Favorite Radius?

Tigeralum2001

Tigeralum2001

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I've been looking into fretboard radii and noticed there is no real standard, Seems as if MyaMoe uses 12" while Pono is using 16". Custom builders offer 12-20" (maybe more upon request). I understand the fewer inch radius, the more curve; but how does one tell which is best without trying them all? Since this is supposedly to help barre chords, is there an accepted way to measure one's finger to determine the best radius? What radius do you prefer?
 
That is a good question ... I have large hands, and long arms ... and really need a radius as it reduces the tension in the left wrist whiling barring chords.

Having said that I have tried radius necks on Pono Pro Classic Tenors (and own three), and a LFdM (and will own one) ... for me it has to have one or I keep looking.
 
For me, the radius comfort depends on the setup, shape and feel of the neck. I'm finding somewhere in the middle for a radius. One of mine has a fairly extreme radius; I got used to it and would choose it over a flatboard.
 
Tigeralum2001 said:
What radii do you prefer?
Click to expand...

I was looking for a slight radius and ordered one, initially, with a 20" radius. But then I tried 20" and 16" and realized that on a 38mm width nut, the 20" is so slight that it's almost like it's not there. 16" had a very slightly noticeable curve, just enough to help with barred chords. So... it's being built with a 16" radius :D
 
Radius fretboard on ukes is a funny concept because this appears to be the case with guitars:

Flat fretboards are better for fingerpicking and speedy soloing. It is easier for the right hand to pick a flat line of strings than on a radius.

Radius is only advantageous for barred chords, and nothing else.

Flat fretboards give more consistent string action higher up in the neck and are better for string bending as the strings do not choke on the radius..

Some of the electric guitars made exclusively for shredding come with flatter fretboards, and is considered to be an exclusive feature..

Classical guitars appear to never have radius due to them being for primarily fingerpicking, often speedy classical instrumentals.

Electric guitarists consider flat to be an exclusive feature... ukulele players are considering radius to be an exclusive feature... reminds me of how Apple Iphones are getting bigger and Apple Ipads are getting smaller
 
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We are now using a 12" radius on all of our fingerboards and we have been very happy with the improvements it has made to playability. I have had several happy customers write me about how much they enjoy the radius fingerboard, and even some swear that their skills improve significantly while playing our ukes.

I am biased, but I really like the 12" radius. It was one of the best improvements that we made recently. We considered a 16" radius, but I am happy that we went with more radius. The fingerboard on a uke isn't very wide, and a 16" radius might hardly be noticeable.

If you are interested in a few of our customer reviews, I have compiled several of them on our webpage. Several of them comment on how much they are enjoying the radius fingerboards:

http://www.cocoboloukuleles.com/index.php/2014-05-10-08-22-16/happy-customers
 
kissing said:
Radius fretboard on ukes is a funny concept because this appears to be the case with guitars:

Flat fretboards are better for fingerpicking and speedy soloing. It is easier for the right hand to pick a flat line of strings than on a radius.

Radius is only advantageous for barred chords, and nothing else.

Flat fretboards give more consistent string action higher up in the neck and are better for string bending as the strings do not choke on the radius..

Some of the electric guitars made exclusively for shredding come with flatter fretboards, and is considered to be an exclusive feature..

Classical guitars appear to never have radius due to them being for primarily fingerpicking, often speedy classical instrumentals.

Electric guitarists consider flat to be an exclusive feature... ukulele players are considering radius to be an exclusive feature... reminds me of how Apple Iphones are getting bigger and Apple Ipads are getting smaller
Click to expand...

Wholeheartedly agree with everything you've said here.
 
Couple of comments...

kissing said:
Flat fretboards are better for fingerpicking and speedy soloing. It is easier for the right hand to pick a flat line of strings than on a radius.
Click to expand...

As an "advanced" guitarist, I am calling BS on this one. I can shred the hell out of vintage fender (7.25" radius). This is one of those things that people on guitar forums use to justify why their personal preference is better than someone else's.

kissing said:
Radius is only advantageous for barred chords, and nothing else.
Click to expand...

Again, not so. It is personal preference, really. Some people prefer flat for barring.

kissing said:
Flat fretboards give more consistent string action higher up in the neck and are better for string bending as the strings do not choke on the radius..
Click to expand...

A properly constructed and set-up instrument will have consistent action, regardless of radius.

