Fretboard Radius Questions

[davidd]

Need some info from the experts:

1. What year did Fender switch from 7.25" radius to 9.25" on Strats?

2. Is it that much harder to play a 7.25 radius? In what way? Bends? Chords? Notes? ( I ask this because I notice they are putting the 9.5" on some of their 50's based models so many players must prefer it.

3. What is the radius on my Daytona? Is it 12"? Certainly is flat.

4. How about on my 95 Studio, doesn't feel as flat.

Thanks to all for any info you can give.

David

[veatch]

If i recall correctly, Hamer's radius on most of the current models is 14.5". Not sure if that was the case on the Daytona.

In general, play what you think is comfortable for your style. In general, most find chords easier on the smaller (more rounded) radius, and bending strings easier on the larger (more flat) radius. That is why some companies offer compound a radius, to allow for a small radius near the cowboy chord area, and a flatter radius up where we typically solo.

Hope that helps.

[Hgb5000]

7.25 just feels too rounded to me and I usually do not like how it feels towards the 12th fret. However, some people swear by the vintage radius so it is really a personal preference and I recommend going to the store and playing a few of each.

7.25 just feels too rounded to me and I usually do not like how it feels towards the 12th fret. However, some people swear by the vintage radius so it is really a personal preference and I recommend going to the store and playing a few of each.

[burningyen]

I like the 7.25" on my 57RI Strat, but that's because I like high action. 9.5" seems about perfect to me. I don't mind the 14.5" on Hamers for some reason, probably because their neck carves are so nice.

[JohnnyB]

If you think about the geometry of string vs. fretboard radius, a tighter radius makes barre chords easier because your finger naturally curves when forming the barre. OTOH, when you're bending strings above the 10th fret or so, at some point the bend gets damped from running into another fret from slanting across it. This is called "fretting out." A flatter board makes more effort for barre chords and clear-sounding bending further up the board. In the '90s G&L offered a 25" radius for its shredder guitars. This feels nearly dead flat.

I have a G&L ASAT Classic (like a vintage Tele) which has a 7-1/2" radius. I have never had a problem with it "fretting out," which is probably the combination of a rigid neck, first rate fretwork, and a professional setup. I really like the way it plays and playing rhythm with barre chords is a breeze. At the same time, this guitar poses no problems for big bends on blues.

Conceding that I don't pick up a guitar that often anymore, personally I haven't noticed a significant difference in barre chords or string bends between my ASAT (7-1/2") and my Hamers (14.5"), even back when I was playing 2 hrs/day and switching among them all. This leads me to believe that excellent fretwork, dressing, and setup can minimize the natural advantages and disadvantages of one radius over another. I think in general a short-fingered guy (like myself) is going to feel a bit more comfortable with the tighter radius.

And yes, a compound radius is the best. I've played them at the Mike Lull showroom. It's the most natural-feeling solution of all. It follows the changes in the curve of your index finger as you barre up and down the fretboard, and flattens out to make room for extreme bends as you go up as well. Best of both and feels most natural in between.