Luthier - Fret Calculator

A Django app that calculates precise fret positions for string instruments and generates print-ready, 1:1 scale PDF plans.

No database. No configuration. Clone and run.

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What it does

• Calculates fret distances from nut using the 17.817 constant
• Supports any scale length and fret count
• Shows an SVG diagram of the fretboard
• Generates downloadable PDFs: fret table, single-page plan, multi-page plan
• Presets for Guitar, Electric, Bass and Ukulele
• Metric (mm) and imperial (inches) units

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Run locally

git clone https://github.com/chipap-dev/luthier.git
cd luthier
python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate      # venv\Scripts\activate on Windows
pip install -r requirements_luthier.txt
python manage_luthier.py runserver

Open http://localhost:8000

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Architecture

No ORM, no migrations, no database.

luthier/
├── services/
│   ├── calculo.py     # fret distance calculation (17.817 constant)
│   ├── diagrama.py    # SVG fretboard data
│   ├── pdf.py         # PDF generation with ReportLab
│   └── landing.py     # view context
├── views/
│   ├── index.py       # main calculator view
│   └── pdf.py         # PDF download endpoint
└── forms/             # LuthierForm (scale length, fret count, unit)

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Stack

Python 3.11 · Django 4.2 · ReportLab · Whitenoise · Vanilla JS · CSS custom properties

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Built by Claudia Cáceres · LinkedIn · Buenos Aires, Argentina