Neck Radius Explained

[just strum]

I didn't want to hijack Robert's thread, so can Jimi or someone else explain the reason behind this?


With this radius you can play a very low string action. I remember you mentioned one time you like to play wiht the strings as low as possible. My 62 vintage Strat has a 7,25" radius and the strings have to be set up rather high, otehrwise you can not bend. This s**ks quite a bunch at times. Robert, you are one lucky man. I like the Professional S1 in Ocean Turquoise a lot. some dealers here who have then...

[piebaldpython]

Yeah, what Strum said!!
Can someone do a CliffNotes version of what the RADIUS is, how it works and why some radii (:D ) are more desirable than others?? I look at the ads, see the descriptions about neck/fretboard radius and my eyes glaze over. Totally confused.
Thanks to anyone who can enlighten me.

[sunvalleylaw]

Radius is simply a length of a curve. In this context, it is a measurement of how flat or curved the fretboard is. Teles lots of times have more curved fretboards at about 7.5, many Strats are often at around 9.5, and LP's etc. can be around 12. Shredder guitars are often 12 to 14 or flatter. I only know this from reading threads. the rest of Strum's question I will leave to someone who knows the real answer.

[just strum]

The part I'm not understanding is how the radius ties in with the action.

[Spudman]

To finish up on what Sunnyboy started...if your radius is small (7.5) and you try pushing your high E string across the neck then the vibrating part of the string is going to interact with that radius via the frets further on toward the pickups causing it to fret out - unless - the overall string action is high enough to negate this effect.

Thus with a flatter radius the action can be lower without the problem of fretting out. There will be less of a hump with a 12" radius (larger diameter circle) versus a 7.5" radius (smaller circle). Savvy?;)

[Ch0jin]

This might help :)

http://www.ratcliffe.co.za/articles/radius.shtml

http://www.musicplayer.com/article/fretboard-radius/Sep-06/23104

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerboard

(check out the Scalloped fingerboard of Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster)

If you have a painted neck (like both my Maton's) One thing I just found out is that years of serious professional use makes those painted necks smoooooooth. It's not worn visually, but wow is it fast compared to a guitar made earlier this year. I actually noticed that more than the different radius of the two necks.

[oldguy]

A compound radius neck has more curve at the first fret and less curve at the last fret. It slowly gets flatter as you go up the neck. This makes strings easier to bend w/o fretting out and chords easier to hold as the frets get closer together higher up the neck.
The model 6 Charvel I have has a compound radius neck, and it's easy to get a nice, low action all the way up the neck, providing the neck is dead straight......... I don't like very much neck relief on my guitars.

[markb]

Think of it like grounding a long vehicle on a hump backed bridge. The smaller radius makes the slope of the neck (perpendicular to the strings) steeper thus you need more clearance under the string to stop it bottoming out on the fret as you push it across the board. So smaller radius = higher action if you're going to bend strings. Larger radius= flatter board. Conversely smaller radius = easier fretting of open chords hence compound radius necks a la Warmoth (http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks.cfm?fuseaction=radius).

[ShortBuSX]

To finish up on what Sunnyboy started...if your radius is small (7.5) and you try pushing your high E string across the neck then the vibrating part of the string is going to interact with that radius via the frets further on toward the pickups causing it to fret out - unless - the overall string action is high enough to negate this effect.


One of my other beefs with a tighter radius is when bending and my finger tips get buried under the upper strings...you release the bend and if you dont dampen the upper strings you get a stray note or honk.
With a flatter radius I find it easier to dampen the upper string and my finger tips dont get buried.

But your vintage style guitars dont normally come with the flatter radius...unless its a Gibson/Epiphone.

[wingsdad]

Maybe these graphics will help:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/NeckRadiusGauges.jpg

These are Fender neck profiles. the first 2 on the left are typical vintage Tele shapes, then come typical Strat shapes, but the C & D shapes are often found on Teles, too:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/FenderNeckProfiles.jpg

My 2 G&L ASAT's both have 7.5" radius profiles with shapes like the '62 C. My '81 Fender STRAT has a 12" radius on a D neck. My Rick 12 I think is a 14" or 16", very, very flat board on a thin D shape. My Epi Casino & Sheraton? Ellifino. Gibson guys? U tell me. I've been more of a Fender guy. They just feel & play great.

