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Guitar Fret Position Calculator

Work out guitar fret position instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Guitar Fret Position Calculator

Equal temperament places fret n at scale length minus scale length divided by two to the power n over twelve, which is why the twelfth fret sits at exactly half the scale. Fret spacing shrinks geometrically, so the gap between frets 19 and 20 is less than a third of the gap between the nut and the first fret.

Formula

Fret position

distance from nut = L - L / 2 ^ (fret / 12)

Worked example

With the default values below, Guitar Fret Position Calculator returns Distance from the nut of 12.7500. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Scale lengthminimum 1 in
25.5 in
Fret numberaccepts 1–30
12

Results

Distance from the nut
12.7500 in
Distance from the nut in millimetres
323.850 mm
Distance from the bridge
12.7500 in
Gap from the previous fret
0.7582 in

Step by step

  1. 1Values used
  2. 2Fret position
  3. 3Distance from the nut= 12.7500 in
  4. 4Distance from the nut in millimetres= 323.850 mm
  5. 5Distance from the bridge= 12.7500 in
  6. 6Gap from the previous fret= 0.7582 in

Assumptions and limits

  • The result is derived only from the 2 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
  • In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
  • Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Guitar Fret Position figure worked out?

distance from nut = L - L / 2 ^ (fret / 12). Equal temperament places fret n at scale length minus scale length divided by two to the power n over twelve, which is why the twelfth fret sits at exactly half the scale.

Why does this matter?

Fret spacing shrinks geometrically, so the gap between frets 19 and 20 is less than a third of the gap between the nut and the first fret.

What do I need to enter?

Enter scale length, fret number. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.

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