Ever thought about this?

[sunjamr]

Today I was messing around playing something that used bar chords, and I tried playing it on several different guitars. One of those guitars had a very flat fretboard, and I found it almost impossible to get all 6 strings to ring out, even using the “stacked fingers” trick. It was like my pinky finger just did not want to lie flat and push down strings 3 & 4. Another of my guitars has more curvature (cross-sectional radius, technically speaking) in the fretboard, and I can push down on the bar chords much easier. So is it better to choose a guitar neck that has more curvature (that is, a smaller radius) than one with a flatter neck?

I’ve never heard anyone talk about the virtues of various amounts of fretboard radius. But I do know that when I ordered my Fender Strat, I could choose from several different neck curvatures. My classical guitar has an almost dead flat neck, but it’s super easy to make bar chords, because of the nylon strings. And I have seen on Youtube a guitar with a totally round neck cross section. It looks a bit like strings on a baseball bat.

Sunjamr Steve

[6stringer Pete]

Cuz I don’t have large fingers I like guitars with a smaller neck also including classical guitars that are more designed like a electric guitar that’s just my two cents.

The melody of the notes is what expresses the art of music . 🙂 6stringerPete

It really is all about ”melody”. The melody comes from a language from our heart. Our heart is the muscle in music harmony. The melody is the sweetness that it pumps into our musical thoughts on the fretboard. 🙂 6 stringer Pete

Pete
Active Melody
Forum Moderator

[charjo]

I think that’s a well known thing, Steve. That’s the thinking behind those compound radius necks. I have a strat with a 7.25″ radius at the nut and 14″radius at the 12th fret. Idea being that it’s comfortable at the lower frets for chording and better for soloing at the higher frets where big bends won’t “fret” out. Having said that, a good old 9.5″ radius works for me.
John

[John H]

My teeth were cut on 9.5″ radius neck. Anything else feels odd. However, I always felt the flatter the fingerboard, the easier to play on. Maybe why classical fingerboards are so flat. My two cents.

John

[San Luis Rey]

Hey Steve, Charjo said what I was thinking. I have guitars with radius ranging from 7 1/4″ to 14″. I was brought up with the 7 1/4″ radius {curved) neck so that’s comfortable to me. If you bend more than a whole step it could start to buzz or fret out though. The next re-fret will be with the tallest ones for that reason.
Looking at Telecasters again. The 9 1/2″ is a popular compromise but I want a maple fingerboard that’s not all lacquered up. The search goes on….

Mike

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