Fingerboard Radius?
- Thread starter Jaicen
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EDW
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Mya Moe makes them. Dave Means (http://glyphukulele.com/) and Mike DaSilva (http://www.ukemaker.com/) will both do it as an option.
BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
I do it on request. Most custom builds of late seem to be asking for it.
I don't see much point in putting a radius on a soprano fret board, but on concerts and certainly on tenors you will notice it compared to a flat board. I find that using a 12" radius optimum on these small instruments. 16" ends up just barely noticeable.
It will aid and feel a bit more comfortable for most people when they bar the fret board. It adds a few extra steps to the building process. Not a big deal if you are doing it for yourself, but expect to pay a bit extra if you are asking someone else to do it for you.
I don't see much point in putting a radius on a soprano fret board, but on concerts and certainly on tenors you will notice it compared to a flat board. I find that using a 12" radius optimum on these small instruments. 16" ends up just barely noticeable.
It will aid and feel a bit more comfortable for most people when they bar the fret board. It adds a few extra steps to the building process. Not a big deal if you are doing it for yourself, but expect to pay a bit extra if you are asking someone else to do it for you.
thehappyukulele
Well-known member
I'm trying radiused fretboards for the first time right now on a tenor I'm working on. Shaping the nut and bridge is going to be a little trickier but they definitely feel like they will be more comfortable to play. I went with a very shallow 16" radius. It seems quite noticeable to me…more noticeable than I had expected.
Timbuck
Well-known member
Did you buy the shaping block.. or did you make your own?
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
Yes. I'll do it but I hardly see the point on a fret board that's barely 1 1/2" wide. If you feel you need a radius on a ukulele fret board, what you really need is more practice!
thistle3585
Well-known member
I don't know Chuck. Its become pretty standard on mandolins and they're as narrow as 1" at the nut.
Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
The rise of a 16" radius across an inch and a half fret board is scarcely a .5 mm or .025". Maybe I'm just in better shape than mando players are!
Timbuck
Well-known member
There's loads of "Blurb" on the web regarding this subject..fret boards come in mainly four types ..Flat...Cylindrical...Conical..Compound... and don't forget Scalloped type. there is some info here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerboard
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fingerboard
Philstix
Well-known member
The string tension on a mandolin is much greater than on a ukulele. But even on a mandolin it seems to me to be a little overkill - unless you plan to play it with a bow.
Timbuck
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I understand that "Gibson Mandolins" are all made with flat fretboards.
PedalFreak
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The Sam Bush, F5G, Jam Master A & F Styles, F5G Custom, and I believe at least another 2 or 3 are built with radiused fretboards.
I like them. I play both, and you notice the difference. Biggest issue I've found is that after playing a radiused fretboard on a Uke or Mandolin for a length of time I don't want to play the flat fretboards.
Timbuck
Well-known member
I just worked it out...it's less than that......it's .0176"
I also think some get confused over Radius and Diameter.
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thistle3585
Well-known member
To stir the pot even more, a lot of high end instruments sport a compound radius. I recently did an OM with 12" at the nut and 16" at the 12th fret. I personally don't notice any difference between flat and radiused but if the guy writing the check wants a radius then that's what he gets.
