I decided to try out a radiused fretboard since so many people rave about them and went to Rudy's music in Manhattan as they are supposed to be a good store. The ukulele collection seemed low and I was admiring, without touching, an antique, handpainted Martin Mandolin, when a salesperson rushes into the room. I guess he was nervous I might try to remove the locked $20,000 Mandolin. It looked expensive enough that I wouldn't have dared get too close.
I then asked him if they had any ukuleles with a radiused freboard and he informed me with a superior air that they ALL have radiused fretboards. Immensely surprised I looked down the neck of the Martin OX's fretboard, which of course looked perfectly straight, and was told I wouldn't be able to tell that way as it would appear flat, though it wan't. I asked what the radius was, so he took a look at the neck and announced that it looked like a 12. I reminded him that the higher the number, the flatter the fretboard, to which he tried to correct me by saying the lower the number the greater the curve. I repeated myself and he realized I was correct. I mentioned that I had heard that Ponos gave a 16 inch radius, to clue him in that those would be flatter than the completely flat fretboards on his ukes. I also mentined that most ukes don't have them as they are more expensive to make. He repeated that they appeared to be 12 inch radius so I whipped out my phone and announced that I would just look it up. He then said he would look up the specs himself. While he was gone, since Martin's site listed no radius, I called Martin. When he came back in he announced he couldn't locate the radius number. I then told him that I just called Martin and that they verified that they are flat. The look on his face changed to sheepish so fast. I only wish I had remembered to get his name for my yelp review. What completely upsets me is that I know they would never take back a uke they tricked someone into buying by outright lying to them. I might a well have gone to Guitar Center. I should just go back to USpace, but I hate driving downtown.
I then asked him if they had any ukuleles with a radiused freboard and he informed me with a superior air that they ALL have radiused fretboards. Immensely surprised I looked down the neck of the Martin OX's fretboard, which of course looked perfectly straight, and was told I wouldn't be able to tell that way as it would appear flat, though it wan't. I asked what the radius was, so he took a look at the neck and announced that it looked like a 12. I reminded him that the higher the number, the flatter the fretboard, to which he tried to correct me by saying the lower the number the greater the curve. I repeated myself and he realized I was correct. I mentioned that I had heard that Ponos gave a 16 inch radius, to clue him in that those would be flatter than the completely flat fretboards on his ukes. I also mentined that most ukes don't have them as they are more expensive to make. He repeated that they appeared to be 12 inch radius so I whipped out my phone and announced that I would just look it up. He then said he would look up the specs himself. While he was gone, since Martin's site listed no radius, I called Martin. When he came back in he announced he couldn't locate the radius number. I then told him that I just called Martin and that they verified that they are flat. The look on his face changed to sheepish so fast. I only wish I had remembered to get his name for my yelp review. What completely upsets me is that I know they would never take back a uke they tricked someone into buying by outright lying to them. I might a well have gone to Guitar Center. I should just go back to USpace, but I hate driving downtown.
Last edited: