A flatter, longer radius is better for lead playing because it allows you to move your fingers more quickly over the fretboard (flatter=faster) and there's much less chance of fretting out when you bend strings. Happy customers, one piece of gear at a time! ;-) Get Directions | For example, if you take a circle with a 9.5” radius and remove a line segment … The guitar neck fingerboard radius, or neck radius as it's sometimes wrongly called, describes the height of the arc of a guitar fretboard. The neck fingerboard radius is one of those seemingly complicated features that's really very easy to understand. To understand the term, look at the picture on the left. You'll see that, contrary to what you might have thought, the fingerboard isn't flat. The fretboard radius is the measure of the arc of its width. Why the difference? Except we're not quite there yet, there's one more thing. So the neck fingerboard radius is a measurement of the degree to which the fingerboard is curved. The radius is measured on the fretboard itself, not on top of a fret. Here's how to choose the best set for you. Manufacturers refer to this arch as the radius. With your free hand, use the feeler gauge to measure the gap between the bottom of the string and the top of the eighth fret (the fret wire itself, not the fingerboard), which is where the curvature should be deepest. If the fretboard is uniform (cylindrical) radius, then the radius will be the same all along the neck. Compound fingerboard radius means that the ratio of the arc changes along the length of the neck. It's a gradual flattening of the radius up the neck, making string bending easier. Neck radius is listed in the Tech Specs on the guitar’s product page. you can compare the curve of the neck to the straightness of the strings. That arc is the fingerboard and the radius is 10cm. If you take a closer look at a guitar neck, you will notice that very few of these necks are ever genuinely flat and are slightly convex across the width. Electric guitar strings - make your next set the best you've ever played, The guitar neck – types, profiles, and everything else you wanted to know. Everything you love about Sweetwater in the palm of your hand. X = Distance from the nut to the Origin (focal point) Find the guitar radius gauge that matches the arc (or radius) of your neck. Playing the wrong size guitar is like wearing the wrong size shoes. You will need a special gauge to determine the guitar neck radius – the curve of the fingerboard. Because of its strength and longer "heel", the Wide Fat neck produces warm tones with lots of sustain. Not all arcs are equal however, some are flatter, and others steeper. make sure your strings are loose when straightening the neck, because when you do so, you are also slightly increasing the … The measurement of the fretboard radius refers to the radius of a circle from which a small segment of the circumference equal to the width of the fretboard is taken. The radius should be listed in the Tech Specs section. The radius is usually expressed in inches. An excellent way to visualize this is to imagine that the arc of your fretboard is part of a large circle, as shown below. It is far easier to reference the standard for that type of guitar. Fretboards for electric guitars usually have a radius between 7.25″ and 14″. If you do not find your specific brand and model below you can Google your guitar … Now is the perfect time to get the gear you want with simple, promotional financing. The back of the neck begins with a C at the first fret, and gradually changes to a D as you go up towards the body of the guitar. The measurement is arrived at by extending the arc of the fretboard to form an imaginary circle around the neck. What's your favorite? Warmoth devised a fingerboard profile that it believes offers the best of both worlds, a compound radius, or conical fingerboard. That is what the fingerboard radius measures. Simple, huh? There are more important factors in overall feel, like body shape and neck profile, but (depending on your playstyle and how picky you are, which we’ll discuss later) a guitar with a radius that doesn’t work for you simply never will. It's curved. Acoustic guitar serial numbers are stamped into the mahogany neck block inside the body of the guitar. For a baseline reference, 1 11/16" is the most common nut width. Manufacturers refer to this arch as the radius. The following table lists common fretboard radii used by major manufacturer. The concept is really great and the general consensus is that a lot of people love them. With the strings removed, just use your radius gauges to find which best ‘fits’. A typical compound radius starts at 10" and tapers to 16" or 20" at the highest fret. Compound radius. View fullsize. To make it easier to fret chords, particularly barre chords; our fingers aren't flat, so having a curve, or arc, on the fretboard allows us to press more easily on it. Learn More. Sweetwater Sound If the imaginary circle had a 12″ radius, your fretboard would follow that same arc. The neck is widest at the body end. Standard fingerboard radius means that the fingerboard has the same arch all along the length of the neck. The truth is another neck with a 10-16″ compound radius or even flatter should be considered to play solos. Many vintage Fender guitars have a radius of 7.25", whereas most Gibson guitars tend to have a flatter 12" radius. Because it affects playability. The figure itself is the radius of the circle that would be formed if you followed the curve of the arc around for a full 360 degrees. