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This is a total newbie question here but when planning a fingerboard radius, I assume you need to match the top radius to your fingerboard radius or is it not related?

Don't take my answer as 100% but in my book it doesn't mention that. I though it was personal preference. There isn't such thing as a newbie question (except maybe "whats a guitar?") If there was I would have been banned a while back .

The fretboard radius usually is NOT the same as the radius on your top. They are independent.

I'll second that Kelby said. Wayne Henderson who built one of Clapton's 10,874.234 guitars.... has been known at times to use no fretboard radius.

A pretty common one around this place is 16" for the fretboard and 25' for the top but again it's completely up to the builder and in the case of the top's radius a radius that will work well with your neck angle.

Hi, Frank,

Just to be sure, are you asking if the radius on the fretted surface of your fingerboard needs to match the radius on the top of the guitar? If that's what you're asking the answer is no, the two are unrelated (unless you want them to be.) If you're asking if the glued surface of the fingerboard needs to match the radius of the soundboard, I think what most people do is flatten the soundboard where the fingerboard is glued to it, rather than try to radius the underside of the fingerboard.

Joe