What's Your Preferred Fretboard Radius?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2022
- In this video, I ask you the viewer what guitar fretboard radius you prefer as a player or what you shoot for as a builder.
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14" because I only own 1 radius sanding block :D
Lol..that is so damn true...mine is 12.....
Bassists, classical guitarists, jazz guitarists all have one thing in common, they don't bend strings. Electric guitarists do. Hence radius is important to us. Imho.
Nothing to do with bending strings. Try finding individual strings without a radius when using a plectrum at speed.
sure scott henderson and AH don't bend strings.. Even Al di Meola Jmc Laughlin and metheny bend strings on acoustics guits.
Nobody bends strings more than Gilmour and Andy Latimer and they both play 7.25" radius on their Fenders. Same goes for Hendrix. 7.25" radius never was a hindrance for him either.
Bass / Classical player here. Radius hasn't really mattered to me until I started making instruments a couple years ago (thanks to you by the way!). I've built 2 6-string basses. 1 with a flat fretboard, and 1 with a compound radius of 10"-20" Both are just as playable, but the compound radius just feels comfortable. Enough that I'll be putting a similar radius on future builds.
What scale length, neck shape/thickness? Haven't built a bass yet. Do you get equal distance of the strings with that cone?
@@onpsxmember 1 is 34" scale length, and 1 is a multi scale. Low B=37" high C=33.25". The same specs as a Dingwall Combustion. They also list the neck specs, and I followed that as closely as I could. I mostly use hand tools so just carved until it felt right. String spacing is equal, I'm not sure why it wouldn't be?
Very informative video!! I just learned about guitar radius today and didn't have any idea what the heck it was....lol. Thanks!
This is the kind of wisdom you can’t grasp when you’re young, but just starts to make sense at one point in life. You get good first and then think about whether you prefer this combo of neck shape and radius vs some other.
Wow thank you!! It was an awesome explanation!!
Great insights. Thank-you...
What a great discussion. Really gif man. Will subscribe.
I’ve got a k-line Springfield with a 10” radius. I love it. Chords feel comfortable but nothing chokes out even with low action.
Hi Chris,
I build steel string acoustic guitars here in Scotland.
I go for a 15” fretboard radius. I’m a big fan of Taylor guitars and have a couple of them and they have a 15” radius. I like the feel of this radius, comfortable easy to bend strings, easy the barre chords, etc. just a great compromise and super comfortable to play ! At least for me and my customers!
On my classical guitars it’s a traditional flat fretboard.
Thanks
Interesting subject 👍
Midge.
7.25 for makes me play with more deliberate pre-thought technique. I love it for expressive playing. 12 I think about what I’m doing less, I’m faster, but slightly sloppier. Fantastic question & discussion 🤘🙏👍
this made me chuckle, i have played with old vintage fender guitars with 7ish radius and jacksons with 16 radius and being more expressive in one but not another is just silly.
@@SquishMe maybe I feel guitars a bit differently than you do? I’ve always been a fan an supporter… and your comment comes off as “dick-ish” but I still appreciate what you do weather or not you are thoughtful and kind.. 👍🤘
The video and the comments here have all been extremely informative and helpful.
For my builds, I usually stick to 12" or 16" radiuses. I like a bit flatter of a radius as it is more comfortable for me (mainly play on 16"). 7.25" is just too rounded for my liking. Like other people have mentioned in the comments section, I think the neck profile, thickness and width have more of an impact of the playability. That is, unless you are using one of the round/flat extremes 7.25" and 20". I hope to make a few builds in the future that use the Warmoth 10-16" compound radius, as I feel like that is the best of both worlds for chords and shredding! Great video Chris.
I was pleasantly surprised by the 8.5 on my silver sky. It's become my go-to just because the neck is so great.
Hello Chris,
I make classical and flamenco guitars, and use a conical section since my fretboards increase in width quite a bit. At the first fret my fingerboards have an 18 inch radius, and at the 19th fret it has flattened out to a 28 inch radius. That translates to a 33 inch radius at the bridge saddle. I think this makes for easier barring---better "playability"---, but nylon string players seldom notice that the fingerboard is crowned. I rate playability right up there with tone quality in importance.
