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Round vs. Square
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We were the first to pioneer the use of round notches. When we first started making these we made square notches. We quickly learned it was easier to measure the frets and we could produce a more accurate slot with a round hole vs. a square slot. This is because the cutting tool is stronger because it does not have to reach to the very corners that cause less flexing of the tool bit when it cuts. We also use the hardest/strongest cutting tool we can find. And we cut the shanks down as much as possible so we can lower the cutting head as close to the scale as possible to reduce as much flexing as possible. It also requires less energy to manufacture thus reducing our carbon footprint. It takes over one hour to cut our shanks of our cutting bits using a diamond cutter. That’s a hard cutting bit!!
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Offset Scale
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What is “Offset Scale”. It’s a good question because we had to invent the term to solve a problem that is common with these scales. Here is what happens. Most scales are based on the math of how to machine the scale so all the frets will fit. This would work well if it only had to fit the frets, but it also has to fit the nut. The nut can be hugely larger than the fret and not knowing what size the nut might be this is often overlooked. The result is a scale that will not fit. To solve this problem we “Offset” the scale to accommodate variations in most nut designs. As a result, this greatly improves the compatibility of our scales fitting any particular design of guitar or other instrument.
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Higher Grade Aluminum
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Most scales and straightedges are manufactured from “Architectural Grade” aluminum. These grades are manufactured mainly for cosmetic appearances and have little strength. We use structural grade aluminum in our scales. You can easily see the difference in that architectural grades look smooth and uniform, and the structural grades have a distinct grain that runs horizontal. Even though the construction grades don’t have a nice as appearance we still use them because we feel the strength is much more important for having and maintaining dimensional accuracy.
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CNC vs. Laser vs. ASPS Machining
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Our scales are manufactured through dedicated hard tooling (ASPS Machining). This has numerous advantages over CNC. CNC can have a position accuracy of .001 or better, but what they do not tell you is how it is setup and the type of CNC used can create a lot of ‘chatter’ and flexing of the tool bit that can cause the cutting tool to be off as much as .125 of an inch. ASPS uses dedicated hard tooling that reduces the typical spindle height of a CNC machine (1 to 5IN) to .010IN or less for ASPS Machining. This makes our system tremendously more rigid. In addition our machining uses dedicated mechanical interlock system that forces the cutter to cut in the right place. CNC machining is “free floating”, if it wanders off because of programming error, flexing, or other problems it can be often hard to catch. Another way to make scales is by laser cutting. We feel lasers are not a good system as the heat build up can cause the notches to be placed in the wrong location because of the thermal expansion of the aluminum (see Temperature Declaration). ASPS machining solves all these problems.
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Temperature Declaration
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Aluminum can expand and shrink more than you might expect. Its best to use a scale at the same temperature that it was manufactured at. If a scale is machined in a foreign country at 120 degrees Fahrenheit (not uncommon for a manufacturing environment) combined with cnc machining process can push the temperature of the aluminum to 500 degrees or more. And if you used that scale on a cold winter day in your unheated shop it could be off by as much as 1/8 of an inch! That’s why we declare the temperature of which our scales are manufactured at: between 65 and 85 degrees. If the temperature of our metal exceeds this range we stop the process to investigate what is wrong or let the metal cool before continuing. This reduces the thermal variation over the total length to a theoretical maximum of .004in. Typical variations can be found in the .002in range or less.
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Recycled Packaging
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It ships in reinforced recycled packaging and we use green energies whenever possible in the manufacturing of this product. We also use bicycles to make our post office shipments whenever possible to reduce our carbon footprint.
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Fret Note
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Fret placement on musical instruments are often done by hand and misalignment of the frets as measured by the scale is only an indicator and may not mean a defect in the quality or workmanship of the instrument(s) being checked.
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Payment Information
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Secured SSL Payment is done through the Paypal website by popular credit card or your Paypal account at the end of Checking out. Please pay immediately after purchasing as this simplifies the payment tracking process and will result in you receiving your item several days sooner. We handle some orders, such as bulk or distributor orders, over the phone.
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Shipping
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90% of our orders are standard stock items are shipped the same day if placed by 3pm Eastern time unless noted otherwise. We are hit about 97% in getting our shipments out by next business day If your delivery date is critical please contact us before ordering. Most items over $20 have shipping numbers. We have multiple shipping centers and will ship from the closest one whenever possible. We cannot cancel an order once it has shipped and must be processed through return and refund process. Some items weighing less than 13oz may ship by stamped first class mail and will show no tracking information.
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Packaging
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This item is wrapped in 1.5 mill polypropylene plastic for shipping unless the Protective Packaging Option is purchased instead.
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Issue Resolution
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The fastest and best way to resolve an issue is to contact us directly by email or phone (six, seven, eight,)-(two, zero, zero)-(zero, eight, six, two). Do not open a Paypal case as it creates extra labor for us and can delay the resolution process by up to 30 days. Once a case is opened they draft the full purchase price of the item from our account and do not restore it for up to 30 days after the case is closed. This increases our product costs and lowers our customer service to you and future customers. Only open a case if you can-not resolve the issue by contacting us first.
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