Lap steel fretboard template
A lap steel has no frets to press against: you stop the strings with a steel bar held right over a line on the fretboard. Those lines still follow fret math, and if they are off, every slide lands out of tune. The calculator opens on 22.5″ (571.5 mm), the scale of almost every single-neck Fender lap steel according to the Steel Guitar Forum, where the 12th marker sits at 11.250″ (285.75 mm) and the 1st at 1.263″ (32.08 mm).
Lap steel marker positions, 22.5″ scale
Equal temperament, distances measured from the nut.
| Fret | From nut (mm) | From previous (mm) | To saddle (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 32.08 | 32.08 | 539.42 |
| 2 | 62.35 | 30.28 | 509.15 |
| 3 | 90.93 | 28.58 | 480.57 |
| 4 | 117.90 | 26.97 | 453.60 |
| 5 | 143.36 | 25.46 | 428.14 |
| 6 | 167.39 | 24.03 | 404.11 |
| 7 | 190.07 | 22.68 | 381.43 |
| 8 | 211.48 | 21.41 | 360.02 |
| 9 | 231.68 | 20.21 | 339.82 |
| 10 | 250.76 | 19.07 | 320.74 |
| 11 | 268.76 | 18.00 | 302.74 |
| 12 | 285.75 | 16.99 | 285.75 |
| 13 | 301.79 | 16.04 | 269.71 |
| 14 | 316.93 | 15.14 | 254.57 |
| 15 | 331.21 | 14.29 | 240.29 |
| 16 | 344.70 | 13.49 | 226.80 |
| 17 | 357.43 | 12.73 | 214.07 |
| 18 | 369.44 | 12.01 | 202.06 |
How to use it
- The Lap steel 22.5″ preset is loaded. For another instrument, type its scale: 24.5″ or 26″ on Fender Stringmasters, 25″ on a Gold Tone LS-6.
- The number of frets, which here means marker lines, starts at 18: set 20 for a Gold Tone LS-6, 24 if you want the full two octaves.
- Choose Letter or A4 and tap Print template. Keep the scale at 100% and measure the 100 mm bar.
- Line the nut line up with the nut edge, not with the end of the board, before you glue or trace the template.
Help and explanations
The calculator starts with 18 markers, a starting value you change to the count you want; read the table in inches or mm and print the template at 100%: it becomes the fretboard itself or a guide for paint and inlay.
Lap steel scale lengths
Steel guitar players on the Steel Guitar Forum list the Fender single-neck lap steels at 22.5″ almost across the board, while the Stringmaster consoles came in 22.5″, 24.5″ and 26″ versions. Modern student models vary: the Gold Tone LS-6 is 25″ with 20 markers. A longer scale gives more tension and sustain with the same strings; a shorter one tightens the marker spacing, which helps on quick bar slants.
Each marker uses the same formula as a fret, d = L − L ÷ 2^(n/12), as in R. M. Mottola's table. On 25″ the 12th marker falls at 12.500″ (317.50 mm) and the 5th at 6.271″.
Markers and the bridge
With a bar the pitch is set by where the bar touches the string, so players aim directly over the line, not behind it as on a fretted guitar. That is also why a lap steel needs far less saddle compensation: the bar doesn't push the string down to a fretboard. The calculator still shows a range for wound steel strings; treat it as the most the bridge would ever move, and check the 12th marker with the intonation checker.
If you are converting a guitar neck, the existing frets serve as markers, but raise the nut so the strings clear them; the bar must never touch the frets.
Tips
- Draw the lines from the nut, never by adding up spacings: on 24 markers the errors pile up.
- Paint dots at 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15, 17 and 19: the pattern helps your eye on the dark fretboard.
- Tuned to C6, open D or open E? The lap steel tuner has all three.
Frequently asked questions
What is the scale length of a lap steel?
22.5″ (571.5 mm) on most single-neck Fender lap steels; Stringmasters were made in 22.5″, 24.5″ and 26″, and the Gold Tone LS-6 is 25″.
Where is the 12th fret marker on a 22.5″ lap steel?
At 11.250″ (285.75 mm) from the nut, half the scale. The 5th is at 5.644″ and the 7th at 7.483″.
How many fret markers does a lap steel have?
It depends on the model: the Gold Tone LS-6 has 20. Two full octaves need 24; on 22.5″ the 24th line sits 16.875″ (428.63 mm) from the nut.
Can I print the lap steel fretboard template?
Yes, at full size on Letter or A4, split across sheets with an overlap strip. Print at 100% and check the 100 mm bar before you glue it down.
Do I need saddle compensation on a lap steel?
Much less than on a fretted guitar, because the bar doesn't press the string to the board. Set the bridge at the scale and check the 12th marker with a tuner.