radiused vs. flat

[codemando]

the topic sums up my question. I have a flat fretboard and like it fine (a weber yellowstone). i've briefly played some mandolins with radiused fret boards (a breedlove-rogue model comes to mind) and can't say i've noted a whole lot of difference. are there any opinions out there as to the relative advantages of one type over the other?

[Dfyngravity]

well it is really just personal preference. i have a radiused fingerboard on my mando. to me it is a little less strenious on the fingers. i use to play a mando with a flat fingerboard but i really like the way my mando with the radiused fingerboard plays. it also seems to be a little smoother.

[John Flynn]

I played flat boards for 10 years, then got a Rigel with a compound radius and I love it. I still own two flat-board mandos that I play fairly regularly. There is no question that I can play things on the Rigel that I cannot play on the others as easily and I can learn to play things more quickly on the radius than the flat. But that is just me. I think it is purely a personal choice.

I do think it is interesting that the whole violin family uses radiuses and any steel string guitar of any quality is radiused. Plus, when engineers go to make any hand operated implement more ergonomic, they round it. It just makes sense to me and I don't see why it's not the standard rather than the exception on mandolins. But that is just MHO, nothing more.

[mandowood]

I was set on a radiused fingerboard on my last mandolin- I wouldn't even consider a flat board, until I played "the one"... I recently purchased that mandolin with a flat board.

In my case, it really mattered until I played a mandolin that I couldn't let get away.

[Bob A]

I used to think that things mattered, but it's like mandowood says. Sometimes you pick up an instrument and you know that it's found a home. So I have flat boards, radiused boards, wide boards, thin boards, holes of every shape and size.

It's the chemistry between instrument and player that matters. Everything else is incidental.

Sadly, this makes it very difficult to get rid of an instrument once you've bonded.

[Flowerpot]

Some people who have found "the one" will have the fingerboard replaced (saving the old one if collectability is an issue). Properly done, changing out a fingerboard does not de-value an instrument at all; it's like changing tires on your car. (Except you'll get farther with a flat fingerboard than a flat tire.) Hey, it's your mandolin, make it the way you want it.

[tiltman]

Has anyone had their fretboard replaced? flat to radiused?
Can any good luthier do this or should it be sent back to the manufacturer?
The reason I ask is that I have a Gibson F9 that I absolutely love to play and think that it sounds great but I've played a few mando's with a radiused fretboard and liked the feel better - although not the sound.
Thanks,
Kirk

[sunburst]

Has anyone had their fretboard replaced? flat to radiused?
Can any good luthier do this or should it be sent back to the manufacturer?
I've replaced boards an several mandolins, I have another coming in soon for a flat to radius conversion.

Any good luthier can do it. There is not always any assurance that the manufacturer will give the job to a good luthier if it's sent back, unfortunately.

I need to mention that I am making no specific reference here to any particular manufacturer. There was some mention of a Gibson mandolin, I am not saying that Gibson would give the job to an unqualified individual.

[springer_spaniel]

Hello,

In reading other threads about radius versus flat, the people who didn't like radiused complained that the shape caused their hands to cramp up. I'm curious though, did those people have large or small hands ? #Could those of you who play a radius finger board please elaborate on whether you have large or small hands? I realize this isn't the only factor but would like to see if there is a correlation.

I am on Hans Brentrup's waiting list right now for a M21V and he is asking me what kind of board I would like to have. I have only played flat in the past and don't want to miss the opportunity to "improve" while I have the chance.

BTW, my hands are fairly larger than most peoples.

Thanks for any thoughts you can share.

[dfrady]

Flat vs. Radiused: I have 2 mandolins one with a flat and one with a radiused, my mandolin with the flat board causes my fingers and left hand hurt and cramp very bad. With the radiused board my fingers doesn't hurt any more and my hand doesn't cramp either, and it is a lot easier to play. I don't plan on going back to a flat board any time soon. Just my 2 cents.
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[softshell]

I just acquired a mandolin, a Parker A-style, with a slightly radiused board, almost flat, and have discovered that I can't bend the strings on it as easily as I can on my Rigel with it's radiused board. Other than that I don't really notice a difference.

[Peter Hackman]

I've been playing a Flatiron A5 Artist for almost a decade.

Recently I sold some shares at a substantial profit and decided to buy a Collings. The moment I tuned it up
and started playing I realized there was SOME difference;
the most striking thing about the Collings is its eminent
playability. According to the catalog it has a radiused
fretboard so I suppose that's where the difference lies.
Can only guess, but I DO know that the Collings is
the easiest playing mandolin I've ever owned.

[John Flynn]

In answer to the question posed about hand size, I have moderately large hands. A large glove is a little tight on me, an extra large is a little loose. I prefer a radius and I also prefer a wider (1 3/16") nut width. I feel cramped on a normal width neck.

