Is Grasshopper for My Needs?

Grasshopper
1

Hi,

I am a musical instrument builder (guitar, bass, mandolin, all set neck) and have used Rhino a little over a year for generating 2D and 3D files to input to VCarve Pro to post to my CNC machines. Presently I’m inputting a separate file for each scale length, and drawing the defining 2d curves for that scale (neck thickness, headstock, body to neck joint area).

What I am looking for primarily is to be able to change instrument scale lengths in 1 dimension, and body sizes. The algorithm for fret ratio spacing is calculated as follows:
“To determine the position of the first fret, the scale length is divided by 17.817. This distance is then subtracted from the scale length to determine the remaining string length. This remaining length is divided by 17.817 to calculate the distance from the first fret to the second fret.” (this screams recursive function call in C programming!)

4 questions, in order of importance

  1. Can the ratio formula be applied in Rhino and how? Python script, Grasshopper?

  2. Can parameters like nut width, scale length, number of frets, 12th fret fingerboard width be incorporated (I know - it’s more than one question here). Nut width and 12th fret width determine the taper for the entire fingerboard length.

  3. Can Grasshopper facilitate this?

  4. What tutorial(s) does one recommend?

After reading my post I’m thinking it might be easier to just make a bunch of drawings, but Grasshopper is tickling the computer programmer in me (hehe).

Thanks for finishing a pot of coffee while reading my post!

1 Like
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These threads were seven years ago so I don’t remember much about them, but I got into it at the time, esp. the second thread that goes on for five pages.

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Thanks! I’ll check them out.

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Hi @Carl_Mesrobian , Have you seen this?

The GH guitar - Gallery - McNeel Forum

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No, but I definitely will!
Thanks!

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Calculating frets’ distances is planned for the GH guitar model but the current implementation is based on distances given by a chart from a Telecaster and a Lespaul plans I based the GH Guitar on.

Depending on the progress of the body, I might tackle this around June, possibly earlier.