Cheers,
Brian Burns
For a strat 9.5-10 because you can use the SLR roller nut, I love that thing. Drop in a Wilson 2 point trem and staggered locking tuners and your off to the races.
It’s nice to see a lot of people are experiencing similar things when playing with different radii.
Radius never was an issue to me. I never thought about the radius while playing. I would always adapt to whatever guitar I was playing at the time.I play mostly pretty flat radius guitars for the most part. Scale length seemed to affect me more.
My preferred radii are on the higher margins. I'm fine with 12" and up. My favorite is my Ibanez RG550 with a 17" radius. A higher radius usually entails wider fretboards and subsequently wider string spacings which is something I prefer. I do a lot of sweep/economy picking and a wider fretboard with a higher radius helps me being able to stay as accurate as possible without the feeling of getting cramped between the strings. Also, I can get the action low and still bend up a lot without choking out the note.
As a Fender guy I started playing with a 7.25 radius, and that was great by me. As time.e went on I had a lot of different guitars come and go, and have played everything from 7.25 to super flat shredder necks to dead flat nylon string guitars. I would say I've become most comfortable with the 9.5, largely because I've had so many Fenders with that radius. Curved enough to avoid hand fatigue from Barre chords, and comfortable enough for lead lines. I'm no shredder, so I don't feel the radius slows me down at all. I'm still at home with just about any neck I try, but in general 9.5 to 12 is my comfort range. As for thick or fat necks, same deal. Give me a baseball bat neck or a wizard neck, I'll get used to it quick enough, but if I had my druthers a modern C strat neck is home base.
I think that shorter radius boards were developed originally to feel more comfortable to players who wrap their hand around the whole neck rather than keeping their thumbs centered on the back of the neck. As lighter gauged strings and more extreme bending came into vogue, flatter radiuses allowed for lower action without extreme bends fretting out. Most of my guitars are in the 12" to 16" range, and I don't really feel a difference. I have a Tele with a 7-1/4" radius that I suppose I can feel, but I actually like quite a bit and have no trouble adapting to. Interestingly, (to me anyway) I really like doing big bends on it, even though I have to keep the action a bit higher so not to fret out. I pondered that for a while and came to the realization that the biggest gaffe I usually have with bends is the string slipping out from under my finger. If you look at the geometry of the string bend, you can see that the short radius fingerboard essentially "rises" to meet the fingertip, increasing fingertip pressure without pushing down harder. I never have problems with slippage on that instrument. I don't really have trouble on my other guitars either, but I have to devote a little more attention to it.
I started with a Mexican-strat with 7.25”, I think. Then switched to a les Paul special with 12”. It felt a little more comfortable to me to play that way. Now I also have a jazzmaster style guitar with a 16” radius. It’s fine. I don’t notice a ton of difference. I still feel more comfortable on the Gibson, but I think that has more to do with scale length than radius.
I typically build a 9-16 compound radius. This is my preference. I find that it makes playing "cowboy chords" in open position easier, and allows me to play faster runs in the higher positions. As with so many design decisions that I make in building a guitar, it is about making it easier to play.
7-1/4 is pretty comfortable in my hand. I have a couple compound radius 7-1/4 to 9-1/2 and they feel very similar. Some older Gibsons have a 10" radius which is also nice. The 12" radius gets a bit too flat feeling, but it just takes playing on it for a while and I can get used to it.
12” is nice. But frankly, I have guitars ranging from 7.25, 9.5, 10, up to 16 & 20, and find other specs like fret size and string spacing to influence the feel more. Great vid & topic!
I've settled on 12". It makes life easier. I'd like to try 10-14" compound radius, but that makes refretting a little trickier. I can do a 12" refret rather quick and well done. For bends high up the neck i think 14" would be best, but 12" works.
radius affects chord playing, string action, legato playing, etc. bassists usually don't play chords or solo the way guitarists do, so makes sense radius isn't as important to them.
