbore makes is in the width. Barbed Washer Barbed Washer
originally posted in this thread nut driver in channel under nut driver 0.5625
To clear the nut and give enough room for
Searching online for “interchangeable pilot counterbores” should bring up
a thin wall nut driver, they would have to 0.5625 0.720*
several candidates. The rod channel should be 3/16ths wide so get a bit
start at the same place on the face 0.100* 0100*
that uses a 3/16th pilot. One could use left over rod material as the pilot.
Below shows 0.75 D in red 0.34375
There’s no reason to let the bit cut as deep as it normally would... one can 0.470*
and 0.625 D in blue
put a shim in the bottom of the channel to control the depth - see far right.
0.625 0.078125
The less material removed, the stronger the neck in this weak area. 0.09375
0.720*
Below are the stop and start points on 3 Juniors. If they used a counterbore,
then they may have tilted it and levelled it off as they went in. The top
seems consistant with a counter bore... the other two show an angled entry? 0.3125 0.3125 0.6875 0.109375
(it’s hard to know the whole story without removing the rod to measure) 0.125

0.50 0.75 0.140625

0.508* 2.061* 0.50 2.143* 0.375 0.50 or 0.625 0.15625

stewmac Philadelphia
Luthier
0.50
55 18.50

0.3125 18.1875

0.50
0.503* 1.954* 0.46875 2.143* Stewmac’s gibson rod 18.25 long... though from where to where is not stated.

0.50
56
0.25

17.00 1.00

0.375

0.25
0.50
0.40625
0.463* 1.882* 0.50 2.248*

center

0.53125 center
57

curved truss rods usually put the lowest point at the 7th
 Side view of head stock as the template is drawn (before being routed to length) The template could be cut to the desired length and lined up with the break angle, or 19
In addition to being drawn long, it’s drawn thick... cut to 6” and the headstock marked with a line giving you the length you want. 27 x 15”
the expectation is that it will be sanded to
0.625 final thickness after shaping the neck) 0.5625
21” R

55 Jr
7.00
1.50 1.75 1.50 Double Cut Junior 1.75
The EME56 0.560* 0.530* 0.535* 0.547* 0.375
0.8125 6.00 4.497* 0.8125 6.00
6.834*
1.375 1.375 1.375 1.375

Side view of head stock as measured (Extensively Measured Early 56)

Is the concave back evidence of a run in with a belt sander? 21” R

3 on a plate Kluson Deluxe type tuners use push in bushings that requires a hole
larger than the diameter of the post. One could drill all the way through with a drill
0.571* 0.559* 0.547* 0.53125 0.571* 0.559* 0.547* 0.53125
bit the size that the bushing needs, or drill through with the size of the post and then
counterbore / ream
the front to the size of the ferrules. The advantage of the extra step is that having
part of the hole the size of the post adds support to the post.

Ye Olde Telecaster String Though Trick

0.429* 0.441* 0.453* 0.429* 0.441* 0.453*
Hopefully the drawing makes it clear enough
if you’re not already familiar with it. 0.53125 0.53125
The front and back of the headstock aren’t
parralel... though on some gibsons, they could
have been sanded to near parallel.
Shimming the neck on a drill press such that
you’re drilling down perpendicular to the front
of the headstock’s face would be tedious.
Having the face down in the drill press is easier.
With 3 on a plate tuners like the Kluson Deluxe, Intentional or not, the lengths did vary. I initially thought they got shorter with
accurate drilling on one side would have the each passing year, but the extensively measured 56 put that theory to rest...
centers slightly off on the other side of a tapered being longer than a measured 55.
thickness headstock.
No matter what tuners you plan to use, this set-
up is a way to drill into the back of the tapered
headstock and have the holes accurately placed
on the face of the headstock.
When making the headstock template, use a
brad point bit to accutrately drill the tuner holes
with a smaller size hole than you’ll eventually
need... with matching pin.
Old, dull bits make good pins.
 0.125 20
28 x 18”
6.8125
0.625 0.50
17°
blade or bit 4.00
height

See neck angle pages

55 neck profile
21” R
for std. tapered board
55 Jr

1.50 1.75
0.375
0.8125 0.8125 6.00 4.497*

1.375 1.375

21” R

2.266* 1.703*
0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Board Thickness 0.1875 0.241* 0.218* 0.1875

