Fingerboard Radius

image Fingerboard Radius

Fingerboard Radius

The fingerboard, or playing surface of your guitar neck, is usually curved or radiused across its width. The purpose of this radius is to accommodate the natural ergonomic shape of your fingers when they are in playing position. Comfort is certainly a major factor in selecting a fingerboard radius but it is not the only factor. Musical Style… the fingerboard radius must also allow you to play the style of music you prefer.

Why is fingerboard radius important?

The fingerboard radius, the curve or arc across the top of your guitar neck varies from neck to neck.  It’s easy to spot on most electric guitar and bass fingerboards. Almost none of them are flat.  Most guitar and bass necks have a light curvature across their width. The smaller the radius, then the more curved the top of the  radius will be. Hence, a larger the radius the flatter the top of the board is.  Over the years the most common ones are: smaller vintage-style 7.25″ radius, 12″ and the modern 9.5″ . These are all readily available.

New age fingerboard neck radius choices

Today there are lots of choices from 7.5″ all the way up to 20″ radius boards. These will accommodate and make most any player happy. A guitar player today will have a lot of custom guitar neck choices to fit his style and comfort.  If not the there are lots of choices in between. For example, compound-radius fingerboard is a fairly new option that some guitarists find attractive.  The fingerboard is more rounded near the 1st fret area and then  flattens out closer to the 12fth fret area. So almost any choice is available to a guitar player today. Haywire Custom guitars offers any fingerboard radius choice that a guitar player needs to be comfortable and play like he wants to play.

Haywire Custom guitars offers any radius choice

There is no right or wrong choice for players. Whatever suits a players comfort level, their personal preferences are all available from us here at haywire Custom Shop. It’s important that a guitar player knows he has a choice.

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