jjj Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Sorry everyone but I'm slow. What is a radius and is it necessary? Please give lots of details and sorry again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 An item's 'radius' refers to how much it is curved. When you've heard it used, it was likely referring to the fingerboard of a guitar, but there are other important parts (the bridge saddle height, for example) where radius becomes important. In mathematical terms, a radius is a linear measurement from the centre of a circle to the perimeter of the circle. However, when you're talking about something like the guitar's fingerboard, obviously it's not shaped like a whole circle, but it IS curved, so that means it's like taking a small piece of the outside of the circle. Imagine this: instead of a flat piece of wood, your fingerboard starts as a big cylinder, and we just cut off a piece from the outside to make the fingerboard. If the tube has a 12" radius, that means from the edge of the tube to the centre, it's a foot! And another foot to get to the opposite edge! So your tube is really 2" wide at its widest point! Then you take a shaving from that and you end up with a fingerboard that has a 12" radius. On the other hand, if your wooden cylinder has a 15" radius (it's even bigger!), when you take off a strip from the outside that's the same width, the remaining curve is going to be flatter, right? A picture would explain it better, but I couldn't be arsed right now. Hope that helps. Is it necessary? Not strictly speaking, no. But it'll be more comfortable to play. If I'm not mistaken, classical guitar fingerboards actually have a 'negative' radius, so they're curved in instead of out. But I haven't touched a classical in so many years that my memory might be funny. For a solidbody electric, I can't imagine not having a radiused fingerboard. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertonessuckbutigotone Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 its like what he said, heres a picture for a negative radius, it would be like moving the fretboard from inside of the line to outside of the line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay5 Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Sorry everyone but I'm slow. What is a radius and is it necessary? Please give lots of details and sorry again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted February 5, 2005 Report Share Posted February 5, 2005 Sorry everyone but I'm slow. What is a radius and is it necessary? Please give lots of details and sorry again. ← ooooooooooohkay..... http://www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/necks....seaction=radius That should clear it all up for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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