3.25

24.75 2.125 to
1.4375 0.25 D rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings

plastic
pearloid

2.266* 1.703*

18.086* 0.1875

0.50 2.143* 6.8125

0.625
17°
1.688* 1.340*
Total 4.00 0.50
0.961* 0.927* 0.914* 0.885* 0.902*
1.410* 0.070*
See neck angle pages 2.531*

24.788*
 0.125 21
28 x 18”
6.75
0.162* 0.167* 0.170* 0.173* 0.188* 0.50
0.625
17°
blade or bit 4.00
height

See neck angle pages

57 neck profile
21” R
for std. tapered board
57 Jr

1.50 1.75
0.78125 0.375
0.75 6.00 4.497*

1.375 1.375

21” R

2.266* 1.703*
0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Board Thickness 0.1875 0.241* 0.218* 0.1875

3.25

24.75 2.125 to
1.4375 0.25 D rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings

plastic
pearloid

2.266* 1.703*

18.086* 0.1875

0.46875 2.143* 6.75

0.625
17°
1.688* 1.340*
Total 4.00 0.50
0.975* 0.952* 0.939* 0.924* 0.918*
1.410* 0.070*
See neck angle pages 2.513*

24.729*
 Neck Angle Examples on this page drawn with 22
the thicker (default) tapered board. 34 x 18”
Right... open your Trigonometry books to page... no? Ok then.
Assuming that this may be someone’s first real look at set neck angles...
Know that it’s not as complicated as I’ll (no doubt) seem to make it here. 0.241* 0.218*
That said, there are a couple of things of which you’ll want to be aware.
Short on time? Get the right bridge, bridge posts and pickup cover...
then call it 1° even and get on with life. Center of Rotation Total
0.4375 0.4375 Center of Rotation 0.4375 1.688*

0.5625
6.65625
1.410* 1.340*
Quick story: I ran across a build thread where a young man was using a 1.0758500° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
plan I had drawn up. He was doing a fantastic job... but then he posted
0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
something to the heartbreaking effect of: “The string action is way too high.”
Not gonna lie... my concern was not only for him, but also that I might have 1.0019225° Tenon Cut Angle
made a mistake<?> The plan used a stop tail bridge... he chose a wrap 0.070*
around bridge with individual saddles... quite a bit higher than a stop tail.

Basic Premise: Neck Angle raises the height of a line (straight edge)
riding the top of the frets down the center of the neck such that the line is
at a good height for the bridge you plan to use. (please read that again)
0.421875 1.672*
Familiar refrain: It’s a great idea to have your parts in hand before you
go digging into the fine wood you’ve aquired... bushings, tuners, pots, etc. 0.5625
6.65625
Speaking of which... a modern o.e.m. P90 dogear cover is 0.4375” high. 1.394* 1.315*
(a potential annoyance with pole spacing is mentioned elsewhere) 1.2102900° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
Let’s split some hairs...
0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
The reason the height is mentioned here has to do with the string height
above the P90 poles. A setup page on the Gibson website (that has since 1.1363625° Tenon Cut Angle
been moved or disappeared altogether) mentioned that a good starting 0.080*
point for each of the strings over the adjustable poles is a 16th of an inch.
Searching online, you may find that dogear cover dimensions vary... I’ve
seen at least one cover offered what was spec’d at 10mm high (no, it was
not clearly identified as a neck pup cover, which should be shorter, ideally).

0.044* 0.046875 = 3/64ths 0.40625 1.657*

0.4375 10 mm 0.5625
6.65625
1.379* 1.290*
1.3447200° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
Everything else being equal, a shorter cover would mean you’d have to
raise the poles higher to reach the recommended 16th of an inch below the 0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
strings... which runs the risk of having the poles look like antennae popping
out of a cartoon alien’s head... (not judging here - I’m not anti-cartoon alien) 1.2707925° Tenon Cut Angle
If you purchase (or wind yourself) a pickup with what’s commonly referred 0.090*
to as 50mm spacing, the good news is that Stewmac offers a dogear cover
with the correct pole spacing and height.

I hear that etherial voice asking: “Just how insane are you, anyway?”

