Quote:
Originally Posted by redir
I've always used a plane too, much faster then sanding and you can plane in the direction of string line. But I now follow that up with the sanding beam, I love the sanding beam. The beam is great for truing the tops of frets too. I have to say though, I've always wondered about the value of compound radius boards and if it's really just one of those things that looks good on paper VS the real world. I guess in the end every fraction of a fraction of an inch might count, maybe.
But anyway the beam is great none the less  |
I think for electric guitar, it can help a great deal if you're the type that does a lot of crazy bends, but doesn't want SRV-like action (and he used 12s on his Strat!) I think whether intentional or not, the fretboard truing and fret leveling creates a pseudo "compound radius" board.
A while back I actually made a jig that would create a ruled surface irregardless of starting and end radius, producing straight surfaces along every string line. Unfortunately, the jig was nine feet long and impossible to store here in the new place. But I was able to create fretboards that were "compound radius"
and with an 8 degree twist, along with the matching twist on the neck wood. And it's actually very simple in design and concept.