10” on my EBMM Axis, 12” on my Les Paul, 15” on my Brian Moore i2000 1.13. With the right setup I love them all. To me the neck thickness & shape makes a much bigger difference to me as far as being comfortable. The Brian Moore plays like a dream at 25.5 scale with 15” radius. Never had a problem with fretting out on bends on my Axis with Floyd Rose trem. 🤷♂️👍
Ditto this point.
I too have an Axis (Sport) and Brian Moore 2000 i.1.13. Both of them play excellent and are comfortable as hell.
I don’t care about the radius as much as I do to the shape and feel of the neck.
I’m here to update, I bought a Charvel Pro Mod DK24 with a 12”-16” compound radius and it is by my favorite. The super thin neck makes it that much better. Sorry PRS, you’ve been my #1 for a long time, but a new dog is in town!
15 3/4" - 16" Ibanez SA Style, 2000 era. Fits my hand the best. Best Regards!
I had previously used 12"r for my builds but in the past few years have settled on 16"r. This is mostly relating to "modern" speed players and shredders, however, everyone seems to like the 16"r. The bane of the builder is really neck shape. The neck shape changes everything for the individual player and every player has their own hands and style of playing, all of this is a very individual thing.
Hey Chris, I like a 16" radius myself, mainly because I used to play Ibanez RG's a ton and they have I believe a 17" radius. I grew to like the flatter radius. I usually build most of mine with a 14" Radius unless something else is specified. Really though, I'm completely fine with anything around 12 - 17" I don't notice a big difference until it gets to below 10"
when i switch from compound radius EVH to the ibanez, the ibanez feels like i playing on a plank of wood. but my Ibanez JEM7D has the best string clearance for each note, maybe due to the neck relief profile of the neck. The neck bows and curve more at the lower note area, allowing lower notes to vibrate freely, while the high note area remain strait retaining low action above the 12th fret . the difference of the action between 12th fret and 24th fret is only 0.2mm. Now i understand why Ibanez make the neck thinner at near the nut.
The only time I notice the radius is when I'm playing certain bar chords. String spacing is almost as important for those as the radius. On some of my guitars, my hands can't squeeze the chord just right or my fingers miss the spot I'm shooting for. On other guitars, I play flawlessly on expert level without my hands getting tired. I also tend to bar chords and pick melody notes out of them so that i can mute better. Radius also doesn't seem to interfere with my single note lines or double stops. Perhaps that's why bass players and some six string players don't care as much? What they are playing and their playing style isn't effected by the radius as much.
16" radius on my Godin LGs (I have 3 of them). Absolutely love those. Not sure why!
I think the disparity between bass and guitar players as far as radius goes, is the bending factor. Bassist don't bend nearly as much or as hard/high as guitarists so the radius doesn't matter at all. If I never bent strings and only played rhythm guitar, I'd just go with the 7.25" classic Fender radius which is actually quite comfortable for chording. You can grip the top of the neck w/o straightening your fingers as much. But if you listen to a lot of Hendrix, you hear him bending really hard, doing Albert King bends on a Strat and often choking out the notes. Albert played a 12" radius Gibson which, in all the recordings I've heard, don't choke out. So right there you see why Fender went to 9.5" in the 80's and still to this day and why compound radiuses are all the rage because you have more comfy chording up top and way easier bends in the "solo zone". Bassists be like, "Boop, boop, boop-be doop" and don't give a hoot. ;)
Great video, as to my preference for board radiuses I've found 20" is what I can play without having to take a break from my fret hand hurting. Fenders and Gibsons I can't play fir more that 20 minutes, same with compound radiuses. After years of trying guitars out I picked up my friends 7 string kiesel with a 20" radius and it felt like home and ordered one to my specs,(7 string multi scale) it's the only guitar I can play till I'm sore from playing for hours on end. I should also add I do have small hands with sausage fingers so I don't know if that also plays a part in my preference in radiuses.
Although I've been very pleasantly surprised with the set up and feel on some small radiuses, and I love Warmoth's 10"-16" compound, if I had to pick just one it would be 12". After all, I grew up playing my brother's Les Paul's.
