Inches-Metric Rule

   October 2001

   How many times have you grabbed your pocket rule and picked the wrong side? You meant to choose metric and ended up with inches instead Well, this handy little number from Stare-At Tools in Atholthereis, MA solves the problem once-and-for-all.

   We know that luthiers are a little eccentric. Why choose one measurement standard when there are at least two. If we could measure guitars in rods, chains, hectares and kilograms per cubic foot, we would (maybe some of you do).

   This baby lets you choose inches or millimeters no matter what side you choose. ...and it's the first downloadable rule. Just print out two copies of this web page. You, of course, will need a printer that can handle B or A3 size paper. Paste the copies to either side of a piece of shirt board (use a really nasty spray glue and be sure to close the windows for the full experience). Cut along the edges of the picture and you are all set to measure anything.

   The picture is not to any known scale. This is a feature. Nobody can steal your guitar's secret measurements because it will be built to an unknown and perfectly arbitrary standard. In fact, you can just blow up the scale on any copier that does enlargements. You can use the original scale for, say, a 000 and the larger one for a jumbo. The possibilities are endless.