Classical guitar string spacing
Yamaha's classical guitars, from the C40II to the CG range, have a 52 mm (2-1/16″) nut and 11.8 mm between neighboring strings at the bridge, which puts the outer strings 59 mm apart. StewMac's replacement classical bridge is drilled for 2.360″ (59.9 mm). At the nut, Graph Tech's slotted classical nut spaces the outer strings 43.2 mm (1.70″).
Classical guitar string positions
Each string's position from the center of the 6th string, with an equal clear gap between strings: 59 mm at the bridge, 43.2 mm at the nut, D'Addario EJ45.
| String | Gauge | Bridge (mm) | Nut (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | .043 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 5 | .035 | 11.92 | 8.76 |
| 4 | .029 | 23.66 | 17.34 |
| 3 | .0403 | 35.46 | 25.98 |
| 2 | .0322 | 47.31 | 34.67 |
| 1 | .028 | 59.00 | 43.20 |
How to use it
- Choose bridge or nut; 59 mm or 43.2 mm fills in.
- Gauges go from the 6th string to the 1st: .043 .035 .029 for the basses, .0403 .0322 .028 for the trebles. Change them if you use hard tension or carbon trebles.
- Most classical fingerboards are flat, so you can skip the radius section, or enter 20″ for one of the few curved ones.
Help and explanations
Those numbers and a D'Addario Pro-Arté Normal (EJ45) set are loaded. Nylon trebles and wound basses are close in diameter, so equal gap and equal centers give almost the same layout on a classical.
String by string
At the nut, equal gap gives 7.77 mm of clear space between strings, and the centers stay between 8.53 and 8.76 mm, so cutting the slots at an even 8.64 mm is nearly the same thing. Each outer string sits 3.95 mm from the edge of a 52 mm nut, more room than on a steel-string with a 1-3/4″ nut (2.76 mm), which helps keep the 1st string from slipping off the edge.
At the bridge, 59 mm between the outer strings gives Yamaha's 11.8 mm from string to string and about 10.9 mm of clear space. If you drill a new tie block, mark the holes from the saddle line so they line up with the strings.
Flat board, wide neck
Yamaha lists the CG122MS fingerboard as flat. Taylor's nylon-string 112ce-N is an exception with a 20″ radius, which across 52 mm rises 0.67 mm in the middle. On a flat board the saddle is flat too; if you fit a radiused neck, shape the saddle to the same curve.
The flat board and the 52 mm nut are why a classical neck feels so much wider than a steel-string acoustic's 44.45 mm (1-3/4″): the difference is 7.55 mm, about one string's spacing at the nut.
Tips
- Using the old nut as a pattern? Measure its slots center to center; a reading across the outside of the 6th and 1st strings comes out about 0.9 mm larger.
- New saddle or nut? Set the classical guitar action afterwards.
- Normal and hard tension sets differ in diameter as well as pull: compare in the string tension calculator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the string spacing at the bridge of a classical guitar?
Yamaha uses 11.8 mm between strings, 59 mm between the outer ones. StewMac's replacement bridge is drilled for 2.360″ (59.9 mm).
What is the standard nut width of a classical guitar?
52 mm (2-1/16″) on Yamaha's C40II and CG models; some models go to 52.5 mm.
What is the string spacing at the nut of a classical guitar?
About 43.2 mm (1.70″) between the outer strings, per Graph Tech's classical nut, which works out to roughly 8.6 mm from string to string.
Is a classical guitar fingerboard flat?
Usually. Yamaha lists the CG122MS fingerboard as flat; Taylor's 112ce-N nylon-string is an exception with a 20″ radius.
How much wider is a classical guitar neck than an acoustic?
At the nut, 52 mm against 44.45 mm (1-3/4″) on a typical steel-string: 7.55 mm wider, and the board is flat instead of curved.