Mandolin Glossary

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Radiused Fingerboard or Fretboard

Q: What is a radiused fingerboard?

A radiused fingerboard or fretboard has a slight, violin-like outward arc (side to side, not lengthwise) as opposed to a flat fingerboard. The feature probably was first applied to bowlbacked Roman mandolins of the late 1800s by builders like de Santis (1834-1916) and Embergher (1856-1943). For American-made mandolins this is still a relatively new feature when you consider the historical age of our instrument.

Authored by: Mandolin Cafe

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