Can someone explain fretboard radius??

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Can someone explain fretboard radius??

bricktop View Member Profile	Jan 23 2007, 12:41 AM
Jan 23 2007, 12:41 AM	GMC:er Posts: 163 Joined: 18-December 05 From: Lexington, Ky	I sold my only electric guitar yesterday, a 10 year old made in mexico strat. I have no idea about the specs of it but the neck felt good. I have my eye on these two fender models: American Vintage '62 -7.25 radius, c shape neck, vintage frets 2007at NAMM: Vintage Hot Rod '62- 9.5 radius, thick c shape, medium jumbo frets I just like that they both have nitrocellulose finish! I have an idea about neck shapes, but I don't understand what the fretboard radius means... they're both 1.65 width at nut... They both look sweet though! John You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! This post has been edited by bricktop: Jan 23 2007, 12:42 AM -------------------- Electric Guitars: Fender Acoustic Guitars: Amplifiers: Fender Blues Junior NOS Effects:

fretdancer View Member Profile	Jan 23 2007, 01:26 AM
Jan 23 2007, 01:26 AM	GMC:er Posts: 328 Joined: 9-February 06 From: Nottingham UK	A radius is the measurment from the centre to the outside of a circle/sphere. so imagine your guitar neck as a round cylinder...ok - the radius is how big it is from the inside middle to the furthest part on the outside.. yikes this is difficult to explain !!! anyway hope you get it now? imagine the centre of the earth - draw a line to the crust or surface that is the radius...OK? You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- its not easy banging your head against some mad buggers wall. Variax 300. Pod XTL & Crate amp some of my recordings are here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/petergb/

radarlove1984 View Member Profile	Jan 23 2007, 03:02 AM
Jan 23 2007, 03:02 AM	GMC:er Posts: 170 Joined: 19-January 07	The fretboards on most guitars are slightly curved, some more than others. As the radius increases (12", 14", 16", 20", ect...), the fretboard feels flatter. I've always preferred flat fretboards because I started playing classical guitar early on. I find it easier to bend strings on a flatter fretboard than it is on a more rounded one. Some people claim it's harder to play chords though. The exact opposite goes for more rounded fretboards (7", 9", 10"...). Most people claim they're easier to play chords on, but harder to bend strings. If you've been playing a Mexican Strat, you're used to the smaller radius. I think most fender guitars fall into the 7" - 10" range. I don't think it would matter which guitar you buy. The differences would be very minor to the one you just sold. As far as I know, the fretboard radius doesn't affect how close the strings are to each other. It just affects how they'll feel when you start playing. Hope that helped. Oh, and get a second opinion from someone else just to make sure I didn't get it backwords You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

MickeM View Member Profile	Jan 23 2007, 03:38 AM
Jan 23 2007, 03:38 AM	Born of NWOBHM, Moderation Team Leader Posts: 8.562 Joined: 9-January 07 From: Stockholm, Sweden	...AND THE HIGHER THE RADIUS THE (f%&¤%& caps lock) faster neck they say. You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- My bands homepage All time favourites: B. Streisand - Woman in Love, M. Hopkin - Those were the days, L. Richie - Hello

fretdancer View Member Profile	Jan 23 2007, 03:42 AM
Jan 23 2007, 03:42 AM	GMC:er Posts: 328 Joined: 9-February 06 From: Nottingham UK	Here is a full and complete answer, thanks to Google http://www.fretsmag.com/story.asp?sectionc...storycode=15761 You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- its not easy banging your head against some mad buggers wall. Variax 300. Pod XTL & Crate amp some of my recordings are here: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/petergb/

bricktop View Member Profile	Jan 28 2007, 07:15 PM
Jan 28 2007, 07:15 PM	GMC:er Posts: 163 Joined: 18-December 05 From: Lexington, Ky	I see the most common radius is 9.5. Looks like the vintage series is 7.25, then you have the Stevie Ray Vaughan guitar at 12 You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! -------------------- Electric Guitars: Fender Acoustic Guitars: Amplifiers: Fender Blues Junior NOS Effects:

viking View Member Profile	Feb 1 2007, 02:23 AM
Feb 1 2007, 02:23 AM	GMC:er Posts: 4 Joined: 1-February 07	QUOTE (bricktop @ Jan 28 2007, 12:15 PM) I see the most common radius is 9.5. Looks like the vintage series is 7.25, then you have the Stevie Ray Vaughan guitar at 12 Actually SRVÂ´s " First Lady " was actually more like 9 or 10" , because af the levelling done to the wood on the fretboard before ( several ) re-frets..... The old school Fenders ( incl. the re-issues )used 7.25 inch radius , which is actually a very " round " fretboard. This is excellent for chords , but not so hot for lead work. When you bend the notes on the thin E and B strings up , they practically go up the hill , and eventually touch the next fret , and the sound dies....This is commonly called " fretting out " , and the strings on the guitar have to be adjusted higher because of this ... Some people learn to live with the higher action of the strings , and the reward is that the guitar usually sound better , too.....the strings seem to " ring " better because of the higher action , but as said, the guitar becomes harder to play. I myself prefer the radius of the neck to be around 9 to 10 inches . Some makers , such as Warmoth , make their necks with " compound radius ", meaning that the radius goes from 10 " at the headstock, and ends around 16 "( very flat ) at the upper frets. Fender didnt use anything else than 7.25 inch radius till the late 70`s , early 80´s. Unless you had a Re-issue of some kind , the Fender should be around 9,5 in radius. Oh , and BTW : It is absolutely correct that Fender uses nitro paint on some models again , unfortunately the nitro is ONLY applied over the normal coat of " modern " paint , giving you an even thicker layer of paint than usual !! Another scam from Fender !!! You are at GuitarMasterClass.net Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! Don't miss today's free blues, jazz & country licks. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content! This post has been edited by viking: Feb 1 2007, 02:31 AM

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