Fretting out while bending is really not an issue with nylon strings, and a compound radius will eliminate the problem completely.

kissing said:
Some of the electric guitars made exclusively for shredding come with flatter fretboards, and is considered to be an exclusive feature..
Click to expand...

I have never heard anyone refer to a flat fretboard as an exclusive feature.

kissing said:
Classical guitars appear to never have radius due to them being for primarily fingerpicking, often speedy classical instrumentals.
Click to expand...

I would guess that classical guitars started with flat fretboards for practical reasons related to construction rather than playing. They have remained flat because the pedagogical nature of classical training has entrenched flat fretboards as the only acceptable choice.

EDIT: After re-reading this post, I think it probably comes across as snide in tone - which was not my intention at all. My point is simply that fretboard radius is a completely subjective factor in the use and enjoyment of your instrument. Everyone's mileage will vary...
 
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Wicked said:
Couple of comments...



As an "advanced" guitarist, I am calling BS on this one. I can shred the hell out of vintage fender (7.25" radius). This is one of those things that people on guitar forums use to justify why their personal preference is better than someone else's.



Again, not so. It is personal preference, really. Some people prefer flat for barring.



A properly constructed and set-up instrument will have consistent action, regardless of radius.

Fretting out while bending is really not an issue with nylon strings, and a compound radius will eliminate the problem completely.



I have never heard anyone refer to a flat fretboard as an exclusive feature.



I would guess that classical guitars started with flat fretboards for practical reasons related to construction rather than playing. They have remained flat because the pedagogical nature of classical training has entrenched flat fretboards as the only acceptable choice.

EDIT: After re-reading this post, I think it probably comes across as snide in tone - which was not my intention at all. My point is simply that fretboard radius is a completely subjective factor in the use and enjoyment of your instrument. Everyone's mileage will vary...
Click to expand...



I dont think you understand what the point of a radius fretboard is. It is an innovation for making barred chords easier as the curve more closely resembles the curvature of the barring hand/finger.

I never said that having a radius fretboard makes it impossible to shred on; but it is a factor.

No examples? Ibanez wizard necks, Jackson, ESP, etc all have relatively flatter necks. Why? Because flatter necks are generally considered to be "faster". Ever wonder why electric guitar necks are flatter high up in the fretboard? It is to allow for faster shredding and reduction of sustain lost by choke caused by radius.

Radius is great for rhythm playing, but certainly not the ideal for speedy solos. A "vintage" strat with 7.25 radius was not designed with shredding in mind. It would be one of the last choices for a shred guitar if someone was looking for one. If you can manage to do so, great..

It's not about undermining peoples' preferences, but outlining the purpose behind design features.

Example of a guitar that considers an absolutely flat fingerboard as a "feature"
http://www.vigierguitars.com/page/fiche_produit.php?id_prod=232

reference:
http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/fretboard-radius-explained
An easy saying regarding radius is, flatter=faster. When the strings are at an even height, you can move your fingers faster across them and also perform bends efficiently without less fretting out. ESP, Dean, and Jackson all have a flat fretboard radius from 12-16”, obviously aimed at those who like to rip it up!
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
kissing said:
Radius fretboard on ukes is a funny concept because this appears to be the case with guitars:

Flat fretboards are better for fingerpicking and speedy soloing. It is easier for the right hand to pick a flat line of strings than on a radius.

Radius is only advantageous for barred chords, and nothing else.

Flat fretboards give more consistent string action higher up in the neck and are better for string bending as the strings do not choke on the radius..

Some of the electric guitars made exclusively for shredding come with flatter fretboards, and is considered to be an exclusive feature..

Classical guitars appear to never have radius due to them being for primarily fingerpicking, often speedy classical instrumentals.

Electric guitarists consider flat to be an exclusive feature... ukulele players are considering radius to be an exclusive feature... reminds me of how Apple Iphones are getting bigger and Apple Ipads are getting smaller
Click to expand...

The OP didn't ask whether raduised fretboards on ukuleles had any value. He wanted to know what measurement of radiused fretboard people who had tried varuis types preferred. There's a whole separate thread here about whether having a radius on an ukulele fretboard is of any value, and discussing that question here instead of answering the OP's question is a form of hijacking this thread. Please continue that debate in the other thread.
 
