Pono Fretboard

keenonuke

UU VIP
UU VIP
Joined
Mar 1, 2019
Messages
1,105
Reaction score
624
Hi Folks
Does anyone know the radius on a pono tenor ukulele?
Thanks
K
 
For those of you with a radiuses fretboard, would a 10" be too small to play comfortably?
Thanks folks
 
For those of you with a radiuses fretboard, would a 10" be too small to play comfortably?
Thanks folks

I have never played a 10" radius they are not common. I have ukes with 16", 14" and 12" radius and all are very easy to play. I can't feel much difference between the 12" and 16" to be perfectly honest.

May I ask why you are interested in a 10" radius, do you come from an electric guitar background?
 
Hi, Heenonuke!

For those of you with a radiuses fretboard, would a 10" be too small to play comfortably?
Thanks folks

Radius is related to neck width. 43mm nut acoustic guitars have 12" radius. Vintage Gibson J-45 has narrow 39mm nut. I have seen a model of Gibson which has 39mm nut in local shop. I am interested in the radius of 39mm nut acoustic guitars.

 
I'm considering getting a custom made uke. The nut on that instrument (a tenor) would be 1-3/8 and the maker wrote that he uses "10 1/0" so maybe it's a typo. I'll need to clarify. Or ask for what I'd like.

I have a few ukuleles. I think the strings make a big difference in my being able to barre a chord. I just got a new Soprano and struggle with Barre chords but do so easily on my Kala Soprano travel ukulele.

So that is the reason for my question to the community.

Thanks for asking
K
 
Last edited:
Hi, keenokuke! The relation should be diameter and arc in circle.

Yours is 35mm vs 10 relation is 3.5
Common acoustric guitar 43mm vs 12 relation is 3.58

Yours is similar to common acoustic guitar.

My stratcaster 43mm vs 9.5 relation is 4.5

I think your maker gives very good suggestion. It may help your barre chords.
 
Last edited:
Thank you so much. I had been reticent to move forward because of the suggested radius. Much of what I've seen on the forum showed people using 12 or 16. So 10 seemed like a steep curve.
Thanks again.
K
 
My Lichty baritone has a 9" radius and I love it. I'd say if you like a radius, then why not go with a strong curve.
 
The majority of my Ukes have 12 in radius. They are Ok. I have one that is 16 in, and to me it is not comfortable. I have a custom made Tenor 1 3/8 nut with 7.5 in radius. To me that is THE most comfortable radius. I don't have to think about it when I am barring chords. It just came second nature. Never a dead note!
 
Top Bottom