radius fretboard why?

[kjbllc]

does the radius fretboard make it easier to fret? thanks kevin

[Phil Goodson]

You will hear many opinions. To me, a radiused board just feels more comfortable. YMMV.

Addendum: Don't forget that the neck width, thickness, and shape will make a huge difference to comfort also.

[Tom C]

I like flat. Doesn't make sense to me reaching the G string on downhill. Especially with pinky. I'd prefer an opposite radius there

[EdHanrahan]

A radius gives more effective room, with less chance of the fretting fingers touching adjacent strings. In other words, it makes the fretboard act or feel as if it were wider without actually being wider. This may or may not be of benefit to any given player. Hey, do we all wear the same size gloves?

So the definitive answer to "easier fretting?" is: Sometimes, for some people.

(Personal mini-rant: I prefer being adaptable to an array of shapes, rather than follow those who search hard for a preference and then convert that to a requirement. I'll be quiet now.)

[pops1]

Keep in mind there are many different radius diameters. I like flat, but I also like the 20" radius on one mandolin. Now the 9" that some do I am not sure I would like.

[Doug Brock]

To me, the difference on a narrow mandolin neck is subtle (NOT subtle on a guitar). Both my mandolins now have radiused fretboards and I will lean toward radiused on any future purchases just because I know that's what I've mostly played, but when I play different mandolins at stores, I don't usually even notice if the fretboard is flat or radiused. On Saturday I played a 1928 Gibson A and some Eastman and Collings mandos and it didn't occur to me that I was playing on flat or radiused fretboards.

[Charlie Bernstein]

I have one of each. Both feel fine to me, but I'm not fussy about that kind of thing.

I agree with Flatpicknot: On a guitar the difference is huge, on a mando it doesn't make much difference.

[seankeegan]

I believe John Monteleone made a radiused fboard for David Grisman and it helped reduce hand pains he was experiencing.

I studied classical mandolin for a while and played an Embergher and other Roman style italian mandolins, which have tiny boards (less than 1" wide) and the radius def made it easier to play, especially with big hands.

Hugo D'alton played an Embergher and he had massive hands, and apparently he was a fan of the radiused board for the same reason; makes the board feel bigger.

[Toni Schula]

Maybe the difference is more in the picking: the radius helps to avoid those strings you don't like to pick.
Just think of a fiddler who can't live without the radius.

[Cobalt]

It may make picking the required string more difficult, a radius fretboard implies a radiussed bridge too. Say the need is to pick a note on the G string followed by a note on the E string - the curvature means an extra raising of the plectrum in order to clear the intervening strings. I dare say one gets used to anything but it does require a different right-hand technique as compared with a flat bridge/fretboard.

The problem may be made worse if the bridge is set for a high action and the note on the G string is played on one of the upper frets, the difference in height between the G and D strings can then be pronounced.

[Potosimando]

Try this: Put the mandolin aside for a minute (i.e. anywhere other than in your hands). Now, relax your left hand, and then bring the hand “up”, more-or-less even with your eyes, so that you are looking at the side of your index finger. You will see that your index finger is describing a perfect radius (as are the other fingers), the index finger having a natural radius of which to fret chords NATURALLY...among other things, of course.

Flattening out the index finger to fret chords obviously works well for many people, but for me I much prefer the “natural” radius approach. I started out with flat mandolin fretboards, however having lived with radius, I would never want to return to flat.

For me, I immediately experienced a significant improvement of radius over flat—that, after having spent years with flat fretboards. At the time I was fully anticipating a learning curve (pun really not intended), but a learning curve was not required.

[Toni Schula]

...I dare say one gets used to anything ...

This is for sure true. And whatever I got used to is what I like the best.

That said, I have to add that I have several instruments with a radius (mandolin, electric bass) and several with a flat fretboard (other mandolin, acoustic and electric mandolas and yes, a banjo) and I never even noticed a difference.

[Gary Leonard]

Gotta ask yourself, why do people take a Loar F5 and radius the neck?

I started with radius, and I could never feel comfortable on a flat neck. The other evening, I picked up my friends 1920s A, and was surprised how easily it played. Hardly noticed a difference. A lot has happened in the last two years, improved technique, loosened my grip, I feel more confident and relaxed when playing. I think it comes more down to neck/nut width, shape and setup more than anything else.

[Bad Monkey]

I'm going to put on my flame suit for a few minutes and say some stuff that a few folks are going to take issue with. That's ok. It'd be nice if they would actually think for a minute about stuff, but my money's on the square that says "ain't gonna happen".

