Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by t-belly johnson on November 23, 2013 at 12:54pm

I fix the fret board first then radius it once the glues dried.You have to be a little careful near to or over the box but it`s simple enough. I`ve added radius to 6 and 4 string.I`m not sure there`s a need to radius a 3 stringer.

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Permalink Reply by Hellhound Custom Built Guitars on November 23, 2013 at 2:16pm

I do agree with the no need on 3 string and I probably wont on a 4 string as I use the same neck for both builds but the six string seems a bit wide especially w the taper and it getting wider at the bottom. So once its attached is cool I guess the same radius will carry on down the fret board cause its all relevant to the radius of the block from the center point out.. I'll have to practice a bit However that's how Im going to learn...

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Permalink Reply by Ken I on November 25, 2016 at 3:04pm

I am collecting tools and materials to begin building CBGs. I have read some of the threads here. From what I've read, radiusing a 3 or 4 string guitar seems unnecessary. Is there any reason to put a slight radius on the frets? I know the board is going to be flat, but will a slight radius help keep the ends of the frets in place?

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Permalink Reply by darryl kernaghan on November 25, 2016 at 3:29pm

I think curving the frets on a flat board will open up a big can of worms if you don't have precise quality control on installation, i'm not even sure if it's possible, but someone might have done it, I wouldn't go down that track on a 1st build anyway, keep it simple, make a player, as you build you learn more and more, and get a bit more ambitious anyway.

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Permalink Reply by Scott aka Farmer Ted on November 26, 2016 at 1:35am

Whether the fret board is flat or has a radius, the frets should seat firmly all the way down against the fret board.

This keeps them stable, intact, and allows for proper leveling and dressing of the frets.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on November 25, 2016 at 7:16pm

Hi, fingerboards are normally radiused to make for easier fingering and barring across the wider 6 string fingerboard. I play slide guitar so the strings are flat at the nut and saddle.
On a radiused fingerboard this can make the outside stings too high and go out of tune if fingered up the neck, and defiantly go out of tune if/when capoed.
I would think that with a narrower fingerboard the benefits of a radius may not come into play.
Cheers Taff

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on November 26, 2016 at 4:39pm

I'll add to my previous post by saying that some narrow fingerboard stringed instruments have radiused fingerboards, namely violins, I have radiused mandolin fingerboards and others. However these boards do get wider as they get towards the body, so possibly radiating does aid the fingering in these instruments. In the violin family the extreme bridge/fingerboard radius allows for action of the bow.

When fretting or refretting it is common practice to over radius the fret compared to the fingerboard, so I would have a slight radius on the fret even on a flat fingerboard. The thinking behind this is the outside ends of the fret are tapped in, then as you tap to the middle the ends spread out a little embedding the barbs on the ends of the fret into the slot, below the serface of the fingerboard, enabling better grip.
Cheers Taff
Taff

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Permalink Reply by Ken I on November 26, 2016 at 8:14pm

I want to thank everyone for their replies. Based on the discussion I will not radius the frets on a flat fingerboard.

Taffy,

Many years ago I played violin. A radius on the fingerboard on an instrument played with a bow facilitates being able to play the strings individually. If the nut, bridge and fingerboard were all flat, the strings would also be in one plane,  it would be impossible to select an individual string.

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Permalink Reply by JL on December 1, 2016 at 7:46am

6 string with a flat fingerboard is called "Classic Guitar" and allows for easier/faster left-hand work when picking out a melody line of individual notes.

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on December 1, 2016 at 9:11am

Yep, and the "Dobro" style resonator slide guitars I build also have flat a fingerboard, as do many resonator guitars.

As a matter of interest I have had radiused fingerboard classical guitars in the workshop at times, as well as flat board steel strings. But as you say flat boards are most common on cassical and flemenco guitars.
Cheers Taff

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