Electric guitar string spacing
On a modern Fender Stratocaster bridge the outer strings are 2-1/16″ (52.4 mm) apart, center to center; Fender's American Vintage bridges spread them to 2-7/32″ (56.4 mm). At the other end, the American Professional II has a 1.685″ (42.8 mm) nut, and Graph Tech's Strat-style slotted nut puts the two E strings 1.39″ (35.3 mm) apart.
Electric guitar string positions
Each string's position from the center of the low E, with an equal clear gap between strings: 52.4 mm at the bridge, 35.3 mm at the nut, D'Addario EXL110.
| String | Gauge | Bridge (mm) | Nut (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | .046 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| 5 | .036 | 10.91 | 7.49 |
| 4 | .026 | 21.57 | 14.73 |
| 3 | .017 | 31.99 | 21.73 |
| 2 | .013 | 42.24 | 28.56 |
| 1 | .010 | 52.40 | 35.30 |
Fender — American Professional Stratocaster Bridge Assembly (2-1/16″ string spacing)
How to use it
- Choose nut or bridge; the outer-string distance fills in (35.3 mm or 52.4 mm). Type your own for a vintage bridge (56.4 mm) or a tune-o-matic (51.6 mm).
- Leave Equal gap on for a nut you're cutting, so the space between strings looks even under your fingers.
- For the radius, pick 7.25″, 9.5″, 12″ or the 10–14″ compound and read the arc at each fret.
Help and explanations
Those numbers and a D'Addario EXL110 (.010–.046) set are already loaded. The table lays out every string at the nut and at the bridge, and the radius section gives arc height fret by fret, compound radius and a printable radius gauge.
Equal gap at the nut, string by string
With 35.3 mm between the E centers and a .010–.046 set, equal gap leaves 6.45 mm of clear space between neighbors. The centers then run 7.49 mm from the low E to the A, narrowing to 6.74 mm between the B and the high E. On a 42.8 mm nut that leaves 3.39 mm from each outer string to the edge, enough to keep the E strings on the board when you bend or play hard.
At the bridge the hardware decides. A 2-1/16″ Strat bridge sets the saddles at equal centers, 10.48 mm (0.41″) apart, which leaves 9.4 mm clear next to the low E and 10.2 mm next to the high E.
Strat, Les Paul and fretboard radius
Fender lists a 9.5″ radius on the American Professional II, 7.25″ on the American Vintage II 1957 and a 10″–14″ compound on the American Ultra II. Gibson's Les Paul Standard 50s has a 12″ radius, a 43.05 mm nut and a 24.75″ scale; its ABR-1 tune-o-matic spreads the strings 2-1/32″ (51.56 mm), according to StewMac's listing of the Gibson part.
Across a 42.8 mm nut the center of the board rises 1.25 mm on a 7.25″ radius, 0.95 mm on 9.5″ and 0.75 mm on 12″. The nut slots and the bridge saddles have to follow that arc, or the middle strings end up lower than the outer ones.
Tips
- Calipers across the outside of both E strings read about 0.7 mm more than center to center (half of .046 plus half of .010): 36.0 mm on a 35.3 mm nut.
- A 10″–16″ compound is a replacement-neck spec (Warmoth); Fender's own compound is 10″–14″.
- After a nut or bridge change, set the electric guitar action again.
Frequently asked questions
What is the string spacing on a Strat bridge?
2-1/16″ (52.4 mm) between the outer strings on modern Fender bridges, about 10.5 mm string to string. Vintage-style bridges use 2-7/32″ (56.4 mm).
What is the string spacing at the nut of an electric guitar?
About 1.39″ (35.3 mm) between the E centers on a Strat-style nut, per Graph Tech. With equal gap and a .010–.046 set, that's 6.45 mm of clear space between strings.
What is the nut width of a Stratocaster in mm?
42.8 mm (1.685″) on the American Professional II, 42 mm (1.650″) on the American Vintage II 1957. Gibson's Les Paul Standard 50s is 43.05 mm.
What fretboard radius does a Stratocaster have?
9.5″ on the American Professional II, 7.25″ on vintage models and a 10″–14″ compound on the American Ultra II.
What is the string spacing on a Les Paul bridge?
The Gibson ABR-1 tune-o-matic spreads the outer strings 2-1/32″ (51.56 mm), slightly narrower than a modern Strat.
Should I use equal gap or equal centers?
Equal gap for a nut, so the space between strings looks even; at the bridge, saddles usually come at fixed equal centers.