Curved fretboard

Curved fretboard (Full Version)

Foro Flamenco: http://www.foroflamenco.com/
- Discussions: http://www.foroflamenco.com/default.asp?catApp=0
- - Lutherie: http://www.foroflamenco.com/in_forum.asp?forumid=22
- - - Curved fretboard: http://www.foroflamenco.com/fb.asp?m=128875

Message

XXX -> Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 1:09:58)
On acoustic guitars this seems to be common but i havent come across a classical/flamenco guitar that has this. The fretboard is curved in half circle-like so that the center sticks out. This provides better grip especially on barres as it keeps the natural curving of the finger. What is speaking against the use of it on a flamenco? I never played such a guitar, but i cant see any negatives of it now. Images are resized automatically to a maximum width of 800px

aeolus -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 2:11:33)
I bought one of the Martin's that Tom Humphrey designed for them just to try some of the features that Tom includes in his shop guitars such as raised fingerboard (not common then) radius-ed fingerboard, bolted on neck! I didn't like the fingerboard and saw no advantage at all with it. Bought it on eBay and sold it there to Dominic Frasca whom I didn't know of at the time, and who instructed me to send it to Tom. I though this really odd though Tom did offer a service to modify the Martin as it had not been built to a very high standard or perhaps better to Tom's spec. Perhaps one of thses guitars on the video was it!

Anders Eliasson -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 2:52:27)
radius is not good for rasguedos. Flat is good

XXX -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 4:19:57)
Yes i see, havent thought about it! Although... hm maybe you can keep the strings (especially at bridge) flat for rasgeos and only curve the neck?? But i dont know if this wouldnt mess the tuning. So, flat strings and curved fretboard is that possible Anders?? I had the idea of curved because i have problems on barré on g and B string. My index has an audible "hole" in the middle especially if the neck thickness is small.

Doitsujin -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 9:23:54)
quote: radius is not good for rasguedos. Flat is good And a curved fretboard is for girls of course. [8\|] (sorry girls..)

Alatriste -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 12:30:35)
I have not seen a nylon string guitar with a curved fretboard. Some steel string acoustic guitars will have curvature in them. This helps with the fretting supposedly. Their necks also taper, that is narrower at the head, widening to the soundhole. However, these instruments are generally played with a pick. If you have been trained on classical/Flamenco guitars, then moving to a curved fretboard will not be a major problem for you when it comes to fretting, nor will learning how to use a pick. However, the converse is not true. I do not believe you would have a problem rasgueando on such a guitar but I would highly suggest that you don't. Steel strings and rasgueos don't get along very well. You could restring the guitar with nylon strings, however, you should never put steel strings on a guitar designed only for nylon. So again, the converse does not hold true.

Graham_B -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 12:39:14)
quote: Their necks also taper, that is narrower at the head, widening to the soundhole So do classical and flamenco guitars[;)]

Alatriste -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 22 2010 13:55:11)
quote: So do classical and flamenco guitars Yes, but it no way to the extreme that steel-string acoustic guitars do [;)]

Graham_B -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 23 2010 8:09:22)
quote: Yes, but it no way to the extreme that steel-string acoustic guitars do Your point really surprised me because, having looked at several of the acoustic manufacturer's websites, I couldn't see an extreme taper compared to classical/flamenco necks. I took the liberty of measuring up the 2 classicals and 2 flamencos in the house - 3 manufacturers. The taper between the nut and the 12th fret on all 4 was 3/8" I looked at the Martin website because they make one or two acoustic guitars. All their necks, irrespective of profile, taper 7/16" between the nut and the 12th fret. Not an exhaustive exercise I know, but a 1/16" difference in taper between the nut and the 12th fret is not extreme methinks[;)]

Alatriste -> RE: Curved fretboard (Feb. 23 2010 8:44:17)
You are correct. 1/16th seems minuscule. My real point is the finger crowding on the first three frets. As an example, 1-5/8" vs. 2" is what I am measuring just below the nuts between one of my nylon string student models and my only steel string model. My other nylon model is 1-7/8" just below the nut. In the shops I have noticed that the Taylor steel string acoustics are narrow at the nut. Taylor however does have some nylon models out now. I found these very easy to play and the neck was indeed wider at the nut. However, I did not measure those for comparison. Generally I have found that the steel string acoustics are narrower at the nut then the nylon string acoustics.

Page: [1]

Forum Software powered by ASP Playground Advanced Edition 2.0.5
Copyright © 2000 - 2003 ASPPlayground.NET