Digital caliper for guitar work--what features are needed?

I've wanted for years, but have never had, a digital caliper, for general purpose guitar work. Seems like a good "gift suggestion" this time of year! There are tons of different ones at all sorts of prices from $10 to well over $100. Just search for "digital caliper" on Amazon.

What features would any of you recommend as useful for a digital caliper to be a good guitar tool?

Thanks in advance to any & all!

I don't have one either and would like to get one soon. I have noticed that the ones that stewmac sells has a notch for measuring fret height and such.

Most of what I've done so far (making a body and starting on a test neck) has really only needed a couple good rulers, but I did pick up a set of calipers from Lee Valley that I think could come in handy. They do fractional inches which is a feature I hadn't previously seen on any calipers I had used.

Dirt cheap calipers might not be very reliable, but you don't need a $100 set either unless you need very high precision.

I bought one a few years ago at Harbor Freight and the display only went out to hundreths of an inch. In my opinion, that is fairly useless for accurate guitar work, so I bought another that went out to thousandths of an inch.

Nothing wrong with good ole dial calipers. They read to 1000th inch and never need a battery.

Mine only reads to hundredths. And it doesn't have the thing on the end for measuring depth.

This is the one that I have. It was like $10 from Harbor Fright:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_12243.jpg

This one for $19.99 is probably much better:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11340.jpg

I got this one (currently $16) from Amazon. It gets good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Stainless-Digital-Caliper-Extra-Large/dp/B000GSLKIW

I have it about a year and it's worked fine so far.
Seems accurate and the ability to display inches and mm is handy.

Nothing wrong with good ole dial calipers. They read to 1000th inch and never need a battery.

The same logic could apply to a slide rule.... I had a college instructor who went out of his mind when students started to buy those new fangled calculators. He insisted we use sliderules in class....

I think the low cost, ease of use, and accuracy of a digital caliper is enough to offset an occasional battery purchase. :-)

I got this one (currently $16) from Amazon. It gets good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Stainless-Digital-Caliper-Extra-Large/dp/B000GSLKIW

I have it about a year and it's worked fine so far.
Seems accurate and the ability to display inches and mm is handy.

Yep - I use one like that. In fact, I use a caliper so much, I got another one. They are extremely useful for guitar making and setup.

I got this one (currently $16) from Amazon. It gets good reviews.

http://www.amazon.com/Neiko-Stainless-Digital-Caliper-Extra-Large/dp/B000GSLKIW

I have it about a year and it's worked fine so far.
Seems accurate and the ability to display inches and mm is handy.

That looks like it's identical to Harbor Freight's $19.99 model... which they occasionally run on sale for $14.99. I have the Harbor Freight version and it's great for the money.

I'd like to have one like this that also reads out in fractional inches (down to 128ths!):

http://images.rockler.com/rockler/images/38519-01-200.jpg

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18651&rrt=1

Edit: Just found a fractional one on Amazon for $16.00 (only 1/64th resolution when viewing fractional, however...)

http://www.amazon.com/Carrera-Precision-CP7906-Electronic-Fractional/dp/B0018DC6JQ

Kobalt Digital from Lowes...$29. I've used this one on every guitar I've built...you don't know how much you need them until you have used them.

Inside and outside measurement, SAE or Metric, half-thousandths display, depth gauge, thumbwheel, auto power-off, all metal housing. Even comes with an extra battery and a pretty tough case.

I've used this one on every guitar I've built...you don't know how much you need them until you have used them.

Ain't that the truth! Once you start using one, it becomes indispensable!

I've got very nice Mitutuyo vernier calipers that read in inch fractions and thousandths. Got them used for very cheap for some odd reason:wink:

I've got a HF level dial caliper that just will not return to zero repeatedly. Will those less expensive digital models do the same or are they better.

Either one is good enough for what I'm doing most of the time.

I've got very nice Mitutuyo vernier calipers that read in inch fractions and thousandths. Got them used for very cheap for some odd reason:wink:

I've got a HF level dial caliper that just will not return to zero repeatedly. Will those less expensive digital models do the same or are they better.

Either one is good enough for what I'm doing most of the time.

Mitutuyo is good stuff... but outta my price range! I did use them back when I was a calibration tech for an electronics company back in the 80's.

My HF Digital returns to zero nicely.

Nylon body is a big plus to avoid scratching wood.

I was surprised by a recent pair of Mitutoyos I recently purchased did not have the depth guaging tail that calipers normally do. This feature is highly useful in guitar work. Otherwise, like anything Mitu they were great.