I build ukuleles with a compound radius. 9” at the nut, 14” at the saddle end. Most ukuleles are flat. I have found bar chords are easier for me especially by the nut. As you move down toward the saddle it is easier to bar so I have less curvature.
12" and up is usually good for me. I really dont mind 9.5", and I love how 7.25" feels, but i love low low action and massive massive bends
Not a guitar player, but I hear that the logic is that the more comfortable it is to the hands, the easier it is to invest hours to be good at the guitar. This supports "more hours in practice = better skills in playing. Yet I have friends (bandmates) who had to learn with discarded guitars that you would not dare show to anyone else because of its sound and aesthetics, and they turned out really good players.
I guess at the end of the day it's mindset and financial capacity. If you really want to be good, the quality of your equipment is secondary to your drive to excel. Though there is no judgement to those that can afford to get better gear so long as they put in the hours too.
Chris, your critical thinking on guitar fandom is wonderful.
7.25” - a drummer who bought a guitar then started building them.
Coming from a classical guitar background, I used to have a preference for really flat fretboards. Eventually, I realized that different radii made it easier for me to play different styles of music. For example, on flatter fretboards, my hammer-ons, and pull-offs are much cleaner. On fretboards with more of a curve, my bends and vibrato are much more expressive.
Every job has its set of tools. I guess that's why many guitar players like to divide their playing among a few different instruments.
16" I like it because it's what's on my favoutie guitar. Doing the same for the guitar I'm currently making. I'll do a 20" radius when I attempt a 7 string.
I’ve played most of the common radius types between 7.25 and 14 inches and, while I have my preferences, I’m happy enough to play on any of them. It’s as much to do with setup as anything. I’ve played 7.25 inch radius guitars which can handle frankly obnoxious bends, but every 9.5 inch Tele I’ve owned has always fretted out on the high E string when I’ve brought it home and needed some slight adjustments. I’m really starting to enjoy 7.25 inch boards, but I’ve probably felt most comfortable playing 10 inch boards over the years, mostly since I got spoiled by playing PRS guitars. But as I said before, I’m happy playing pretty much any radius. Whether it’s finger board radius or neck profile, all it takes is a few minutes to adjust and get used to it and then everything’s good.
06:32 Ingwee Mahlmensteen!! Haha, love it! 😂
I prefer to make my guitars 10" - 17.5" conically radiused to maintain equal thickness on the side edge of the fretboard. Also (I guess) easier shredability in higher frets? I let Solid Works determine the 17.5" for me based on my fretboard's length starting at 10" at the nut. I wanted a 12" Gibson feel bc that is what I like, but starting at 12 would make the upper end beyond 20" which I find TOO flat. So 10-17.5 seemed like a good compromise. Feels right to me anyway.
I have noticed that with a slightly curved radius playing bar chords is more comfortable
Exactly, I used to think the same about the radiused necks when I began learning the guitar. "Radius is for easier bar chords", I thought. Now I'm not so sure though.
I prefer a parabolic fretboard profile that rolls off (radius tightens) more on the bass strings. It boils down to leverage.
If my thumb on the back of the neck is an anchor point, I want to press towards that anchor point with my fretting fingers. The further I have to reach across a neck, the steeper the angle becomes between my thumb and fretting fingers, and the more roll the fretboard needs to have to feel like you’re pressing your fingers towards your thumb
I don't know man... I can't handle 7.25 inches radius, however, everything between 10 inches and up fit perfectly for me. I think the "best" radius is what works with your style.
Neck shape matters more for me. My Strat has 9.5 and my Les Paul has 12 and I like them both but I do like the C shape of the fender more.
Thank You.
I have a guitar now that has a steeper ratios than I'm used to and sometimes I will pull or push one of the E strings off the fretboard. That's what brought me here
Hey. Stumbled across this video. It's funny to hear this. I've been playing for 30+ years, both professionally and now semi professionally, and find fret radius really means nothing to me. If I grab my Tele with 7.25, my Strat with 12, or my LP, SG, 335 which all have around 14, it makes absolutely no difference in my playing. The shape and size of the neck feels different on each guitar, but that's it. I've toured playing country, doing 2 and 3 string bends on a Tele with no issue. Play blues and rock bending with no issue. I'm slowly changing all my guitars to 12" radius, because that's the block I have for sanding the fret boards, and my fret wire is pre radiused to 12". I do my own work on my guitars, so that's where I'm at there. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
12" is a nice compromise for barre chords and single note lines. I play mostly rhythm guitar, and flatter fretboards tire my fingers more quickly.