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This means, if the radius is 10” at the nut, it’s also 10” at the last fret. Radius gauges usually come in a set, so if you’re unsure which one to use, try a few and pick the one that best matches the arc of your fretboard. The radius of the circle hence determines the amount of the fingerboard’s curvature (see diagram below). Determine the fretboard radius. Tips. Serial numbers can be difficult to read in poor lighting, so a small … try to make the neck nearly parallel with the strings; having some concave is normal. The amount of a fretboard's curvature is referred to as its radius. An excellent way to visualize this is to imagine that the arc of your fretboard is part of a large circle, as shown below. Would you want something a little bigger, a little smaller? And you have lost some fret height. The guitar neck is the most personal part of the instrument. Using the spacing of the two E-strings at the nut and the 12th fret, extend the lines until they converge. To determine the overall feel of the neck, the shape of the neck ought to be considered together with the radius (the curvature of the fingerboard) and the type of frets used. From the nut to the 20th fret, the ratio is the same the whole way. The advantage/disadvantage of each is this: Smaller Radius (7 1/4″, 9 1/2″) The more rounded the radius is, the easier it is to do barre chords, as the curve of the fingerboard more naturally matches the curve of your fingers, making it … Measure from the point of convergence to the nut and you will have "X" or the focal length. Our knowledge base contains over 28,000 expertly written tech articles that will give you answers and help you get the most out of your gear. When the body of a guitar is too large, it forces you to reach around awkwardly to pick or strum the strings, putting your fret hand in an e… Our pro musicians and gear experts update content daily to keep you informed and on your way. Playing a guitar that is too large for your hand size can be just as daunting. There are so many different types and brands of electric guitar strings on the market, buying a set can be confusing. On most guitars, the fingerboard has a radius and, most of the time, this radius is consistent along the length of the neck. It's best to measure at the body end of the neck though, because there will be a wider section of neck in contact with the gauge. A good tip for distinguishing between different fretboard radiuses: the greater the number, the flatter the fingerboard; vice versa, the smaller the number, the more … How to determine a radius at any point on a fretboard. Fender commonly uses a radius of 9.5in for its Strats and Telecasters, while Gibson Les Pauls have a fretboard radius of 12in. Cut an arc, with a base of 2cm from anywhere on the circle. Fender commonly uses a radius of 9.5in for its Strats and Telecasters, while Gibson Les Pauls have a fretboard radius of 12in. 5501 U.S. Hwy 30 W, Fort Wayne, IN 46818 Place it on your fingerboard and find out which side matches your fingerboard exactly. I really enjoy the compound neck contour and fretboard, on my 2017 Fender Stratocaster. Really, check out as many guitars as you can. Guitars are like tools in … The Wide Fat neck has the same nut width as the Wide Thin neck, but it has a deeper profile. Then compare. Tighten the knobs then place some white pencil marks on the fretboard so you can check your progress with each pass. use a ruler and measure those that feel best to you. X is then used in the remaining formulas. The Wide Thin neck has a thinner profile front to back than the Wide Fat. So you get the benefit of a short radius at the point on the fretboard where you usually play chords, and the benefit of a flatter radius higher up where much shredding is done. Exclusive deals, delivered straight to your inbox. Fretboard radius is an often overlooked and sometimes misunderstood part of the guitar selection process. If the imaginary circle had a 12″ radius, your fretboard would follow that same arc. Put your nose up against the very bottom of the body, by the bridge, and look down the strings towards the nut. Sure, if the shoes are too large you can get your feet in them, and you may even be able to walk around, but soon you’ll have blisters and all kinds of other problems. The easiest way to picture it is to imagine a