Exhibit for the Prosecution #95: 0.390625 1.641*

Setting up the no neck relief action in cad... borderline insane. 0.5625

6.65625
Bridge raised such that high E is extremely low (3/64ths at 12th), the pole
1.363* 1.265*
would need to be raised a few 64ths (2.5 - 3 depending on 55 or 57 p’up 1.4791400° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
position) to hit the 1/16th mark - plenty of “air” if 1/16th is too close for your
taste. Overall higher action, not to mention the inherent higher action as 0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
the strings progress, and it’s approaching having the bottom of the head 1.4052125° Tenon Cut Angle
of the pole (6/64ths) above the top of the 0.4375” cover.
0.100*
That would annoy me... because, well, you know... I’m insane.
On to simple maths... continued next page.
 On to neck angle, proper... Same as the previous page... 23
Although it’s simple, it was a bit of a headache (literally) to figure out how except with the thinner tapered board. 34 x 18”
to it present it here clearly. The problem is that there are so many variables... The angle of the taper is the same
board thickness, angle of a tapered board, fret height, bridge height, etc. as the thicker board. The difference 0.210* 0.187*
is the thickness of the mahogany
The higher the board above the top of the body (technically, the higher the
portion of the neck needing to be a
ruler riding the top of the frets), the smaller the neck angle... and vice versa.
32nd thicker to make up for the board
To be clear... Each was hand fitted. It wouldn’t surprise me to see two from being a 32nd thinner. Rotation Point Total
the same batch be wildly different when it comes to neck angle. In forums, 0.4375 1.688*
I’ve seen everything from 1- 1.3 or so posted.
0.5625
E.M.E.56 measurements with which I was gifted: 6.65625
0.393 - top center of end of board above front of body 1.441* 1.371*
0.037 - height of frets. 1.0758500° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
0.430 - total of tenon, board and ruler riding top of frets above front of body
0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
0.437 - height of p’up cover (starting to make sense?)
0.539 - height of ruler riding frets an arbitrary 6-5/8ths from end of board. 1.0019225° Tenon Cut Angle
0.070*
note: the 6.65625” used in the examples to the right is also arbitrary and
makes the excessively decimaled angles given slightly off - close enough,
though. Bridge placement will be covered later, which is the point here.
The angle created from the measurements above extended out to the
6.65625 mark used here puts the ruler 0.56219 above the front of the body.
0.5625 is the general rule of thumb for stoptail bridges - the stoptail itself 0.421875 1.672*
about 0.5” high and a 16th (0.625) for the post ledge it sits on.
0.5625
6.65625
The simple math approach... 1.425* 1.346*
1.2102900° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
So after you install SUPER JUMBO, MEGA COLOSSAL, UNOBTANIUM
HYPO-ALLERGENIC frets... you may want to recalculate the tenon 0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard
dimensions. Ok, not necessarily, but you get the idea. Using the top 1.1363625° Tenon Cut Angle
example to the right, the combined height of the tenon, board and frets at 0.080*
the end of the neck should put you right around
0.4375” above the front of the body.
Adjusting the thickness of the tenon at the end of the neck is straight forward
math. Again, using the top example to the right, we have the total thickness
at the butt end of the neck as 1.688”. From that. you’ll want to subtract the
height of the frets you’re using and then the thickness of the end of the 0.40625 1.657*
board.... that’ll give you the end height of the tenon.
0.5625
The 1.441* and 1.371* measurements shown in the tenon example are just
6.65625
that - examples (using 0.037 high frets and the end of the perfectly tapered
1.410* 1.321*
board - 0.241”). The important number is the difference the 1.0019225° 1.3447200° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
tenon angle creates over 4” (0.070” with this angle). Subtract that from
your end of tenon number and you’re ready to pencil in your measurements. 0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard

1.2707925° Tenon Cut Angle

About that board taper angle... 0.0739275° (yes, I laugh to myself whenever 0.090*
I paste angles to 7 decimal places). Over the 6.65625”, it only makes
0.00851” of difference. 0.554” instead of 0.5625. The bridge will be raised
when you string it up, so a 128th” is no problem... remember the 0.5625”
rule of thumb. It’s popular for a reason - you undercut it by more to get the
bridge lower at your own risk. Such things are best left to the experienced.
The other examples... I kept going to see what happens. The strings do 0.390625 1.641*
get slightly closer to the poles as the neck lowers / the angle increases, but
not 3/64ths shorter pickup cover worth unless you like having the bottom 0.5625
of the board at the 16th fret even or below the top of the body. 6.65625
I’d keep my sights toward the top of the page. 1.394* 1.296*
1.4791400° Effective Neck Angle 4.00
0.0739275° Taper of Fretboard

1.4052125° Tenon Cut Angle

0.100*
 0.125 24
28 x 18”
6.8125
0.65625 0.53125
17°
blade or bit 4.00
height

See neck angle pages

55 neck profile
21” R
for 32nd thinner (GT) board
55 Jr
The side profile is a 32nd
thicker to make up for the
thinner board. 1.50 1.75
0.8125 0.375
One could use this with the 0.8125 4.497*
thicker board for a thicker
1.375 1.375
neck.
21” R

2.266* 1.703*
0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Board Thickness 0.15625 0.187* 0.210* 0.15625

3.25

24.75 2.125 to
1.4375 0.25 D rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings

plastic
pearloid

2.266* 1.703*

18.086* 0.1875

0.50 2.248* 6.8125

0.65625
17°
1.688* 1.371*
Total 4.00 0.6525
0.961* 0.927* 0.914* 0.885* 0.902*
1.441* 0.070*
See neck angle pages 2.531*

24.788*
 0.125 25
28 x 18”
6.25
0.6875 0.53125
17°
blade or bit 4.00
height

See neck angle pages

57 neck profile
21” R
for 32nd thinner (GT) board
57 Jr

1.50 1.75
0.78125 0.375
0.75 6.00 4.497*

1.375 1.375

21” R

2.266* 1.703*
0.3125 0.09375 (3/32nds) dots 0.072 x 0.037 Orig.Frets Tapered Board Thickness 0.15625 0.187* 0.210* 0.15625

3.25

24.75 2.125 to
1.4375 0.25 D rule of 18 2.15625 after prepping to glue wings

plastic
pearloid

2.266* 1.703*

18.086* 0.1875

0.50 2.248* 6.25

0.6875
17°
1.688* 1.371*
Total 4.00 0.53125
0.975* 0.952* 0.939* 0.924* 0.918*
1.441* 0.070*
See neck angle pages 2.513*

24.729*
 Danelectro’s Bridge Bushing Location Measurements of a 55 Junior 26
22 x 14”

12.516* 12.312*
from
nut

1.715*

0.1044*

0.1035*

1.508*

length = 3.2507699
angle = 7.49448

12.092*

Note: Dan measured from the 12th fret

which he had at 12.312*...
but remember that the bridge was set in
place referencing the inside of the nut.
 27
String Alignment Seems Like It Might Be Important 22 x 14”

0.312*
The ears are centered slightly The Vintage studs have a radius 0.156 R of the back of the ear slot
narrower than the studs... of 0.13 (0.26 D) where the - 0.130 R of stud post
0.25 otherwise, they could bind... bridge leans against it. = 0.026 (a touch less than a 32nd)
0.09375 3.23* 3.25 wood expands and contracts A larger radius here would raise If the set screws are adjusted out
more across the grain the bridge toward the bass side less than 0.026, then the string
than with the grain. and throw off the string tension will pull the bridge up as the
alignment by the amount of the radius of the post begins riding inside
0.6875 difference in the Radii. the back radius of the ear.
Most studs offered for sale are A 32nd allowance for this is made
intended for use with a stop tail when positioning the bushings / studs.
0.062* being used as a stop tail...
where this diameter isn’t critical
as they’re meant to contact the
back of the ears. They’re
usually quite a bit larger.

Have I mentioned that having your parts in hand before cutting

or drilling is a good idea? At the very least, check with the vendor
and know what you’re getting.