Love the story at the beginning. I did not even know there were different radii (radiuses?!?!) for the first 20 years of my guitar playing life ( I was on a 9.5 radius Stratocaster). In my humble opinion fret size is more important. This is especially true of the bigger and taller frets like Narrow Tall and Jumbo and Extra Jumbo. Dont really prefer on that either I just think it really effects the 'feel'. I have 7.25, 9.5, 10, 12, 16, and 20. They do feel different but not as much as the difference between the ones with vintage frets vs the Xtra Jumbo or Narrow Tall. I will say, did not like any of the compound radius boards I've played regardless of frets. Nice video! I hit subscribe and thumbs!
I generally build with a 16" radius, 14" for floyd roses.
I like flatter radiuses because you remove less wood from the neck for a given neck thickness, and I can get away with using a thinner fretboard, it's also less sanding to get a 16" (I only have a sanding beam for radiusing, I want to change that method, it takes too much energy)
but they are all building preferences, I've also been used to build with 16" because most of my clients are fans of Ibanez guitars who frequently use 16", so, it's a client choice
Anything less than 12" messes with me pretty bad, basically just because that's what I played for years and what I'm used to. It feels like the strings are going to slip off the edge of the fretboard due to the curvature. Flatter doesn't mess with me unless it's combined with super wide string spacing, which it often is.
I'm not a fan of the thinking "the spec details don't matter, just practice more." Sure, if you're good enough, you can make anything around nice, that's true. However, you aren't going to do your most *inspired* playing unless the guitar feels like butter in your hands. If I'm playing a guitar with my ideal specs, the guitar disappears and it's just an extension of myself. If it's exactly what I'm used to, I can completely forget about the guitar and just focus on the expression. That's why I wouldn't necessarily scoff at someone who cares about the difference 0.125" might make; they're chasing that feeling of having the guitar melt away into an extension of their body so they can express themselves more fully. I feel like a lot of builders don't really understand this but it's true. It's why Joe Satriani *could* melt your face on a guitar with a 14" radius, but he never plays a show with one; he only ever plays on 10" because that's where he feels most natural.
Good question. I find that different guitars make me play differently but I’m not sure how much of that is down to fretboard radius since neck profiles also change. I’m now tempted to make a few strat or tele necks with different radii but otherwise very similar profiles etc and swap them around to see what happens. I guess someone must have already done this?
Bending and Slide are significantly easier with the right radius.I like 7.25 for slide for sure but I can bend on any radius fine but I prefer 7.25 because of how the string Im bending goes slightly under the strings above
When I'm playing Fenders or Gibsons or most "traditional" style guitars, I prefer anything from a 9.5 to 12 inch radius. HOWEVER the best neck I have ever played was a Yamaha Pacifica I used to own, which had a 41mm nut, but a 13.75 inch radius which gave it this very oddly specific shape I've never felt on another guitar. Since the nut was so narrow the neck did not feel huge like a Charvel or most super strats, but the 13.75 radius seemed to fit that nut width perfectly and not feel too "modern".
The most comfortable radius for me on a Fender style guitar or bass is definitely and without any doubt 7.25”. It just feels right , and it feels THE best. Fenders with higher radii just feel awkward to me. I have a very low action (probably too low for many people) with absolutely no fret buzz anywhere. When I hear people say that they can’t do bends with that radius without fret buzz, it just makes me laugh. On a Gibson style guitar, I’m very confortable with a 10l to 12” radius. It is just what I expect, and what feels good in my hand.
I wished more manufacturers offered these standard and confortable radii instead of making flatter boards.
At the end of the day, it’s comes down to what you’re used to. It’s a matter of personal preferences. The rest is marketing BS, and has nothing to do with playability, in my opinion.
