MIMF

as soon as it warms up i wish to build a Epinette de Vosges, but for now I am trying to make some form of a plan. Have found a photo and dimensions at this site below but do not have the fret spacing. It has 16 frets on string sounding length of 47. cm. All the information I have found relates to guitars, not the same thing at all. Can anyone help with the spacing of frets I should use ?

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/501601

I am not very good at playing what I just make them and to enjoy doing the building, and the challenge of doing so. I learn a lot about each thing i build, history and the development of the designs.

thanks for any help you can give.

The fret spacing is identical to most hummels, dulcimers, etc. You can use any available online fret spacing calculator, but just omit the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 8th and 11th notes in each octave. In other words, exactly the same spacing as any guitar, with a few frets missing. It looks like that particular instrument essentially used staples for the frets, which was common practice at the time.

Thanks for the help, I have followed your info and now have 14 frets measured out on a story board. As soon as the weather gets warmer I will make a mock board with a string and see how it sounds.