Fret Calculator
Enter a scale length to calculate equal-tempered fret positions measured from the nut.
The 12th fret is 12.750 inches from the nut.
| Fret | From nut (inches) | From previous fret | Remaining scale |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.431 | 1.431 | 24.069 |
| 2 | 2.782 | 1.351 | 22.718 |
| 3 | 4.057 | 1.275 | 21.443 |
| 4 | 5.261 | 1.203 | 20.239 |
| 5 | 6.397 | 1.136 | 19.103 |
| 6 | 7.469 | 1.072 | 18.031 |
| 7 | 8.481 | 1.012 | 17.019 |
| 8 | 9.436 | 0.955 | 16.064 |
| 9 | 10.338 | 0.902 | 15.162 |
| 10 | 11.189 | 0.851 | 14.311 |
| 11 | 11.992 | 0.803 | 13.508 |
| 12 | 12.750 | 0.758 | 12.750 |
| 13 | 13.466 | 0.716 | 12.034 |
| 14 | 14.141 | 0.675 | 11.359 |
| 15 | 14.779 | 0.638 | 10.721 |
| 16 | 15.380 | 0.602 | 10.120 |
| 17 | 15.948 | 0.568 | 9.552 |
| 18 | 16.484 | 0.536 | 9.016 |
| 19 | 16.990 | 0.506 | 8.510 |
| 20 | 17.468 | 0.478 | 8.032 |
| 21 | 17.919 | 0.451 | 7.581 |
| 22 | 18.344 | 0.425 | 7.156 |
Measure from one fixed reference
Scale length is the nominal vibrating string length, not the full length of the guitar or fingerboard. On a conventional fretted instrument, doubling the nut-to-12th-fret distance gives the nominal scale.
Mark each slot from the nut reference face instead of repeatedly stepping from the previous slot. Accumulated measuring errors can otherwise shift the later frets. The adjacent-distance column is useful as a cross-check.
The spacing formula
Distance from the nut to fret n equals L × (1 − 2^(−n/12)), where L is the scale length. The formula places twelve equal-tempered semitones within an octave.
For a 25.5-inch scale, fret twelve sits at 12.75 inches and fret twenty-four at 19.125 inches. Changing the unit selector converts the entered length, preserving the physical instrument dimensions. Displayed values are rounded to three decimal places.
Fret positions are not saddle compensation
A real saddle usually sits slightly beyond the nominal scale point to compensate for pitch changes when fretting. This table does not calculate that extra distance, nut compensation, or a multiscale layout.
Use accurate marking tools and check the printed numbers before cutting. The printout is a measurement table, not a full-size cutting template; printer scaling does not determine these distances.