42
2.025* More hair splitting... 2.041* 32 Back to where 2.026*
The string tension we started with the
24
and bridge angle bridge adjusted to
cause the strings 16 6.4°
to ride the bottom
11
of the through holes.
09
 Danelectro’s Bridge Bushing Location Measurements of a 55 Junior 28
22 x 14”

57 p’up
placement

https://www.liutaiomottola.com/formulae/compensation.htm 50mm
pole spacing

Low E: 24.57 Relative + 0.2982 Compensation

High E: 24.57 Relative + 0.0522 Compensation

Note the set screws as drawn here.

the bass side is set 1/16th out
the treble side is set 1/8th out
According to Dan, the1/16th difference is typically
how you’ll end up with Vintage placement.
Adjusted angle = 6.4°
The calculated compensated string lengths
would seem to confirm this.
 Danelectro’s Bridge Bushing Location Measurements of a 55 Junior 29
22 x 14”

57 p’up
placement

Note the stagger of the compensated string lengths below. 50mm

pole spacing
Stop Tail Bridges are not perfect...
but close enough for rock and roll
(as they say)

E: 24.57 Relative + 0.2982 Compensation

A: 24.57 Relative + 0.1806 Compensation
D: 24.57 Relative + 0.1447 Compensation
G: 24.57 Relative + 0.1809 Compensation
B: 24.57 Relative + 0.0975 Compensation
E: 24.57 Relative + 0.0522 Compensation

Danelectro - a.k.a. Dan of MojoAxe.Com

[Eric O - SMA] “Not a sponsor” [/Eric O - SMA]
Obviously, there are alternative bridge choices, (I stream a lot of youtube on the tv)
but IMHO, anything other than a stop tail would ruin Dan was a big help in getting me to wrap
the simple aesthetic of a Junior. my head around the realities of stop tail bridges.
If near perfect intonation (no such thing as He’s well versed as he developed and produces a
pefect intonation up and down the board) stop tail of his own.
is important to you, It’s worth checking out... at the very least.
then see the links to the right. You might see a few other useful items as you
scroll down the page.

What can you expect?

https://youtu.be/jm-07eDzJGE
Skip to the 10 minute mark for the results.
Note that intonation at the 12th can be merely a starting
point for many... it may be further tweaked for best
compromise up and down the board.
Well... How did we get here? Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 30
22 x 14”
If we can figure that one out, 24.57 Relative Scale
then it’s not just “magic”... Base Scale of 24.75
and we can modify it calculated by Rule of 18
to suit our needs gives us a
if need be. Relative Scale of 24.57
You know... (2 times the 12th fret @ 12.285)
Science!!1!
eleventy! 24.75 - 24.57 = 0.18... essentially, 3/16ths (0.1875)
7/32nds = 3/16ths + a 32nd
as a set screw allowance.

24.75
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.21875 7/32
1.75
3.25 1.625

0.125

1.625 1.50

0.21875 7/32

Note that we are not rotating.

The 7/32nds forward and back are on
lines parallel to our neck center line.
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 31
22 x 14”
24.57 Relative Scale

The Part of the stud that the bridge rests against

is 0.26” in Diameter...
so we measure half that
0.13” (its Radius)
straight in front of the bridge line
to mark the stud’s center.

center 0.111*

Bridge Line Angle = 7.67°

3.25

Since we were not rotating, the centers

of our bushings would no longer be
3.25” apart... unless we fix it.
The treble bushing stays in place.
The bass bushing moves down a bit
which also moves the center down.
Same as it ever was? Comparing Danelectro’s Measurements to This Placement Method 32
22 x 14”
24.57 Relative Scale

12.516* 12.312*
from
0.0068*
nut
0.0059*

1.721* 1.715*

0.0070*

1.50 1.508*

0.0080*

0.0027*

12.092*
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 33
22 x 14”
24.57 Relative Scale

57 p’up
placement

50mm
pole spacing
 Historic Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 34
And you may ask yourself... 22 x 14”
How do I work this? 24.57 Relative Scale

As previously mentioned, the treble set screw was adjusted

out a 16th more than the bass side with the Vintage Angle.
Dan mentioned in passing that with the Historics, they
moved the treble post back a 16th to even up the
set screw adjustment.

