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| radiused fretboard? why? http://www.luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=28306 |
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| Author: | alan stassforth [ Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:55 pm ] |
| Post subject: | radiused fretboard? why? |
hey, i just left a comment on comfyfoots thread, took a shower, and started thinking about it. the main reason i started building my own guitars is because i didn't like a narrow nut. so, i always just made the fretboard wide at the nut, and shaped the curve of the fretboard (radius?) that i liked and looked good to me. never used a radius sanding block. they all came out great. maybe six of them or so. so why, do most builders put a fixed radius on them? aren't classicals dead flat? is it for customers? |
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| Author: | bluescreek [ Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:05 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: radiused fretboard? why? |
I find flat boards uncomfortable to play on a steel string. Most steel strings acoustics will have a 16 inch radius. |
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| Author: | Glenn LaSalle [ Thu Jul 22, 2010 6:18 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: radiused fretboard? why? |
I agree with John. A radius makes fretting a bit easier (the radius certainly makes barring across strings more comfortable). Now for bottleneck playing, my old Stella guitars have a pretty flat fingerboard and have the strings set-up so they are dead flat as well (so bottle slides across all 6 strings with no radius). Glenn |
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| Author: | jfmckenna [ Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:25 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: radiused fretboard? why? |
I've been giving this a great deal of thought at them moment too, coincidence I guess. I decided to put a 20deg radius on my current classical build. This guitar is for me so if I don't like it then I can always make it flat. It's actually interesting that the classical board is flat to begin with when every other classical stringed instrument is in fact radiused. I suppose the radius on a violin for example helps keep the bow off the strings you don't intend to bow. But if you look at the hand when it's in the position to make a barr chord you see a natural tendency to curve. A flat board can cause dead spots for some people right in the center where as with a radius you would have some push back in the center. I think it's also a matter of what you are used to. Most electric and steel string accoustic guitars have a radius so if you go from that to classical you may hate it, and vice versa. |
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| Author: | alan stassforth [ Thu Jul 22, 2010 10:12 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: radiused fretboard? why? |
thanks for clearing that up. kind of what i thought. i always just eyed up what looked like a sight radius, and what felt good to me. i've moved on to lap steel only builds now, because that's all i can play anymore. no more fretting and fussing, ha! |
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| Author: | Mattia Valente [ Thu Jul 22, 2010 11:30 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: radiused fretboard? why? |
Flat works pretty well if you're using good (classical) technique, but since I don't always, and don't intend to change my ways (I like fretting with my thumb, I tell ya!), a bit of radius it is! You don't really need a sanding block, but it can sure come in handy. |
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