I started with classical guitar, therefore I am used to, and expect a straightforward dead flat board of these.
I have numerous Strats, including a Clapton 9.5 in radius Soft V, and a Beck 9.5 modern C. SRV had a flatter 12 in radius on the higher frets with an oval lopsided C neck carve. As you say having those specs does not do a lot to make me sound like them at all. But if it was good enough for them.....Most of the iconic Strat players probably started with 7.25 in radius and gravitated to a slightly flatter radius that allows lower action without fretting out on bends on the higher note frets. I think over the years the most popular Strat neck is a 9.5 inch or a compound 9.5 or 10 to a 12 or 14 inch transition. In truth I can't tell a lot of difference between my straight 9.5 radius and my compound radius Strats except I can get a slightly lower action set up on the compound radius necks. Like many here have mentioned the neck carve on the back has a big effect too. I like the satin finished soft V the best then the modern C then all the rest. And no doubt Maple is the silky smoothest fingerboard but a dark Ebony or Rosewood looks and feels good too. Like someone said Guitars are like women, we love a lot of them but stick with the ones that love us back.
For me, its 16" radius with a roughly E neck profile on a 24 fret with a 25.5" length. I cant back this up with anything concrete, it just fits my way of playing. The bridge (floating) pulls up and dives down without buzz. Slightly less stress on the wrist (and i do mean slightly). Jumbo frets properly set, and its amazing. One quick thing that is probably breaking the rules of commenting here, i semi scalloped the top 4 frets on my axe starting on the A string as the shallowest right up to full scallop on the high E. A perfect neck if there ever was one!
As a bassist I played 9.5 radius P-basses most of my career. I recently switched over to fretless, (threw together a couple fretless "Franken-P's"), and I prefer 12" radius for fretless. Easier for me to bar more than one string.
ive played 12° 16° and 12-16° i like the compound radius because it doesnt feel lifeless like the 16° does but it is also easy to shred
9.5 I found my self pressing the crown of the radius (G & D strings) down too hard while making chords shapes. I also don’t like my strings to be at a significantly different height when picking. When moving string to string with single notes the height shift is something I am mentally noticing.
Straight 14” after playing so many years on a standard fender 9.5” , I find that when I form chords my fingers aren’t at the appropriate angle. So instead learning to reshape my hand 😂, I’m going down to 12 as a nice compromise. I do like the flatness of 14” radius, it’s more natural while picking for me. The strings seem closer to together on a higher radius, perhaps the flatter radius causes your finger joints to be closer together leaving less space? I’m not sure but I like the way making a chord feels with more radius.
Just made a 6 string guitar viol with a 70 mm radius!! A serious curve
I prefer flatter (14-16) for fingerstyle. Maybe because I learned on a classical guitar.
I prefer rounder (~10) when playing with a pick because it’s easier to rake also and to target specific strings while muting the others.
In theory I’d go for 12-16” compound radius fretboard. In practice 12” is fine, and a lot easier to build. As other people have said, as long as the fretboard is flat enough to allow upper region bending without too high an action then the neck width, depth, and shape are much more important.
10. It feels comfortable and I can still bend and not fret out. I also make my necks super thin.
I don’t know that I would say better or worse but I am most comfortable playing a 12” radius, it’s just what I am used to I recently picked up a vintage Strat with a 7.25 and honestly my fingers have been fumbling around it and my bends are hitting sharp. I find flatter fretboards to be a little faster and again it’s just comfortable for me.
I can play the Strat and am gradually becoming accustomed to it but after years of only playing 12” it is a noticeable difference. So I won’t say better or give anything beyond my subjective experience playing, it’s just what I like.
I don't know why completely flat radius isn't more common, seems like it would just be better.
As a beginner with stubby fingers, the lowest radius guitar i have played is 12 inches, the cheap €90 start i have is 14 inches and the playability is massive. I am currently looking at the squier telecaster with 9.5" (as i understand that is typical fender size). But i seem to be much more comfortable with smaller radius boards.
