Talk to me about compound radius fingerboards

Mr. Willy

Mr. Willy

Well-known member
Tell me about your experience with compound radius fretboards. I’ve never played on one (that I can remember). My favorite radius is a straight 12” a la Les Pauls. I’m mostly curious about any of you that did NOT like a radiused board. Thanks!
 
Nice but not necessary. Will help you play quicker if the bridge is adjusted properly. Quicker is not always better.
 
My Jackson soloist is (I think) my only compound and it's not something I notice. Seems gradual and just a "nice" feature that definitely won't get in your way.
 
I haven't played on one in forever, but a lot of the Jacksons from when I was younger always used them. All of my guitars now, at least that I know of, are a single radius and play just as easily in my opinion.
 
I think the rage started when people were putting Floyds on Stratocasters and if you have a 7 1/4 or 9 radius, you can see how that may play out.
 
I've been playing Jacksons/Charvels for decades . Compound radius feels very natural to me. lately I've been on an Ibanez RG "Prestige"
binge and the flat 17" radius definitely feels different to me. I ended up buying 5 really nice RGs all with different "wizard" profiles on them , trying to find the one that I feel at home on, and I feel like I'm going to end up going back to my Charvels and Jacksons.
My Les Paul is the only other guitar I own and the radius on that is 12" ? I use that guitar mainly for slide at our gigs and "non shred" stuff
 
I ‘believe’ Warmoth started the Compound Radius thing back in the late 80s. I slapped a Warmoth Compound Radius neck on an old Kramer Body and loved the way it set up and played. A compound Radius neck is way easier to set up with a fender style bridge that has individual height adjustment for each string. The hitch is that most Floyds come from the factory with a 12” radius at the bridge - and if you do not adjust the saddle radius, you really aren’t taking full advantage of the flatter radius between the 15th and 22nd frets. Lots of ways to accomplish this , starting with just taking the rectangular shim out from under the A-D-G-B string saddles and then adding one of those individual Floyd Saddle shims under each E string.

https://www.allparts.com/products/bp-2214-shim-set-for-locking-saddles
At the end of the day, I’ve had a few guitars with straight 12” radius necks and felt comfortable on those. But right now everything inn my stable has a compound radius.
 
Matt300ZXT said:
I haven't played on one in forever, but a lot of the Jacksons from when I was younger always used them. All of my guitars now, at least that I know of, are a single radius and play just as easily in my opinion.
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That's how I feel. I used to have a whole pile of Jacksons. I no longer own any Jacksons, or any other guitar with a compound radius. The guitars I play the most are Gibsons with 12" radius and they play just as easily or easier.
 
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If it's not a straight 12" radius for me, I prefer compound but it can't go anymore than 14" though or it doesn't feel right. I have 2 with compound necks and I do really like them.
 
Personally I prefer the entire fretboard to be flat like 16". A smaller radius even on lower frets makes it harder for me to play chords.
 
As I get older, the compound radius boards are not as important.

I find my 12' radius on my LP to be the most comfortable.

The 16" radius after the 12 th fret is not comfortable to me anymore.
 
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I'm not even sure I really know what any of the radius stuff means.. I'm assuming the Charvel stuff has compound radius fretboards and I have a Charvel Demartini which is a great guitar to play but I wouldn't say that fretboard is my favourite at all. I like the standard Fender neck and really have gravitated towards whatever the Washburn N4 spec is. I had a luthier do two necks for me with that and I feel I really gel with it. I think that would be a flat neck and wider radius? Most LP style necks I can shred easily on and I also like my explorer neck. Actually...why do I own so many strat types again?? I like the look. Honestly. I have no real preference.. I learn to play all of them and I play diff pick gauge and type depending on the day as well. I have no allegiance.
 
