Ukes with Radius Fret Boards?

Uke Don

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Other than Pono and custom, who makes ukes with a radius fret board? I find a huge difference in playability with my Pono compared to others with flat fret boards.
 
Cocobolo Ukuleles makes all of their ukes with radiused fretboards.

keep uke'in',

PS Free Holiday Songbook at ukulelebootcamp.weebly.com :)
 
Other than Pono and custom, who makes ukes with a radius fret board? I find a huge difference in playability with my Pono compared to others with flat fret boards.

Huge radius fan here. As far as readily available factory made ukes with a radius Pono is it. Cocobolo is a small scalembuilder that does a lottery system for purchases so you just can't buy one.

As you pointed out there are many custom builders that offer a radius. Their prices are higher of course but that is the route I have taken.
 
In addition to the brands already mentioned, Blackbird makes some of their ukes with a radius fretboard, but maybe those have to be considered semi-custom orders.

One thing I discovered lately is that a tighter radius makes it even more comfortable for me to play. As far as I know, most makers use a radius of 12" or 16". Jay Lichty offers a radius of 9" and that makes a huge difference to me.
 
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Choirguy is correct about the Enya X1 series having a radius. They are all laminate, as in formica, come in soprano, concert, tenor, baritone and even a six string acoustic guitar. They are actually a very very good instrument for the money. If you are into the electric plug in scene Godin Multiuke has a radius and they are excellent. I own one and am very impressed.

Collings makes all their ukes with a radius but they are no longer in production and they cost near as much as a custom. Pono makes so many different wood combos ie spruce or cedar with mahogany, ebony or acacia and all mango or all mahogany you could have two or three with different tones.
 
Kind of a specialty item but Godin Multiuke has a radius fretboard.

Edited to add:
Whoops I see that DownUpDave had already mentioned Godin. Count me as another very happy owner.
 
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Thanks everyone. I ordered an Enya HPL just for fun.

Very cool, did you order a tenor. I have a round (camp sytle) soprano and a pineapple soprano. What is great is you can't find sopranos with a radius but Enya X1 has it.

I know a member here that has a baritone and she loves it. She has other expensive baritones so that is a good endorsement. Please give us a review when you get your Enya, I enjoy mine.
 
Most custom luthiers offer a radius. As to production lines, Collings ukes also have a radius.

I can't tell from your original message if you've played other radius ukes besides Pono. If not, I'd encourage you to try others to really see if a radius makes a big difference on other ukes. It may very well. But for me, neck shape is actually more important than radius or not. I like a radius when it's available but have plenty of ukes without radius and don't really notice a difference.
 
Radius is actually a really big deal for me, more so than neck profile. I've tried playing on a flat finger board, but ended up returning a couple of ukes because I just couldn't get used to it. My guitars and mandolin all have a radius board. It's interesting that more ukes don't have them. Radius vs. flat is a big item of debate in the mandolin world, kind of like strings for ukes :).

I'll let you all know how the Enya turns out. It will be the least expensive stringed instrument I've ever owned, that's for sure.
 
But for me, neck shape is actually more important than radius or not. I like a radius when it's available but have plenty of ukes without radius and don't really notice a difference.

I totally agree Eddie, the neck profile makes a huge difference, for me a radius is nice, but not a game changer :D

One thing I discovered lately is that a tighter radius makes it even more comfortable for me to play. As far as I know, most makers use a radius of 12" or 16". Jay Lichty offers a radius of 9" and that makes a huge difference to me.

I'm with Eddie and Campbell regarding the neck. A comfortable neck is much more important. But like Rakelele mentioned, different builders use a different radius. But even if the radius is the same doesn't mean playability will be. I had 2 cocobolo ukes that had a 12" radius. I sold them rather quickly because my fingers kept sliding off the edges on the A & G strings. It just wasn't comfortable to play. I attributed it to the radius. The I got my hands on a Collings, also with a 12" radius, and it was a completely different experience. I think it goes to Collings having some of the best shaped necks in the business.
 
I'll second Lillymo's request for your opinion. I bought a nice Pono, and suddenly I could make barre chords that almost sounded good! I've never been able to get them to play on my other instruments, only now using the radius fret board. I'd like to get another, less expensive radius uke to take places.
 
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The Ibanez UEWT5 has a radius fret board. Just got one from Amazon last week. Nice uke. Would LOVE to get a Cocobolo but I'm allergic to Facesuck and that's how they do the lottery. SUCKS.
 
I appreciate a radiused fingerboard on a steel string guitar, but on a ukulele, I don't find that I notice it. My Pono tenor has a radius, but my Kiwaya and Romero tenors do not and I do not really notice a difference in my ability to bar.
 
I'll second Lillymo's request for your opinion. I bought a nice Pono, and suddenly I could make barre chords that almost sounded good! I've never been able to get them to play before using the radius fret board. I'd like to get another, less expensive radius uke to take places.

I will answer your questions about the Enyas, I also have owned Ponos. I went to a radius because barre chords were so much easy with it for me as well. I own 6 tenors and 2 baritones with radius then there are the Enya X1 round soprano, pineapple soprano and concert. The Enyas for the most part are well made but on the quiet side. The radius is either shallow or the fretwires small but I don't find the radius as helpful as some others. It might just be the shorter scale length with less space between fret wires because all my other ukes are larger sized.
 
Thanks for starting this thread, I was going to post the same question. So what's the verdict on the Enya, Don?

Regarding the Enya, it's well made, the neck is comfortable, but the radius is too small to matter much. I haven't measured it but it's not the 12" radius on a Pono (which is the same radius that Fender uses on it's electric guitars). It's better than no radius though.

But the Enya is very quiet. It seems that the laminate really absorbs the high frequencies. When I measured the sound levels the A string was around 10 db quieter than the C string. That is a lot.
 
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