I consider this a new thread compared to the other one. They have different dates, and my content is not unrelated. My contribution to the topic was an opinion that i find a discussion about "favourite radius fretboards" a bit interesting for the reasons I have stated. Someone had some comments to make in reaponse, and I have responded back. That's a forum. That's what a discussion is. Are you saying only people with certain opinions can reply?

If there is something a lot worse than thread hijacking, it's backseat moderating such as your's. I'm pretty sure the OP didnt ask for that either.
 
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kissing said:
I dont think you understand what the point of a radius fretboard is. It is an innovation for making barred chords easier as the curve more closely resembles the curvature of the barring hand/finger.

I never said that having a radius fretboard makes it impossible to shred on; but it is a factor.

No examples? Ibanez wizard necks, Jackson, ESP, etc all have relatively flatter necks. Why? Because flatter necks are generally considered to be "faster". Ever wonder why electric guitar necks are flatter high up in the fretboard? It is to allow for faster shredding and reduction of sustain lost by choke caused by radius.

Radius is great for rhythm playing, but certainly not the ideal for speedy solos. A "vintage" strat with 7.25 radius was not designed with shredding in mind. It would be one of the last choices for a shred guitar if someone was looking for one. If you can manage to do so, great..

It's not about undermining peoples' preferences, but outlining the purpose behind design features.

Example of a guitar that considers an absolutely flat fingerboard as a "feature"
http://www.vigierguitars.com/page/fiche_produit.php?id_prod=232

reference:
http://proguitarshop.com/andyscorner/fretboard-radius-explained
Click to expand...

I don't usually like to discuss my background, but I have been a guitarist for 34 years. I started playing when I was 13. By the time I was 16, I was playing with the likes of Ray Charles, Al Di Meola and Ted Nugent (yes, he was insane back then too). Although I left that path many years ago (no regrets, by the way), I remain an active player with enough street cred to be taken seriously by professionals.

I think that I understand what a fretboard radius is. I also understand that there is a ton of guitar pseudoscience out there on the internet. A flat fretboard is not inherently "faster" than a radiused board. Do some people find that they can play better on a flat board? Yes - just as there are players who feel they play better on a radiused board.

The fretboard is the instrument's User Interface. Choose the one that works for you, and ignore everything else.

In answer to the OP, my current ukuleles all have flat fretboards. I think that 12" is probably what I will go for on my next upgrade.

I am currently building a semihollow steel string uke. I am seriously considering a conical (compound) radiused board - 10" at the nut, out to about 14" at the bridge.
 
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Wicked said:
I don't usually like to discuss my background, but I have been a guitarist for 34 years. I started playing when I was 13. By the time I was 16, I was playing with the likes of Ray Charles, Al Di Meola and Ted Nugent (yes, he was insane back then too). Although I left that path many years ago (no regrets, by the way), I remain an active player with enough street cred to be taken seriously by professionals.

I think that I understand what a fretboard radius is. I also understand that there is a ton of guitar pseudoscience out there on the internet. A flat fretboard is not inherently "faster" than a radiused board. Do some people find that they can play better on a flat board? Yes - just as there are players who feel they play better on a radiused board.

The fretboard is the instrument's User Interface. Choose the one that works for you, and ignore everything else.

In answer to the OP, my current ukuleles all have flat fretboards. I think that 12" is probably what I will go for on my next upgrade.

I am currently building a semihollow steel string uke. I am seriously considering a conical (compound) radiused board - 10" at the nut, out to about 14" at the bridge.
Click to expand...

It's great that you have so much street cred, although there is as much of that on the internet as "pseudoscience".

Other than "I'm an expert" and "Some people like radius and some people like flat", is there anything else you can tell us from your exceptionally vast wealth of knowledge on why people would be drawn to certain types? Isn't that what we're discussing? Favourite radius. What are we basing "favourite radius" on? Looks? Flavour? Colour?

No matter how important an individual's "feel" towards a certain fretboard is, surely there are some pros and cons we can attribute to different kinds of fretboards and analyse why people prefer them?

I agree that choosing a fretboard that works is the way to go, but I disagree with ignoring the reasons behind the choosing...

-"I prefer 12" radius because .. (reasons)"
-"I prefer flat fretboards because .. (reasons)"

-"NO YOU CAN'T HAVE REASONS! I CALL BS! I AM EXPERT OF 50 YEARS!
ALL IT MATTERS IS THE 'FEEL'! IGNORE ALL REASONS"


This might as well have been a conversation about "Favourite fruit" that went:

-What is your favourite fruit?