On the retrofit question, Many mando luthiers can radius your existing fretboard in the process of doing a full refret and set up, depending on your fretboard configuration. If you don't have a luthier who will do that, contact "Jomando" on the board here. He has my highest recommendation.

[Bluegrass Boy]

Since I got my A style mando with the radiused fretboard, I've noticed that my whites are whiter, my colors are brighter, I can run faster and jump higher, and pretty girls smile at me when I walk by. I'm not sure I can really tell the difference in playability between the old and new mandos though.

[John Flynn]

A point that I think is worth making is that set up is a bigger factor than radius as far as playability goes. Whether you like flat or radiused fretboards, your biggest playability improvement is to get a complete set up from a good mando luthier. As I have said, I like the radius, but I would rather play a flat board with a great set up than radius with the set ups that typically come on most new mandos I have played.

[Pete Martin]

A number of us prefered the raduis board. It very much helps keep my tendenitous in check. If you get your fingerboard radiused, try a lot of other mandos first and see how much radius you like. Take yours to a good luthier and have it done like you want.

I had a 4 string electric fingerboard made which was raduised as much as a violin. At the time I was playing in a Western Swing band where I'd play both fiddle and E mando on each piece. The extra raduius was GREAT, though it was an adjustment for my right hand, as the bridge was also very curved. I'm going to try this on a regular 8 string sometime.

[John S]

I've played radiused fretboard mandolins from day one, never even considered a flat board. Just recently I bought a Gibson F though, which of course has the flat board. I expected some adjustment period to get used to the flat board, but honestly I don't think it impacted my playing a bit. Everything is just as hard on a flat fingerboard as on a radiused one! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif I don't have huge hands, but they are moderately large.

[Potosimando]

I'm too lazy/tired tonight to read the above posts, so excuse me if what I am going to tell you has already been said. #Anyway, relax your left hand and hold it up in front of your eyes. #See the radius? #Next, keep that finger right where it is...use your right-hand fore finger to simulate a fret board--both radius and flat...lot more strength in the radius, huh? #A radius is natural man, especially if you do bar chords; take advantage of the shape.

I've had both flat and radius and came to the radius-is-best conclusion long before I ever actually thought about the matter.

[Daniel Nestlerode]

I play a Capek Old Era with a flat board and have a Kentucky KM630 with s flat board. Both were fine (obvioulsy the Capek is a vast improvement). But I get to play a friend's 94 Gilchrist F5 about once a week for a tune or two at a jam, and a few weeks ago I found myself at an impromptu kam without an instrument so my friend allowed me to play his Gil all night.

Wow, what a difference! (and I'm not just talking about tone or price. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif ) The radiused board on the Gil was and is a lot more comfortable than the flat board on my Capek. I think I'll be shipping mine off to a luthier for a modifcation before the year is out.

Truthfully, I'll probably add a maple bridge and have whoever works on it take out 2 more frets at the end of the baord and extend the scoop too.

My $.02,
Daniel

[Peter Hackman]

A point that I think is worth making is that set up is a bigger factor than radius as far as playability goes. Whether you like flat or radiused fretboards, your biggest playability improvement is to get a complete set up from a good mando luthier. As I have said, I like the radius, but I would rather play a flat board with a great set up than radius with the set ups that typically come on most new mandos I have played.
Setting up a mandolin is no big deal; you have a bridge
with two wheels that you can rotate this way or that way.
I've been raising the action on my Collings
in small steps to get a meatier tone, that's all.

On a guitar you have a bone insert that has to be
carefully profiled.

One thing that does matter, though, both on guitars and
mandolins is the nut. On several mandolins the
slots aren't cut low enough, which causes trouble if you
play in flat keys with much fretting close to the nut.
My Collings is perfect in that respect (too),
as is my Collings guitar (rosewood SJ).

[sunburst]

Setting up a mandolin is no big deal; you have a bridge
with two wheels that you can rotate this way or that way.
I've been raising the action on my Collings
in small steps to get a meatier tone, that's all.
With all due respect, setting up a mandolin can be a bigger deal than adjusting a bridge. Not all instruments come with a good set-up like your Collings likely did. You're just tweaking an instrument that's already set up, some people are in need of a complete set up.

I do set-ups on guitars and mandolins. Generally I'd say there is a little more work in the average mandolin set-up because of the extra strings.

Anyone with a poorly set up mandolin would get much more improvement in playability from a set-up than from just the radius.
Put another way, a well set up flat board mandolin will play better than a poorly set up radius board mandolin.

[hotpick]

If you play a flat fingerboard, don't try a radiused. If you've gotten used to flat, stay there. Once you try radius, you'll find it much easier but if you're playing well with no problems, why create them!