circle, say with a radius of 10cm (4in). , The fingerboard radius measurement itself refers to the radius of a circle from which a small segment of the circumference equal to the width of the fingerboard is taken. That arc is the fingerboard and the radius is 10cm. This application could also be called “The Perfect Fretboard Building Tool” – or something like that. The neck of a guitar is the part a guitarist has the most contact with. To learn more about our cookie policy, please check our Privacy Policy. The body size of a guitar can make or break your guitar playing experience. All rights reserved. Why the difference? You’ll be well on your way to finding the right guitar for you. Form the compound radius in sections by switching block radii as you work up the neck. Luckily, you can download, print and cut out a free neck radius gauge, supplied by our friend Tony at Pickguardian. In this case, the fretboard is placed at the top of the circle and the arc from one edge to the other is the size of the radius. To achieve a perfect fit, the Thalia Capo comes with multiple interchangable fretpads so that you can match the fretboard radius of your specific instrument. Store Hours, If you have any questions, please call us at (800) 222-4700. It’s a personal choice and depends on how and what you play. The radius of this circle is the fretboard's radius. The reason for this is that there are advantages and disadvantages to each of the different types of fretboard radius, though to what extent is pretty subjective. Best of all, it’s totally FREE, and it’s just another reason that you get more at Sweetwater.com. To do this, you’ll need a radius gauge tool. Edward shows how to radius an acoustic guitar fretboard using the Fretboard Radius Jig. If you look closely at the neck of your guitar, you’ll notice a slight arch between the high and low E strings. The gauge has four numbered sides. There are two main types of fingerboard or fretboard: Guitars built for shredding, from the likes of ESP, Dean, and Jackson, have an even longer radius, up to 16in, to allow for lightning fast finger movement over the strings. The radius is usually expressed in inches. It is a favorite of fast players and lead guitar … As for the radius itself, in mathematics, the ‘radius’ is the distance from the center to the circumference (or edge) of a circle. Repeat this process on the low E string (for both guitars and bass guitars). The compound radius fingerboard is rounder at the nut end than it is at the heel. The compound fretboard begins with a 9 1/2" radius, at the first fret, and gradually changes to 14" radius at the neck/body joint. Fretboards with a small radius are more curved, while those with a large radius are more flat. Then go ahead and send the jig through the thickness sander. Some luthiers say they shape their saddles to a curve that is not a true radius because of the different needs of the different string gauges from string 1 to string 6 and because the tilting of the saddle slot for intonation distorts the way the fretboard radius relates to the saddle radius. For example, if you have a circle with a 7.25” radius and remove a piece of its side equal to the width of a … Ask your fingers! Checking the radius with your free radius gauge. Compound radius necks go from a rounder curvature in open position between frets one in three and they flatten out the higher you go up the neck generally getting as flat as they will be around the 12 th to 15 th fret. Most are. No wonder it comes in so many shapes and types. But it's not great for playing lead, unless you push up the action on the strings to stop them 'fretting out' when you bend them. In this guide, we will show you how to measure a guitar’s neck radius. Compound-radiusing, or "tapering" a fretboard, is a common refretting task. How to check a guitar fretboard radius. A shorter, steeper radius is great for rhythm playing, because it makes fretting chords easier. It incorporates the Fret Distance Calculator because the formulas used to calculate a compound radius rely on measurements given from the specified scale (particularly, the distance from the nut to the 12th fret).. Phone Hours | © Guitar Hive 2013-2014. Neck Profile is the contour or grip shape of the neck. Measuring the neck fingerboard radius. This measurement is very difficult to measure precisely. Cut an arc, with a base of 2cm from anywhere on the circle. If you don’t have one handy, you can also look up your guitar on the Sweetwater website. Why? The smaller the number, the more rounded the fretboard will be, the bigger the number the flatter the fingerboard will be. That is an acceptable action but higher than a flatter radius neck. And, for the purposes of setting up, you would generally set the bridge saddles so the strings follow this 10” radius. Checking radius is super easy. The 3-5 digit serial number can be seen by looking through the soundhole toward the neck. 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