For years I used a pair of General Tools student grade dial calipers (not quite as good as these
http://www.amazon.com/General-Tools-English-Plastic-Caliper/dp/B00004T7UB
but in the area) that cost less than $12.00; plenty good for guitar work.

Imo you are going to get a better made, more accurate, manual calliper for the money than a digital calliper. So much so that we do not use digital callipers at work. Ours have lasted for years and years, and are re-calibrated every year without problems.
Mitutoyo 532 manual graduation 0.02mm +/-0.03mm £40 (everything you need incl tail)
Mitutoyo 500 digital resolution 0.01mm +/-0.02mm £125 ("economy" model i.e. this about as cheap as a pro digital calliper gets, but once the display goes, that's it)

Some of the inexpensive ones ones have too many main components made of plastic - I'd avoid those.

I'd never use anything with less than a .001 readout because I hate it when the darn things round up. It's .625 and not .63... the difference is almost the thickness of two sheets of paper. All of mine at home and work go out 4 places.

I've seen some that read in fractions. If that's what floats yer boat... go ahead. I'll never own a set since a decent hook ruler is faster, needs no battery and, since doesn't have a rack and pinion/dial set up, it doesn't have a gap that will get get clogged with dust and chips.

The thing to remember is that you'll be limited to about 6" of measuring length unless you want to start paying significantly more for 12" or 24" versions. And they're too unwieldy to continually use for stuff that we'd typically measure (less than 2").

For inexpensive shop tools I go right to CDCO. They're not Starrett but I think they're better than Harbor Freight.

Nothing wrong with good ole dial calipers. They read to 1000th inch and never need a battery.

So true.



The same logic could apply to a slide rule.... I had a college instructor who went out of his mind when students started to buy those new fangled calculators. He insisted we use sliderules in class....

I think the low cost, ease of use, and accuracy of a digital caliper is enough to offset an occasional battery purchase. :-)[/QUOTE]

Digital is fine if you need to see the little lit up numbers and I guess you can use it for a kitchen utensil when it gives up the ghost!:mrgreen: For the life of me I can't figure out how Leo built the Tele and Strat without digital technology.:confused:

Seriously, what ever yanks your noodle is cool. Variety is the spice, right??

So true.



The same logic could apply to a slide rule.......
Seriously, what ever yanks your noodle is cool. Variety is the spice, right??

Good points made. I am an inveterate vernier caliper snob (as with using a finger bowl, those who can read a pair of vernier calipers silently congratualate themselves when they do so), but the entire discussion on relative accuracy with dial calipers was put to rest decades ago.

ime the difference in "difficulty" between reading dial and digital calipers is not worth considering, as Jack Wells points out no batteries needed, the only time I would see a real advantage of digital over dial is if you were in a place with statistical quality control program in effect using the digitals as a direct data input source.

Accuracy is of course important, but we must avoid the "Close enough for government work: Measured with a micrometer, marked with a crayon, cut with an ax." mentality and remember that this is wood we are talking about, and wood will happily rediminsion over five thousandths with a slight change in humidity. Tool room precision is great in a tool room. While you can't be too accurate, you can be too precise, and this precision can cost you accuracy.

+1 for Mitutuyo brand got mine used as well , best $$ i spent on any of my guitar building tools.

I actually bought one at Harbor Freight yesterday . It is a $29.99 model that is $9.99 with a super coupon that came in the mail . You should be able to find the coupon on their website as well . Hurry , because I think the coupon expires Dec 15 , 2011 !

I don't have one either and would like to get one soon. I have noticed that the ones that stewmac sells has a notch for measuring fret height and such.

I have this one and glad it's the one i chose. Was only $10 more than the nicer ones HF sells when i got mine.

Mine only reads to hundredths. And it doesn't have the thing on the end for measuring depth.

This is the one that I have. It was like $10 from Harbor Fright:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_12243.jpg

This one for $19.99 is probably much better:

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_11340.jpg

The $20 one is what I have and use for everything. It's great, measures in 1000ths and can do dept, step, etc... and yes the battery never dies.

I use some cheap calipers and they work quite well. Never had an issue with respectability. I use Mitutoyos at work. They are much better and more precise (and accurate, I'm sure) but the cheap ones are fine if you can't afford a Mitu.

I have a couple of sets of mitutoyo digital and dial calipers. Excellent quality, highly accurate tools.

Buy quality, buy once IMO.