24.75
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.21875 7/32
1.75
3.25 1.625

0.125

1.625 1.50

0.15625 5/32
 Historic Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 35
22 x 14”
24.57 Relative Scale

center 0.114*

Bridge Line Angle = 6.58°

3.25
 Historic Bridge Angle for a 24.75 (Rule of 18) Board 36
22 x 14”
24.57 Relative Scale

57 p’up
placement

50mm
pole spacing

and as we’d expect, we come up with

essentially the same result...
but with the set screws more balanced
(both adjusted out 1/16th)
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 37
22 x 14”
Base Scale of 24.625
calculated by Rule of 17.817
gives us a
Relative Scale of 24.625
(2 times the 12th fret @ 12.3125)

One could add 3/16ths to 24.625 and proceed

as in the previous two examples...

24.8125
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.21875 7/32
1.75
3.25 1.625

0.125

1.625 1.50

0.21875 7/32
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 38
22 x 14”
... or one could use a different approach
by starting at the Relative scale length
(same as the base scale length when
calculated by the rule of 17.817).

Start by putting the treble side a 32nd ahead of the line

to give the bridge the set screw the clearance it needs.
The bass side is the same amout behind the treble
as in the previous examples.

24.625
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.40625 13/32
1.75

1.50

0.03125 1/32
ahead
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 39
22 x 14”

0.111*

Bridge Line Angle = 7.67°

3.25
 Vintage Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 40
22 x 14”

57 p’up
placement

50mm
pole spacing
 “Historic” Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 41
22 x 14”
and finally,
more of the same with the Historic angle...
We could do the old way (this page)
or start a 32nd behind the line (next page)
to reduce the amount the set screw
needed to adjust out by a 16th.

24.8125
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.21875 7/32
1.75
3.25 1.625

0.125

1.625 1.50

0.15625 5/32
 “Historic” Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 42
22 x 14”

24.625
measured from the
inside of the nut

0.40625 13/32
1.75

1.50

0.03125 1/32
behind
 “Historic” Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 43
22 x 14”

0.114*

Bridge Line Angle = 6.58°

3.25
 “Historic” Bridge Angle for a 24.625 (Rule of 17.817) Board 44
22 x 14”

57 p’up
placement

50mm
pole spacing

checks out
 45
17 x 11” Plastics

0.09” thick

1/4” - #3 round head screws

for truss rod cover and jack plate, pick guard and
dog ear pickup cover back cover countersunk for
#3 oval head screws (0.375”)

1.3125 4.21875
2.40625 square 0.125
Jack Plate 1.40625
1.196* 2.0625 0.375 D blk - w - blk
0.078 thick Back Cover
0.09* thick

0.040* thick 0.1875 R 1.00 0.105*

46 17 x 11”

1.625 1.625 0.0425*

1.57*
0.4375 0.4375 stewmac philadelphia 0.395*
luthier
“Genuine” replacement covers
have narrow pole spacing. 1.57*
50s P90 pole spacing measures
closer to 1.96875 / 50mm. mojotone 0.433*

0.0155*
3.40625
4.6875
3.8125

1.9375

1.9375 50 mm 1.96*
1.968*

measured 1.961*
1-31/32 1.96875
47 14 x 8.5”
unused tab normally clipped off The Measured 56 used:
Bridge Ground 0.022 uf 2 tabs bent up and DC resistance of Pickup - 7.95k
soldered to casing Centralab audio taper volume pot measured
Shielded P’up Wire V T (ground) 477k - value marking on pot covered by
solder. Old pots tend to drift higher.
50s Wiring IRC linear pot marked 250k measured 319k
most commonly: Capacitor = 0.024uf
0.022 uf/mfd non-polar cap sleeve
Vol. - 500k split shaft audio taper pot
Tone - 250k split shaft audio taper pot tip
Refresher Course Links:
Guitar Electronics 1 - Pot Values
Guitar Electronics 2 - Tone Control
Guitar Electronics 3 - Volume Control
Guitar Electronics 4 - Treble Bleed
(treble bleed not applicable to 50s wiring)
Guitar Electronics 5 - 50's wiring
Tone Capacitor Comparison Survey

Example shopping list:

(who doesn’t like shopping?)
56 Quiet Coil" P-90 Dogear Pickup
CTS 500k Vintage Taper Split Shaft Pots
0.022uf Polypropylene Foil Capacitor
Switchcraft J11 Out/Ext. 1/4" Mono Jack
Black Top Hat Knob
Nickel Pointer Washer

Making the case for vintage wound p’ups