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fingerboard radius

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ecklesweb

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:33 am

Cocobolo

Joined: Sat Jan 21, 2006 10:41 am
Posts: 290
Location: United States

displaying my utter ignorance here, but anyway...

Why is the fingerboard on a steel-string guitar traditionally radiused?

Alternatively stated: Why, other than tradition, would I chose to radius the fingerboard on the steel-string guitar I'm building?

Thanks,

Jay

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Pwoolson

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:40 am

Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sat Jan 08, 2005 1:26 am
Posts: 2556
Location: United States

Radiused fingerboards make fretting easier, especially when using bar chords. Bar chords on a flat board would be very difficult to do without buzzing.

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John How

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:43 am

Contributing Member

Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2005 7:40 am
Posts: 2694
Location: United States
First name: John
Last Name: How
City: Auburn
State: Ca
Country: USA

It's mostly all about comfort and ease of playing.

_________________
Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

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Michael Dale Payne

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 8:44 am

Old Growth Brazilian

Joined: Tue Dec 28, 2004 1:56 am
Posts: 10707
Location: United States

Ease of play By radiusing the finger board it fits the shape of the human hand better. Even most classicals have a radius just much larger. I know some buld them flat but I did not say all

The force required to fret a steel string is greater than that of a classical and the strings are much closer to each other. the radius helps there as wellMichaelP38742.7015509259

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burbank

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:02 am

Koa

Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2005 12:40 am
Posts: 1900
Location: Spokane, Washington
First name: Pat
Last Name: Foster
State: Eastern WA
Focus: Build

The easiest-playing steel string guitar I have has a nearly flat fretboard. Action, scale, relief and string guages are nearly the same on as on my radiused one. This one's so easy to play, I'm considering a nearly flat fretboard on the next steel string I'm building. I'd say give it a try, though like with everything else, YMMV.

_________________
now known around here as Pat Foster
_________________
http://www.patfosterguitars.com

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Serge Poirier

Post subject:

Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 9:49 am

Brazilian Rosewood

Joined: Sun Dec 25, 2005 6:32 am
Posts: 7774
Location: Canada

Pat, if you do it, could you keep us informed on how it went? i'm really interested in this. TIA

SergeSerge Poirier38742.9956134259

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