Thanks for the responses guys. I’ve got to put a new neck on my Tele. Im going to get a Warmoth neck. All their in stock necks seem to be compound radius. Several mentioned Jackson Soloists, which a Soloist still to this day is one of the most comfortable and effortless guitars I’ve ever played. On the other hand the 12” radius on my Les Paul I can play all day and then some. If I want a straight radius at Warmoth, it’s a custom order. I guess it’s going to boil down to whether I want to spend $300 on a neck versus $500.
 
Mr. Willy said:
Thanks for the responses guys. I’ve got to put a new neck on my Tele. Im going to get a Warmoth neck. All their in stock necks seem to be compound radius. Several mentioned Jackson Soloists, which a Soloist still to this day is one of the most comfortable and effortless guitars I’ve ever played. On the other hand the 12” radius on my Les Paul I can play all day and then some. If I want a straight radius at Warmoth, it’s a custom order. I guess it’s going to boil down to whether I want to spend $300 on a neck versus $500.
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Don't be silly, get the compound radius. You won't notice that much a difference.
 
FYI @Mr. Willy I ordered a Tele neck from Warmoth Jan 1st and it just shipped today!

I agree with the notion that you might not notice and even if you do you’ll probably like it just fine.

Tele® Replacement Neck
Construction: Vintage/Modern
Shaft Wood: Roasted Maple
Fretboard Wood: Indian Rosewood (Dark)
Nut Width: 1-11/16" (43mm)
Right / Left Handed: Right-Handed
Neck Back Profile: 59 Roundback
Fretboard Radius: 10" - 16" Compound
Number of Frets: 22
Fret Size & Material: 6150 - Wide & Tall (Nickel)
Tuner Hole Size: Gotoh/Grover (13/32" - 11/32")
Inlay Shape: Standard Dots
Inlay Material: Cream
Side Dots: White Side Dots
String Nut: No Nut Install
Mounting Holes: Standard 4-Bolt
Neck Heel Shape: Tele® Shape
Finish: None
 
PDC said:
I ‘believe’ Warmoth started the Compound Radius thing back in the late 80s...
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Yup. Paul Sr. came up with the idea, built the jig, and mated it to a belt sander. 10" long pivot rod attached to the nut end, 16" long pivot rod attached to the heel end. Then he angled the belt sander to match the plane. Simple, consistent, and fast...whips out a fingerboard in about 12 seconds.
 
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Mr. Willy said:
Thanks for the responses guys. I’ve got to put a new neck on my Tele. Im going to get a Warmoth neck. All their in stock necks seem to be compound radius. Several mentioned Jackson Soloists, which a Soloist still to this day is one of the most comfortable and effortless guitars I’ve ever played. On the other hand the 12” radius on my Les Paul I can play all day and then some. If I want a straight radius at Warmoth, it’s a custom order. I guess it’s going to boil down to whether I want to spend $300 on a neck versus $500.
Click to expand...
All I know is, for 17 years a USA Hamer was my #1 and an 87 RG550 was my backup. They were great...until I tried a 2011 MiJ Charvel. Fell in love with that neck profile...just perfect for me. From then on its been all Charvel USA with a few Jackson USAs sprinkled in.
 
Denny Rauen, a well known luthier from Milwaukee, is supposedly the guy who introduced compound radius boards.
PDC said:
I ‘believe’ Warmoth started the Compound Radius thing back in the late 80s. I slapped a Warmoth Compound Radius neck on an old Kramer Body and loved the way it set up and played. A compound Radius neck is way easier to set up with a fender style bridge that has individual height adjustment for each string. The hitch is that most Floyds come from the factory with a 12” radius at the bridge - and if you do not adjust the saddle radius, you really aren’t taking full advantage of the flatter radius between the 15th and 22nd frets. Lots of ways to accomplish this , starting with just taking the rectangular shim out from under the A-D-G-B string saddles and then adding one of those individual Floyd Saddle shims under each E string.

https://www.allparts.com/products/bp-2214-shim-set-for-locking-saddles
At the end of the day, I’ve had a few guitars with straight 12” radius necks and felt comfortable on those. But right now everything inn my stable has a compound radius.
Click to expand...
 
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