Cumpiano SS Build Question: fret board radius

[t58martin]

I'm preparing for my first build. I'm going to follow Cumpiano and Natelson's text. The question I have is regarding the fret board radius. For the classic they call for planing the fret board to achieve a radius. They don't mention anything about the SS. I've seen most commercial builders of SS guitars offer a radius-ed fret board, Martin's 16", Larrivee, a compound radius,etc. Should I try to radius the fret board or leave it flat?

[charles Tauber]

Originally Posted by t58martin

Should I try to radius the fret board or leave it flat?

That's entirely up to you. Do YOU like a radiused fret board? If so, radius it. If not, don't. If you are making the guitar for someone else, make it to his or her preferences.

Most steel string guitars have radiused fretboards. Yours doesn't have to unless you want it to.

[Tom West]

I agree with Charles, it up to you. But convention is that MOST S.S. guitars have a radius on the board. I have done one with a flat board and it went to someone who was mainly a classical player. Have only seen one or two others.
Tom

[t58martin]

I've never considered the radius of the fret board until now when faced with building one.

I've been more focused on nut width/string spacing and neck shape than I have fret board radius, not knowing that this has been part of the experience.

Do I like a fret board that has a radius? I suppose so, not knowing the radius of the various instruments I've played. I'll need to research i a bit more, while thinking of the different instruments I've played and owned over the years.

I've probably never played an instrument without a fretboard radius. The guitar that I recall liking the 'feel' of most while playing various styles was a Taylor 514.

[Ned Milburn]

Originally Posted by t58martin

I've never considered the radius of the fret board until now when faced with building one.

I've been more focused on nut width/string spacing and neck shape than I have fret board radius, not knowing that this has been part of the experience.

Do I like a fret board that has a radius? I suppose so, not knowing the radius of the various instruments I've played. I'll need to research i a bit more, while thinking of the different instruments I've played and owned over the years.

I've probably never played an instrument without a fretboard radius. The guitar that I recall liking the 'feel' of most while playing various styles was a Taylor 514.

Charles and Tom are right on the mark. It is up to you to decide your desired radius. It seems like it would be a good idea if you were to drop into a music store and play a few different instruments with different radii (try some electrics, too, since axes like Ibanez rock guitars have very flat boards). This will give you an idea of the effect on playability of various fingerboard radii, including an extreme outlier (ie: the Ibanez rock guitar - much less radius and it will be flat like a classical).

[arie]

Originally Posted by t58martin

The guitar that I recall liking the 'feel' of most while playing various styles was a Taylor 514.

iirc the 514 has a fretboard radius of 15". if you like the taylor, then maybe this would work out for you.

fwiw, "super strats" like jackson, charvel, etc. have compound radius fretboards. ranging from 16"/18" at the nut to 21"/22" at the 24th fret. ibanez usually goes with a straight radius ranging from 9.4" to 16.9".(wizard I, II, & III) only one of their models (the jsm) has a compound radius. schecter, agile, yamaha, mostly feature a 14".

classical and flamenco guitars are 99.9% almost always flat. ultra cheap <$50 offshore guitars often have a flat fretboard, brass frets, plastic parts, and a hodepodge of design elements.

[WaddyT]

Originally Posted by arie

classical and flamenco guitars are 99.9% almost always flat.

Who told you that? Most of the guitar builders I know build with tops domed in a dish or on a solera with the lower bout dished and fan braces sprung into the dish when glued. Flamencos are a different kettle of fish. Some are flat some have a bit of doming in the lower bout. The upper bouts in most are flat.

[AcornHouse]

Originally Posted by WaddyT

Who told you that? Most of the guitar builders I know build with tops domed in a dish or on a solera with the lower bout dished and fan braces sprung into the dish when glued. Flamencos are a different kettle of fish. Some are flat some have a bit of doming in the lower bout. The upper bouts in most are flat.

He meant the fingerboards.

[redir]

I've gone back and forth with flat boards on classical guitars. Right now I am favoring flat once again. But for SS and electric my personal preference is for a compound radius. The radius seems to work with the tighter string spread and barre chords and other types of chords like a A-Style barre chord where you use the ring finger to fret the 3 notes that make up the 'A' and still want to ring the high E-String. The radius makes it easier. I just don't fret chords like that on a classical. But yeah it's personal preference. Shawn Lane was one of the most amazing electric guitar shredders and I think he preferred a flat board.

[Rodger Knox]

If you're using the text of C&N, check out Cumpiano's website for his revised neck joint connection, it's much easier than what is in the book.

[arie]

Originally Posted by t58martin

I'm preparing for my first build. I'm going to follow Cumpiano and Natelson's text. The question I have is regarding the fret board radius. For the classic they call for planing the fret board to achieve a radius.

you know, i was looking at that book last night and they do actually call out a radius -sort of, for the steel string. they describe planing down the fretboard under tension to remove a certain amount of material from each edge of the fretboard at the nut and at the sound hole. one could construct a three point arc using the width of the fretboard at the nut. for ex., point 1 wound be one edge of the fb, (planed down per the book) point 2 would be the center, and point three would be the other edge (also planed down). the arc is then drawn using those three points. it's the secant tangent theorem. google it up if you want or use sketch up. try it for both ends of the fret board and compare the radii.