anyone play a 16" radius neck? How does it feel vs. 12&

[SilverSurfer2]

Is there a huge difference in the feel of string bending or just playing in general, on a 16" radius versus a 12".............like a Js or fender?

Is bending strings less comfortable with a 16"??

Ive never played a flatter radius than what's on a Js guitar.........

there is a custom neck that has nice inlays in a 16" radius fretboard that i'm interested in.......but i just dont know how different it will be compared to the JS/fender necks.

[The_Grindfiend]

I don't detect an enormous difference. I do prefer the rounder profile of the JS's, though.

[CrossingStar]

I played a Fender Stratocaster with a 7.25" radius for many years, and now have switched to Ibanez RG's with a nearly 17" radius and I can say that there is a world of difference. Bending is so much easier. Barre chording isn't quite as comfortable in the lower frets.
So the flatter the neck, the easier it is to bend, especially without the note going dead.

[SilverSurfer2]

you can get lower action with a flatter radius too right??
And less choking when bending strings.

[Waylander777]

Originally Posted by SilverSurfer2

you can get lower action with a flatter radius too right??
And less choking when bending strings.

Yes, the flatter the radius, the closer the strings can be adjusted without buzzing and the strings "choking" when you bend them. The action on my 7VWH (16" radius) can be adjusted much lower (around 1.5mm high E, 2.5mm on the low, you can go lower, but it sounds to muffled, not buzzy, just not very clear, to my ears) while the action on my G&L Legacy (12 " radius) is around 2.5mm and 3.5mm.

I like medium/high action, so it doesn't bother me, but at the lowest I can adjust the strings without them choking on the Legacy is about 2mm on the high E, and I've never had the strings choke on the JEM even with the action absurdly low.

I prefer the feel of a rounder radius though, personally. It takes a tiny bit more effort to bend, but it feels more comfortable to me overall.

-Waylander

[Jimi D]

My favourite guitars are EB/MM Axises - they have a 10" radius, but I also recently picked up my Wolfgang Special which sports a 15" fingerboard radius, and the difference between them is substantial. Both necks were designed by EVH and the back carves are similar, but they feel very different with the 5" difference in radius.

[SilverSurfer2]

Jimi, was it a "good" or "bad" different for you?

I"m used to playing Js's and yes it is a big difference in the feel of the neck b/n the two radiuses. But i suppose if i'd play nothing but 16" radiused necks for a while......i would adapt to it just like the Js. I don't really bend 24/7 anyways.........like some ppl do. I'd rather use the whammy bar

[The_Grindfiend]

Just an interesting aside: Bela Fleck has custom 5" radius necks on some of his banjos.

[CrossingStar]

If I ever have a custom instrument made I'll go with a 20" radius. Ibanez RG's don't feel flat enough to me.

[JESTER700]

I like compound radius - Warmoth's rocks and goes from 10" to 16".

[The_Grindfiend]

I can't imagine an RG neck not feeling flat enough. I prefer a bit more radius that can be found on the JS guitars, but don't like the round neck back. I'm probably opposite most people. I like a really flat back and radiused board.

[frankfalbo]

What's been left out of the discussion that needs to be considered is the relationship between the radius and the back profile of the neck. Classical guitars have a flat fretboard and the back of the neck is wide and thin. The classical playing style is to hold your thumb and fingers out straight and vertically, like you're showing the number 4. That puts your finger activity in a far flatter "radius pattern" when playing than the baseball bat grip. Old tele rythm players often grip the neck that way, with their thumb wrapped around the bass side of the neck. In that way, you're making more of a closed fist shape. So generally you will want to match a thick C or V shaped neck with a smaller radius, because it will feel more natural.

As far as bending goes, you can't compare the JS to the Jem because the thicker, rounder profile of the JS neck puts more leverage into your hand when bending. I have a big 1" thick V shaped neck and I put 10-56 strings on it. But I can still bend it like crazy because of the leverage. The radius is irrelevant.

It is relevant when it's mismatched, though. I have a 442R with a thicker V shaped neck and a 16" radius. It feels too flat because the V profile puts my hand in the closed fist position. I constantly consider refretting it and compound radiusing the board, but they're worth more stock and I might just sell it and use the $ to build one that is "right" IMO.

So think about the shape your hand is in when you grip the neck. That should help you determine what radius will be comfortable to you. If you're playing JS guitars with that classical style, then you might not mind a flatter radius. If you've been gripping your wizard necks like a baseball bat and getting hand fatigue between your thumb and index finger, it might be time to explore thicker necks. And you can never go wrong with a compound radius neck!

[The_Grindfiend]

So does it make sense, Frank, for me to like the flatter backs with the radiused board? I usually have my hand in the classical postition, thumb on the back, fingertips pointed, but it seems to me that, with the way your fingers bend naturally, a radiused board would make playing easier, especially on barre chords where you have to drape your first finger across all of the strings.

[frankfalbo]

I re-read your post after I posted mine and its probably true that you're opposite most. (you should flip the neck around and put frets on the other side! ) But there's a few basic truths I left out. First, because of the hand shape, everyone should prefer some radius. I even made my classical with a 20" radius instead of dead flat. Second, "to each his own." In other words, I was coming from the standpoint of designing mass produced factory guitars, or the "big picture." But I've had requests for all different kinds of necks. Round back/flat radius, wide-thin/round radius, and a lot of people covet those 442R's with the thicker V/flat radius neck.

Silversurfer is thinking about making a custom guitar. So I wanted him to know how to process some of the info against other factors. Whether the radius is too flat or round is really only answered on a "per neck" basis. But perhaps more importantly also on a "per player" basis. Since I don't know what he "prefers" I figure my info could be enough for him to make a yes/no decision on that custom neck he was looking at. After all, even if the radius had been a 12" like he's used to, but the back was too flat and the frets were too small, he might not like the neck regardless of the radius.