I like flatter, like my old rgx Yamaha’s 350mm… (I have other and more expensive guitars… but that neck and radius combo just suits me… that said it could be more neck than radius) so 14-16” for my bendy stuff, which is what I am into now.
My preference is as a bass player is a curved radius not flat. Is it because when I started on bass many of us had Double Basses and Fenders to learn on or that I like the FEEL of the curve when I move around the neck ? 🤔
I like playing 14" for low action without choking bends on the high E. (between 2/64 and 3/64 @the 12th fret on the high e) I recently refretted a guitar that had a 12" radius and I re-rediused to it 16" while I was at it. 16" definitely feels very comfortable but it's not a must have going forward.
I have a Nash s63, i don’t know what the radius is but I like that.
I learned to play on a nylon string with a flat fretboard, so I tend to gravitate towards guitars with flatter boards, 14-20". That said, I'm not super picky about it, if the setup is good and everything works without buzzing, it should play just fine. I suppose it's more a case of, the body styles I like are typically made with a flatter radius, so that's what I have more play time on.
You cannot compare classical nylon guitars with electric guitars
I think 12" is just about perfect, but most of my guitars are 14" which is great too.
I am not sure how to properly answer this question. I have two telecasters, one with a rosewood fingerboard at 12" and one with a maple fingerboard with 9,5". I find myself being drawn more to the 9,5" fingerboard, but I think it has more to do with the smoothness of the maple fretboard and the more rounded edges on it than the actual radius.
I like your approach to guitar making videos. As far as what radius I prefer, not sure. I’ve been playing for 35 years and had to think about the radii of my guitars I currently play, and I’m not sure what they are. I prefer a radius that feels right in my hand, and that could be different depending on which one I’m playing. So not a definitive answer, but the best I could give.
Thanks for sharing!
I've found the radius doesn't matter but the shape of the neck is more important for me to have a comfortable feel.
I like 9.5 for comfort, 12 and up get really nice easy bends for slightly quirky sounds, but 14 and up does feel kind of flat. I'd need to try more. On bass 9.5 and up as well. And 12 and up for, again, goofy bends
Seems to be mostly personal preference. I remember playing my first Fender and thinking I was playing a broom handle. Anything 12" or up suits me best.
It doesn't matter at all. My first guitar was a pacifica with a 13.75" rad. I currently pick up and play anything from 7.25" to 9.5 to 10 to 9-14 compound, to 12 to that same pacifica. I never think about it. I just play. It doesn't affect my playing at all.
I feel that someone who thinks about it that much, probably should practice more. You should acclimate withing a few seconds.
Same thing for fret sizes: Doesn't matter.
I had put my guitar in the shop. It was bought at a yard sale and in need of work. Frets were replaced, but the first on by the nut was not filed. So the low E especially hits the fret. No action. Question is this: how much should be taken off as a rule of thumb,
And should fret height follow neck contour?
Besides things being preference, with guitar it really depends on what you're playing, too. They call me the breeze-like Chordplay and legato shredding to name 2 extremes.
Don't think there is much right or wrong there, as with nuances in technique, these subtle differences and preferences also depend on the handshape.
But you should definitely try both options, if you can, to see what suits you better. The bigger issue for most beginners and people that don't have experience with playing different guitars (like myself) is the thickness and shape of the neck though, with the exact preferred radius of the fingerboard just being the sugar on top. The neck really needs to fit your hand like a glove.
I generally like thicker necks with 12 inch to absolutely flat radius. But with thinner necks I like 7.25 to 10 inch. But I'm not picky as long as it plays good.
I mainly play/build bass but also play electric guitar, classical guitar and upright bass. All my instruments are all over the place with neck size, shape, profile, etc.
I like variety and would be bored if all instruments were the same. I approach playing differently with each instrument as i get to know it.
I think is more of the feeling of each musician and if they feels comfortable, its not like one radius is better to another it fully depends on the taste of the musician.
I have a PRS Mark Holcomb SE. The 20in radius has just ruined me for other guitars. I have 15 other guitars and I play them, but I always come back to the 20 in radius. Feels like home. Also, I would love to try an electric guitar with a flat radius.
