My Metric String action gauge
My Metric String action gauge
String action Gauge (metric)
It is easy to find a well known commercial version of this kind of gauge which
aim at measuring the heigth between strings and frets.
One measures at the first fret, the twelvth, etc … and the wished heigth is
under the musician’s preference and the specs of the instrument.
The drawback of this gauge is for us, europeans, that it is only available over the Atlantic, and that, until recently, it was only available in imperial system.
I propose here a personal printable version of the string action gauge, in
metric graduation. Precision is the quarter millimeter
.
(Do not print this picture 
! just go on
reading and use the dxf file 
)
It is a dxf file, which is a vectorial format, used in the CAD softwares. It
is the only one that allows dimensional accuracy.
You need to find a software for printing the dxf files, and take care to the
printer settings : use “real size” !
I personnaly use Qcad (here a
free version for Windows), but there are lots of others, for instance
SagCAD on Framasoft, perfectly
free.
You need to print in real dimensions, on a thick paper, you fold along the
line , add glue, you can even add another layer of thick paper inside, and at
the end you laminate with plastic.
Last thing will be to cut very accurately the contours, with an X-acto like
knife, along the edges of a steel ruler.
This is very handy, and if you happen to loose it, you just have to print
again ! 
I have now two versions :
- the version above, with an inch/mm table on the recto
- A more interesting version for measuring at the first fret. The gauge is printed recto and verso. (to be able to measure the bass string as easily as the trebble one) 
The files are available here, in the download section : Version 1, Version 2
Happy setups !
Buxus.
(Leave me a little feedback !)
Older readers comments
Hello from Tarheel