Duplex

[Ron Nossaman]

>Ron,  How short?  I'm resomethingorothering a  5'9" Emerson
>and the front bearing angle  varies from about 17 degrees at note 55 to
>about 12 degrees at note 87.  The length is about 1.1 inches at note 55 and
>varies to 1.3 inches at note 87.  It wouldn't be too hard to shorten it a
>little.
>
>Thanks,  I'll have more questions about the rear duplex shortly.
>
>Carl Meyer  Assoc. PTG

Carl,
Short as you can reasonably get them. If you can get them down in the 20mm
range, you should be in good shape. Watch your bearing angles. You'll need
a shorter counter bearing bar closer to the capo than you did farther away. 

Which reminds me. Making counter bearing bars, I buy 10' sticks of brass
rod in assorted diameters from my local surplus yard. A rotary file chucked
in my drill press, feeding a length of brass between the file and a fence
clamped to the table lets me quickly make whatever height bar I think I
want with minimum fuss and pain. Then I cut to length and bend to suit.
there's some waste, but the stuff is cheap, and I like the flexibility of
infinite thickness choices. Down side - I don't think my drill press likes
it much.

You probably already know what I like in back scales. Long, no attempt at
tuning or detuning, with vertical hitches if the plate is adequate to it.

Ron N