I prefer 9.5 radius when it comes to guitars it feels like home to me. On the other side i like 9.5 14 15.75. 37 and 47 radius on bass guitars
I can manage with any radius, as long as it isn't so tight that bending notes too far chokes them (with a medium-low action). I settled around 12" because that is what manufacturers happened to use on my preferred style of guitar (my main guitar is an Ibanez semi hollow, and my Les Paul and Guild acoustic have a 12" radius too), but I am just as comfortable on a 12" as on anything between 8.5" and 14" and I won't even bother with that. above 14" I feel the flatness quite a bit and it takes me some adjustment (but I can manage), and I haven't yet tried anything rounder than 8.5" so I can't really comment on that (and I don't have that much experience with 8.5" either - I tried it once on a PRS SE Silver Sky and I have no complaints on that). I guess fretboard radius is not that much of an issue for me
I think the more comfortable guitar I ever had and still have is the fender f-35 so I guess my best '' fretboard radius that I never cared about'' is like around 7.5 or 8. But, looking for my new acquisition that I'm working on (nut and saddle) the neck is not that comfortable but the thickness is less so I was questioning myself why and it's the v-shape neck. so, in conclusion, I think the most important things to me are 1- the neck shape 2- the overall tonality (sound response or overall pressure and answer of the complete instrument sound that emerge from strumming that come from adjusting the guitar perfectly and the construction in itself) 3- the strings ( I really though that it was not making any difference that I really care about that much playing with well chosen and adjusted guitars but, recently, I came to a point I see ''or should say HEARD'' a difference in the type of string vs the sound i'm acquiring from the overall sound of an acoustic guitar. So, to end this ''book'' I'm writing rn ''sry'' the radius never made a difference but for the electric, and maybe acoustic but not much, I think that to reach the 3 first string maybe a plus to have a shorter radius because it become more instinctive from the arch of the hand that try to reach precise notes. ( But, again, it won't make a difference it's just stupid but improving DETAILS when it come to play). I'm on the goal of making guitars and I would, surely, use the shorter radius for that reason. Maybe my future tests and construction vs my playing will confirm or totally make me foolish. Who knows. Have fun. Always great to see a woodworker getting specialized and sharing his experience. It's important. To me, and some, at least in a philosophical way. Woodworking is a great part of my life and greatly respect people who do and master it. Thanks
Prefer 9.5" or 7.25" radius all the way. Barre chords are easier, especially A-shape barre chords using the double bar type. Trying to do that on a flatter radius makes it more difficult for the high E to no be muted.
I love that look of disgust at the beginning.
Hitchcock moment
Classical radius, which is total flat puts my hand in a position where I'm supporting the neck with my thumb all the time, I have noticed that flat radius like 14-16" also "forces" my hand to this position, which I do not find comfortable for a longer period of time. More round like 9.5" makes me grip my neck and have it in my palm which is more comfortable and I have more strength+support for bending, but the string action must be a bit higher so the string will not choke out with a big bend, I prefer the mid way 12", where I do not feel I'm forced in any position.
I want to change my radius from 9.5" on my cheap Cort and refret is with XL jumbo stainless steel frets, only problem I see that the fretboard looks very thin: 3mm max at the sides, but it should have more meat in the middle (because the original 9.5 radius), I hope I can sand it down to 12", without the need to deepening the fret slots, I do not have a fret slot saw XD
Hi, what is your view re Jazz Bass style basses with flat pole pickups and a 7.25 radius? Are the E and G strings going to be generally louder? Thanks for your great content!
Yup.
That’s been my perception but some pickup experts say that I’m hearing things (!)
Just to add to last post less risk of choke out at higher fret positions
Love my 2008 Parker fly deluxe. 1998 classic feels a little different
for me the radius is less about the guitar being playable or not. I can play a 9 inch radius and a flat one and still play. but when I play a 17, 20 or flat fretboard radius I just smile and it makes me happy and feels good on my fingers and makes me want to play. but at the same time ill have a loving relationship with a guitar that has a 12 for a fingerboard
7.25. Classic Fender. Like Hendrix. Ironing board fretboards are difficult.