What do you use and why, please?
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| Author: | Darin Spayd [ Sun Jan 28, 2007 1:34 am ] |
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What do you use and why, please?
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| Author: | Dave Rector [ Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:23 am ] |
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I use a single 16" radius. Why, because I build mostly dreds and OM sized guitars and don't see the need for a compound radius on either type. |
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| Author: | James W B [ Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:21 am ] |
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I use a single 12" because I have smaller hands.One person who played a guitar I built said it was comparible to an electric guitar neck he had.It may have also been due to the shape and thickness of the neck, which will have a lot to do with playing comfort.Some folks will try to build a neck similar to one they are used to playing that feels comfy. James W  B
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| Author: | JohnAbercrombie [ Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:50 am ] |
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As I understand it, compound radius is mostly used on electrics to facilitate extreme bending without 'fretting out'. However, I recently read that some classical guitar builders are putting a slight radius on fingerboards, and some are even using 'reverse compound radius' to make barreing (sp?) chords easier up the fingerboard. So it's wide open for experiments, if you want the added challenge! John |
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| Author: | Serge Poirier [ Sun Jan 28, 2007 12:59 pm ] |
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I use compound 12" and 16" because my pal Al Peebels provided the plans to build the jig and i love the feeling when playing up the neck!
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| Author: | Darin Spayd [ Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:11 pm ] |
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Thanks guys! I've been thinking alot about it and just wanted to get some perspective from those with experience.
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| Author: | Mark Tripp [ Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:13 am ] |
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I use 16' - 20' 'cause I have Craig's jig which makes it a snap, and really like the way it feels... Plus like John says, if you get a player that really likes to bend, the compound helps prevent fretting out. -Mark |
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| Author: | John How [ Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:47 am ] |
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You probably won't notice a lot of difference and guitars have been made for a long time with a single radius but to me it just makes good sense to more closely follow the radius of the nut and saddle when shaping the fingerboard so I use a compound. |
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| Author: | Darin Spayd [ Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:54 pm ] |
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Thanks, Mark! John, what radii do you use? TIA Also, to be sure I'm clear, where are the two measurements taken? |
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| Author: | mag29 [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 3:26 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Mark Tripp]I use 16' - 20' 'cause I have Craig's jig which makes it a snap, and really like the way it feels... Plus like John says, if you get a player that really likes to bend, the compound helps prevent fretting out. Hi, you are refering to a jig from Craig (?) for compund radius routing - any more infos? I?m a newbie here ... Tanks in advance, Martin |
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| Author: | Mark Tripp [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:20 am ] |
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Hi Martin: Yes, I have the jig from Craig Holden. You can see it here. Unfortunately Craig is on sabbatical from jig building, but I believe you can still get plans from him... -Mark |
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| Author: | crazymanmichael [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:40 am ] |
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make the fb to follow the radius of the nut and saddle? hmmm.... again perhaps because i came to building from a repair background i learned to make a nut and saddle to suit the fingerboard. to me, in building it is the fb which has to suit the player, his/her preferences and style, so i still do it the same way, fb first and then the nut and saddle to suit the fb. |
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| Author: | Pete Licis [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 4:52 am ] |
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Actually, the nut and saddle NEVER follow what's dictated by the fingerboard radii (even compound radius fingerboard) unless you set the guitar to have every string at the same height above the fingerboard at the the 12th fret and the nut. Most every guitar I've ever seen has the treble strings closer to the fingerboard (i.e. the action is lower on the treble strings), which means that the effective radius of the saddle will be less than dictated by the geometry of the fingerboard. Probably true as well for the nut. |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 7:55 am ] |
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Another compound radius note...I've read that the saddle should be radiused as if it were a continuation of the "cone" formed by the compound. Thus, the saddle would be radiused flatter than the end of the fingerboard (math! my head hurts already). Whatcha all think? |
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| Author: | Pete Licis [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:09 am ] |
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[QUOTE=CarltonM] Another compound radius note...I've read that the saddle should be radiused as if it were a continuation of the "cone" formed by the compound. Thus, the saddle would be radiused flatter than the end of the fingerboard (math! my head hurts already). Whatcha all think?[/QUOTE] Well, that was my point in the post above yours ... theoretically what you say is true about the "continuation of the cone". But, nearly everyone I know imparts reduced action as you go from bass toward treble strings. To do that, you must make the saddle progressively lower as you go toward the treble strings, resulting in a saddle that's a tighter radius than the theoretical "conical solution" would give. |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Wed Jan 31, 2007 9:18 am ] |
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Pete, you're probably right in real world situations, but you could still have a 16"R fingerboard and a 16"R saddle, even though one side is higher. The radius would just be tilted in relation to the bottom of the saddle. |
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| Author: | Pete Licis [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 4:26 am ] |
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[QUOTE=CarltonM] Another compound radius note...I've read that the saddle should be radiused as if it were a continuation of the "cone" formed by the compound.[/QUOTE] But if it were tilted (even without a tighter radius) then it still would no longer be a continuation of the cone.
For a long time, being an engineer, the idea of continuing the cone was really appealing to my left brain, but I've come to realize it really doesn't pertain. Now I feel that the curvature of the saddle top is purely a function of setting action you desire for each string, and not the "clean" and comforting theoretical solution. |
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| Author: | KiwiCraig [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:23 am ] |
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My latest is a twenty inch radius . I think it has a better feel for wider necks. i.e. over 1.75 " at the nut. Craig Lawrence |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Thu Feb 01, 2007 9:26 am ] |
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[QUOTE=Pete Licis] Now I feel that the curvature of the saddle top is purely a function of setting action you desire for each string, and not the "clean" and comforting theoretical solution.[/QUOTE] Hmmm...here's what I'm wonderin'. If you go ahead and do your setup that way on a compound board, how close to the continuing cone would the saddle end up (correcting for the tilt, of course!)? Might find out that it's pretty close. If you do one, could you put your brain back in left-mode and check it? I'd sure be interested in the result. |
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| Author: | Pete Licis [ Mon Feb 05, 2007 7:45 am ] |
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[QUOTE=CarltonM] [QUOTE=Pete Licis] Now I feel that the curvature of the saddle top is purely a function of setting action you desire for each string, and not the "clean" and comforting theoretical solution.[/QUOTE] Hmmm...here's what I'm wonderin'. If you go ahead and do your setup that way on a compound board, how close to the continuing cone would the saddle end up (correcting for the tilt, of course!)? Might find out that it's pretty close. If you do one, could you put your brain back in left-mode and check it? I'd sure be interested in the result. [/QUOTE] Let's see if I can remember to measure that tonight .... In the mean time, here's a little story from about a year ago. Blanchard and I were talking the cone thing, and he asked me "if the radius at the nut is 12" and the radius at the 12th fret is 18", what do you think the radius at the saddle will be"? I found it strange he asked that since it's so straightforward, and I figured it was a trick question. But after a few seconds of thinking I couldn't figure out where he was going with it, so I blurted out the left-brain answer of 24". He replied ... "Nope, it'll be closer to 12 than 24!" and proceeded to explain what I did a few posts up. If I do remember to check, I'll aslo check my Blanchard Bristlecone and see how that one turned out. |
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| Author: | CarltonM [ Mon Feb 05, 2007 12:32 pm ] |
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Okay, that's weird. Thanks for doing the check--I'm interested in the result. |
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