Think about what the difference between a flat board and the average (12") radius board really is. At the 15th fret the D & A courses are appx .025" above the G & E courses. How much is that, really? Do you REALLY have to raise the pick up any more to get across the fretboard? Pull the other one, it's got bells on. Is it REALLY affecting your fretting hand all that much? Or is it 99% all in your head? It's really not that big of a deal. I'm not saying there isn't a difference. There surely is. What I'm saying is that it's not that big of a deal and not worth getting all preachy or knickers gettin' in a twist over. Neck width, string spacing, course spacing, and neck shape all make FAR more difference than that wee lil ol' .025".

[kjbllc]

thanks for the info. I am going to have to take a trip to play some mandos somewhere

[Mark Gunter]

thanks for the info. I am going to have to take a trip to play some mandos somewhere

That’s your answer right there.

But also, remember this: when you compare radius vs flat, you also have to account for other differences between the mandolins you’re playing. I’d wager the different feels will have more to do with the necks than the fretboards.

[illinoisfiddler]

One thing that isn't mentioned here, is that radius seems beneficial if you come from an instrument like fiddle/violin like I do. A lot of mando players double on fiddle and vice versa. I have a flat board mandolin and a radiused one, and I like them both. But for ease of playing and especially since I am a fiddler first, the radius seems most comfortable.

[Mandobart]

I'm just a caveman. I play violin, viola (both way more radiused than any mandolin), flat and radiused mandolins, flat 'dola, flat and radiused OM's, flat and radiused guitars and a flat mandocello. They all have different width nuts, different scale lengths, different tunings, different number of strings...some radiused, most not. Crazy. I also wear wool directly against my skin and don't notice rocks in my shoes.

[Cobalt]

The problem may be made worse if the bridge is set for a high action and the note on the G string is played on one of the upper frets, the difference in height between the G and D strings can then be pronounced.

I'll add as background context that I wasn't speaking hypothetically. It was an observation from trying to play a piece I first learned years ago. It uses a cross-picking technique and playing both open strings and notes fingered at upper fret positions.

Though of course it does take a bit of practice to refresh the fluency when playing an old piece which hasn't been in my repertoire for a while, nevertheless my response was to stop playing and to lower the bridge. This is not a step to be taken merely because of frustration at my own clumsiness, but was an acknowledgement that the instrument was more difficult to play. One can weigh up the relative contribution of the raised bridge versus curvature of the frets and bridge, but in the end, the bridge height was the only part which was adjustable.

I shall persist in practising, but it may be that certain pieces will need to be performed on a particular instrument, rather than having a single mandolin which does everything.

[Mandoplumb]

I'm going to put on my flame suit for a few minutes and say some stuff that a few folks are going to take issue with. That's ok. It'd be nice if they would actually think for a minute about stuff, but my money's on the square that says "ain't gonna happen".Think about what the difference between a flat board and the average (12") radius board really is. At the 15th fret the D & A courses are appx .025" above the G & E courses. How much is that, really? Do you REALLY have to raise the pick up any more to get across the fretboard? Pull the other one, it's got bells on. Is it REALLY affecting your fretting hand all that much? Or is it 99% all in your head? It's really not that big of a deal. I'm not saying there isn't a difference.
There surely is. What I'm saying is that it's not that big of a deal and not worth getting all preachy or knickers gettin' in a twist over. Neck width, string spacing, course spacing, and neck shape all make FAR more difference than that wee lil ol' .025".

Yes the difference is small but in instruments a little goes a long way. If you are accustomed to playing a 1 and 1/8 neck and pick up a 1 and 1/16, it feels like the difference between a toothpick and a 2 by 4. It's all in what you are accustomed to.

[Bob Buckingham]

An instrument that is very similar yet different from the mandolin is the violin. They have more of a radius on the fingerboard for ease of playing. Also there is that devilish stick involved. So you do what you must. I did not have a radiused fingerboard until ten or 15 years ago and now flat fingerboards seem less comfortable.

[Cobalt]

I'd say with a violin, the radius is absolutely necessary, it isn't optional - unless all you intend to play is 4-string chords.

[Br1ck]

When I move from my A1 to my modern instruments, I never have the thought I'm going from flat to radius fretboards. Wider and shorter and chunkier I do think about.

[JeffD]

My experience is that radius fretboards are a little harder for me to double stop. I don't barre much but I would assume something similar.

That said I generally prefer a radiused board for comfort.

Not a large difference, and which every one I switch to feels great.

[Bill McCall]

You will hear many opinions. To me, a radiused board just feels more comfortable. YMMV.

Addendum: Don't forget that the neck width, thickness, and shape will make a huge difference to comfort also.

Yes, people are different. A specific neck shape/fingerboard curvature (or not) will be of varying comfort for different people. I have the same neck shape on two mandolins (the second custom ordered to match the first), one has a flat board and one is curved. Both play very well.

I would add that left hand technique is also an important factor for comfort, along with left hand injuries.