[Jimi75]

To finish up on what Sunnyboy started...if your radius is small (7.5) and you try pushing your high E string across the neck then the vibrating part of the string is going to interact with that radius via the frets further on toward the pickups causing it to fret out - unless - the overall string action is high enough to negate this effect.

Thus with a flatter radius the action can be lower without the problem of fretting out. There will be less of a hump with a 12" radius (larger diameter circle) versus a 7.5" radius (smaller circle). Savvy?;)

Thanks for explaining Spud! Couldn't have done any better! :AOK:

[ShortBuSX]

Maybe these graphics will help:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/NeckRadiusGauges.jpg

These are Fender neck profiles. the first 2 on the left are typical vintage Tele shapes, then come typical Strat shapes, but the C & D shapes are often found on Teles, too:

http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/FenderNeckProfiles.jpg

My 2 G&L ASAT's both have 7.5" radius profiles with shapes like the '62 C. My '81 Fender STRAT has a 12" radius on a D neck. My Rick 12 I think is a 14" or 16", very, very flat board on a thin D shape. My Epi Casino & Sheraton? Ellifino. Gibson guys? U tell me. I've been more of a Fender guy. They just feel & play great.

Print this (http://www.pickguardian.com/pickguardian/Images/Pickguardian%20Neck%20Radius%20Gauges.pdf) its to scale...thats a very helpful tool for setting up string heights(saddles) to the radius of the neck. I pretty much set the action to the height I like the 2 E's and then use the guage to do the rest.

But I dont think the neck profiles really have much to do with the radius :confused:

[wingsdad]

But I dont think the neck profiles really have much to do with the radius :confused:

I don't think I said that they they did. :thwap:

But I DO think fretboard radius AND the shape/profile of the neck form a relationship that together with hand size, finger lenghth and 'fatness' influence feel, playability and to some degree, ease of such things as bending, vibrato, chording, etc.

In other words, in a given player's hands, a 12" fretboard radius with a C-shape profile will feel and play differently than that same radius fretboard on a D or V shape profile.

[street music]

Great thread- ask more Strum.

[just strum]

Great thread- ask more Strum.

Ok, would it be possible for one of you to have the beer girl visit my house when it's my birthday? Of course that is only if the picture wasn't taken 50 years ago.

I'll think of one more guitar related, but this should hold you over until then.

[ZMAN]

Most Gibsons have a 12 inch radius. The LP and the 335. They usually come in several neck profiles, like a 50s or 60s, but the fret board radius is the same. Like Fender they come in Vintage style frets on the older models and the more moderns are a little larger.
SRV used a 12 inch radius, and a lot of the Fender Classic series MIM use the 12 inch radius. I personally like the 9.5 on a Fender. I have all three and I find as Spud said the 7.25 has a tendency to Fret out. I use a lot of bends in my playing (blues), and I like a flatter action, so the 9.5 and up suit me just fine.

[marnold]

I like 'em flat! My Fender is about 16" and it's great. Actually, my Spector is too which is unusual for basses. My Floyd is 12" which is about as curved as I'd like to go.

[tot_Ou_tard]

I'd just like to point out what the inches mean in the radius.

If you have a large protractor & draw a circle with a 12" inch radius (hence a 24" diameter) then a fretboard with a 12" radius will fit perfectly against the curve of the circle.

You don't want to play a guitar with a fretboard that has a 1" radius, but you could play one with an infinite radius (ie perfectly straight). In other words, the change in curvature is much more dramatic going from 7 1/4" -> 12" than it is in going from 12" -> 16 3/4".

That said, guitar players feel very small changes so it depends on how you play, what you used to, etc. etc.

[just strum]

A guy over in England that made me a bone saddle for a previously owned acoustic also sent me these.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h16/auroraohio/Guitars/DSC00482.jpg

I'll have to check my guitars during the next restringing.

[Glacies]

I guess that's why I've been really uncomfortable playing some guitars instead of others...