-"I like apples"
-"I like lemons"

-"I think the people who like apples like them because they're sweet, whereas the people who like lemons like the sour, citrus flavour"

-"NO! IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PERSON. SOME PEOPLE CAN EAT APPLES BECAUSE THEY LIKE SOUR THINGS AND SOME PEOPLE PREFER LEMONS FOR THEIR SWEETNESS.
I AM A FRUIT EXPERT OF 30 YEARS PLUS.."

I appreciate and enjoy a good debate where there are differing opinions, but all I'm asking for is a bit more clarity and reasoning in the disagreements than "BS I'm an expert" and "because I said so". Ironically, a majority of the "pseudoscience" on the internet seems to come from people who hype themselves up as "experts".
 
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The only people I get requests for radiused fretboards from are weak players, for whatever reason (inexperience, age and other physical considerations), or former guitar players who think any fretted instrument is incomplete without one. It seems to be a non issue for the experienced ukulele players that I've run into. Perhaps one out of 20 will request a radiused fret board. When they do I like to use a 16" radius. Anything much over that is awkward for playing most kinds of music and less that that is not noticeable on a fingerboard that is barely 1 1/2" wide. These observations may not be representative of the ukulele community as a whole but are based soley on my personal experience involving hundreds of transactions with customers. My own personal preference is for zero radius.
 
kissing said:
It's great that you have so much street cred, although there is as much of that on the internet as "pseudoscience".

Other than "I'm an expert" and "Some people like radius and some people like flat", is there anything else you can tell us from your exceptionally vast wealth of knowledge on why people would be drawn to certain types? Isn't that what we're discussing? Favourite radius. What are we basing "favourite radius" on? Looks? Flavour? Colour?

No matter how important an individual's "feel" towards a certain fretboard is, surely there are some pros and cons we can attribute to different kinds of fretboards and analyse why people prefer them?

I agree that choosing a fretboard that works is the way to go, but I disagree with ignoring the reasons behind the choosing...

-"I prefer 12" radius because .. (reasons)"
-"I prefer flat fretboards because .. (reasons)"

-"NO YOU CAN'T HAVE REASONS! I CALL BS! I AM EXPERT OF 50 YEARS!
ALL IT MATTERS IS THE 'FEEL'! IGNORE ALL REASONS"


This might as well have been a conversation about "Favourite fruit" that went:

-What is your favourite fruit?

-"I like apples"
-"I like lemons"

-"I think the people who like apples like them because they're sweet, whereas the people who like lemons like the sour, citrus flavour"

-"NO! IT ALL DEPENDS ON THE PERSON. SOME PEOPLE CAN EAT APPLES BECAUSE THEY LIKE SOUR THINGS AND SOME PEOPLE PREFER LEMONS FOR THEIR SWEETNESS.
I AM A FRUIT EXPERT OF 30 YEARS PLUS.."

I appreciate and enjoy a good debate where there are differing opinions, but all I'm asking for is a bit more clarity and reasoning in the disagreements than "BS I'm an expert" and "because I said so". Ironically, a majority of the "pseudoscience" on the internet seems to come from people who hype themselves up as "experts".
Click to expand...


Believe what you want,son. I'm not going to get into an argument with you.
 
No need for this thread to take a negative tone. None of us have the right answer. At the end of the day it is going to come down to what feels best to each INDIVIDUAL player based on many factors. My advice is to go into a high end shop and play several different radiuses to see how they feel to you.

That said, we have had a very positive response from our 12" radius and I would feel comfortable recommending it to most ukulele players.
 
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The subject of this thread is simple; the OP would like to know a preferred or favorite fretboard radius. Can we keep it simple? Just 3 of the 15 responses answered the question with their reasons behind it. No reason at all to make it personal.
 
Cocobolo Ukuleles said:
No need for this thread to take a negative tone. None of us have the right answer. At the end of the day it is going to come down to what feels best to each INDIVIDUAL player based on many factors. My advice is to go into a high end shop and play several different radiuses to see how they feel to you.

That said, we have had a very positive response from our 12" radius and I would feel comfortable recommending it to most ukulele players.
Click to expand...

Will you be adding a Cedar top to the Cocobolo Back and sides? Would consider a Tenor with radius ... and if I could get ... GOTOH UPT's added to it. Thanks.
 
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