The same logic could apply to a slide rule....

You know, that's kind of interesting. I've had countless cheapie calculators stolen out of my toolbox at work. I finally gave up and took an old slide rule to keep there, and nobody bothers it for some reason.:cool:

I use calipers and mics of every description every day. There's nothing wrong with dial calipers in the least, and good ones are cheap. Cheap digital calipers, on the other hand are an absolute misery. I have several calipers of both types, and probably use the dial caliper 70% of the time. One particularly nice thing about digitals is they switch back and forth between inches and mm, and are a handy way to convert measurements back and forth.

Either way, look for a 6" caliper, digital or dial, your choice... dial calipers are easy to read, even for old eyes (it's not like trying to decipher a vernier caliper or micrometer). Look for something that has a resolution out to .001". You want stainless steel, not plastic, and get one with a nice hard plastic fitted case. Store it always with a piece of paper between the jaws, and never slam the jaws together when zeroing. If you go for a dial indicator, get one with a white dial. Really, it's a small thing, but you'll be glad.

Brands to look for are Fowler, Mitutoyo, Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, or SPI.

As mentioned earlier, once you have a decent caliper, you'll find more uses for it than you ever thought possible.

You buggers. Made me get out my verniers and play with them, and then I was sitting there like a fool looking for stuff to measure:razz:

You buggers. Made me get out my verniers and play with them, and then I was sitting there like a fool looking for stuff to measure:razz:

Guys are killin' me too! Just went nosing around ebay machinist tools and bought a slightly used set of Mitutoyo 8" Vernier Caliper, a 6" dial vernier caliper, a protractor and magnetic indicator base with a bunch of attachments for $69.00 in the box. I'm outta' here 'til I make some money back!:mrgreen:

I wanted analog calipers but freaked out at the price. Digital ones are WAAAAAY cheaper.

I have a few sets of the HF digital calipers. Incredibly handy, and super cheap. If you check the sales flyers, they are typically on sale from 8.99 - 16.99$. The battery in my oldest set is 4-5 years old, and still going.


http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Custom%20Guitar%20Building%20101/IMG00415-20100430-1518.jpg

My HF caliper came with an extra battery too. The first one didn't last the year though....

The $20 one is what I have and use for everything. It's great, measures in 1000ths and can do dept, step, etc... and yes the battery never dies.

I have probably 4 of the bottom ones; use them for gemstone measuring in mm., and then for 3D model measurements to copy pieces. The battery goes and it's about $1 at WallyWorld. But they're handy, and saves me wrecking a $300 Leveridge Gauge for measuring diamonds (that's what it cost me when I bought it in 1994). Catch a sale at HF and get them for about $9 for the 4" size. Nice to have extras so you don't have to hunt for them.

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-digital-caliper-47256.html

Another name, on par or better than Mitutoyo - Moore & Wright.
http://www.moore-and-wright.com/products/categories/7
seek ye s/h ...

If you are a professional machinist... then absolutely get Fowler, Mitutoyo, Starrett, Brown & Sharpe, Moore & Wright or SPI. Or, if you're just the kind of guy who likes to have the best... They are wonderful!

But, if you're the average guitar builder hobbyist on a budget... the cheapo's are hard to beat! And you can replace them 10 times for the cost of the pro tools.

I have had my feet in both worlds... I was the calibration tech for an electronics company years ago. I had to maintain traceability of every measuring device in the plant to NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology). Most of our physical measuring tools were Mitutoyo.

Today, however, I'm a hobbyist guitar builder on a budget and I love my HF calipers (but I am eyeing another cheapo digital that can read fractional measurements, too!)

Kobalt Digital from Lowes...$29. I've used this one on every guitar I've built...you don't know how much you need them until you have used them.

Inside and outside measurement, SAE or Metric, half-thousandths display, depth gauge, thumbwheel, auto power-off, all metal housing. Even comes with an extra battery and a pretty tough case.

This is the one I have, too. A good, solid caliper at a decent price. I'd be lost without it.

Just got back from lowes and couldn't find the kobalt version, I'm not sure it displays fractions anyway which I would have wanted. So I got one of their $29 general ones with fractions. Will keep ya posted...Says its a carbon fiber material which may be good for not scratching guitars, may also not be good for durability though, guess we'll see. Came with a case so maybe I can keep it safe.

Hmm ... carbon fibre? - wonderful stuff but far more abrasive than steel, which is why we used it for brake components on Concorde (which I had a job testing), and from there on, many other things were made ...

I guarantee that the carbon fiber calipers have just as smooth finish as steel calipers.

Well to be honest with ya it feels like plastic more than anything, a hard plastic. Very smooth though with no sharp edges.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/digital-150mm-caliper-2306


:mrgreen:

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/digital-150mm-caliper-2306


:mrgreen:

Is that the one you have or are you making fun of their English spelling?

Is that the one you have or are you making fun of their English spelling?

:lol:
You beat me to it.

Is that the one you have or are you making fun of their English spelling?

Basically is the same of stw-mc, at a fraction of the price, and yes, I have one.

Convert to a stwmc type is so easy. Look at frank ford's site.

And please, do not make fun of my english too... :mrgreen:

My trusty brown and sharp does a great job. I wish I could find a Lens glass for my Helios. What I would give Both testes for Is my buddy's Thickness caliper. It came from Gibson in Kazoo and it was assigned to him in the mandolin dept. It reads in 64ths. Supposedly I'm in the will for that one. lol!

But seriously. Does any one have; or have seen, a dial indicator that reads in 64ths?

Dredging up this thread to say thanks to all for the info. My lovely sister (more likely her husband) read through this stuff & got me a Carrera Precision digital caliper for Xmas. Unfortunately the plastic case was damaged in shipping so it was sent back & now I have a perfect one. Measures in mm, inches decimal, & inches fractions to 1/128". Very nice!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003119EDE/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

+1 for Mitutuyo brand got mine used as well , best $$ i spent on any of my guitar building tools.

I actual work for Mitutoyo (for the US subsidiary who does a good part of their R&D work) - I design the analog integrated circuits used in their digital calipers. Our company did all the original R&D work on their calipers. They are the best quality calipers out there - not cheap - but will outperform / outlast the competition anytime. I have gotten that exact feedback from friends who own machine shops, work for Boeing and other places. It makes you feel good about your job.

Then, when you use a Mitutoyo caliper, you can say 'designed by a TDPRI member' :wink:

At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

Like i previously posted i use the StewMac calipers and if i need fractions i just look on the reverse side of one of these http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Measuring_tools/String_Action_Gauge.html

Main reason i got the StewMac calipers is they have the notches for measuring frets. A feature i have not seen on any other calipers and mine was $30 when i got mine a few years ago.

I have several of the HF calipers. IMO, more than adequate for guitars, and dirt cheap when on sale, I never paid more than $10. I've been thinking of grinding notches into one like the stewmac calipers.

Does anyone have a good picture of the depth end of the SM? I can't quite see how the notch is cut from the pics on their site.

I have several of the HF calipers. IMO, more than adequate for guitars, and dirt cheap when on sale, I never paid more than $10. I've been thinking of grinding notches into one like the stewmac calipers.

Does anyone have a good picture of the depth end of the SM? I can't quite see how the notch is cut from the pics on their site.

Should see it pretty clear in these pics http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Measuring_tools/Luthiers_Digital_Caliper.html?tab=Pictures#details

See how in frank ford's site

http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Tools/FretHeightGauge/fretheight.html

See how in frank ford's site

http://frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Tools/FretHeightGauge/fretheight.html

I highly doubt StewMac does this like he mentions because the jaws are not open when the slide is flush with the body but you can zero digital calipers out anywhere.

Hi,
Just bought a dial caliper.I also have the $10 Harbor Freight -if you,or anyone else reading
this thread would like to have it(gratis)send me a pm.
oldteleguy

I highly doubt StewMac does this like he mentions because the jaws are not open when the slide is flush with the body but you can zero digital calipers out anywhere.

Read this.

And thanks to a great idea by repairman Frank Ford, we've also added a notch on the depth gauge to measure fret height on the instrument—a real time saver.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Calipers/Luthiers_Digital_Caliper.html

OK, now I understand. The thin plunger part has to be ground down as well, and then you zero it set on a flat surface.

Thanks, guys!

Now where the heck is my dremel?

I have a few sets of the HF digital calipers. Incredibly handy, and super cheap. If you check the sales flyers, they are typically on sale from 8.99 - 16.99$. The battery in my oldest set is 4-5 years old, and still going.


http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm308/coltwknight/Custom%20Guitar%20Building%20101/IMG00415-20100430-1518.jpg

I have one that looks pretty much like yours - but.....mine eats batteries like M&Ms :rolleyes:
have to remove the battery after each use and keep spares.
I'd be lost without the easy inch to mm conversion especially with all the tech talk here on TDPRI.

does anyone know a fix how to put the battery eater on diet?

Read this.

And thanks to a great idea by repairman Frank Ford, we've also added a notch on the depth gauge to measure fret height on the instrument—a real time saver.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Tools/Calipers/Luthiers_Digital_Caliper.html

ya i think the we've also added part was that they had them made that way and not added after they got them in but i could be wrong.

ya i think the we've also added part was that they had them made that way and not added after they got them in but i could be wrong.

You can discuss about machining, directly with Fank Ford (http://www.frets.com) in his own forum.

http://fretsnet.ning.com/

I
does anyone know a fix how to put the battery eater on diet?

I have no fix other than remove the battery, I buy mine here, dirty cheap with no shipping.

http://www.dealextreme.com/p/cell-battery-ag13-lr44-50-pack-60

General Tool Ultratech digital caliper (http://www.generaltools.com/147--DIGITAL-FRACTIONAL-CALIPERS_p_633.html) measures in decimal inches, milimeters and inch fractions. I bought it to replace my dial caliper.

You can discuss about machining, directly with Fank Ford (http://www.frets.com) in his own forum.

http://fretsnet.ning.com/

Thanks for that. I've enjoyed the old frets.com stuff by Frank Ford; didn't know about frets.net.

I have one that looks pretty much like yours - but.....mine eats batteries like M&Ms :rolleyes:
have to remove the battery after each use and keep spares.
I'd be lost without the easy inch to mm conversion especially with all the tech talk here on TDPRI.

does anyone know a fix how to put the battery eater on diet?

I am feeling fortunate that mine do not eat batteries after hearing everyone else's hardship with batteries.

As you can see from the above picture. I dropped them and broke the cover. That battery has been taped in there for a while now.

I am feeling fortunate that mine do not eat batteries after hearing everyone else's hardship with batteries.

As you can see from the above picture. I dropped them and broke the cover. That battery has been taped in there for a while now.

Yep, I'm a slightly envious that your batteries last so long. perhaps you fixed it by dropping the caliper? :idea: :lol:

from the StewMac comments I take it that it's quite common.
one gentleman asks why this can be - as his watch battery doesn't do that.

my 1st generation of a Zoom H1 recorder had a leakage problem too.
battery empty after 2-3 days without switching it on.
it was sent back and replaced for a newer one. it now last for months.
a wrong spec'd resistor was the culprit of the leakage. Zoom service acknowledged the problem and acted accordingly.
most likely the same problem here. :rolleyes:

Some info on digital calipers battery life and other characteristics.

http://www.davehylands.com/Machinist/Caliper-Batteries/

Some info on digital calipers battery life and other characteristics.

http://www.davehylands.com/Machinist/Caliper-Batteries/

Thanks for that. Explains a lot.

No point turning it off!

Some info on digital calipers battery life and other characteristics.

http://www.davehylands.com/Machinist/Caliper-Batteries/

Mine drains the battery with no use in two months or less. Is surprising that the off makes no difference, maybe battery and caliper makers are the same chineses.

I hope you guys haven't jinxed my digital calipers. I enjoy not having to replace batteries.

I hope you guys haven't jinxed my digital calipers. I enjoy not having to replace batteries.

:mrgreen:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/dc/Abrakadabra%2C_Nordisk_familjebok.png/691px-Abrakadabra%2C_Nordisk_familjebok.png

Some info on digital calipers battery life and other characteristics.

http://www.davehylands.com/Machinist/Caliper-Batteries/

Wow, that does explain a lot. :shock:
thank you.

The two common cells for calipers are the LR44 and the SR44. Calipers are usually shipped with the cheaper LR44.
LR44 is a Zinc + Manganese Dioxide chemistry SR44 is a Zinc + Silver Oxide chemistry
LR44 starting voltage is about 1.500 Volts
SR44 starting voltage is about 1.550 Volts
Both are rated as 150 mA hours, but the discharge curves give very different operational life depending on the required voltage for the application.
The LR44 voltage drops over the duration of usage. The SR44 remains flat (and above 1.5V) for most of its useful life. The calipers need at least 1.25 to operate.
The LR44 drops below 1.3 Volts after about 50% usage
The SR44 drops below 1.5 Volts after about 95% usage.
So you only get about 50% of the 150 mA hours from an LR44.
The SR44 start at a slightly higher voltage, and their flat discharge curve makes them far superior for low power, long operational life applications, like a caliper.


Note to self: get the SR44 batteries next time!