Official Luthiers Forum!
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/

Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10128&t=35308		 Page 1 of 1
Author:  ChuckH [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
I'm thinking they are flat but haven't played on in a while I forgot. Don's plans don't specify.

Thank you,
Hutch
Author:  Quine [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 1:48 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Traditionally they are flat.
Author:  Chris Pile [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Yup. Flat.
Be a trend setter, and radius one. Won't take but a minute, and I bet it turns out kewl.
Author:  P Bill [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:15 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
I have both and find a radiused fb more comfortable.
Author:  ChuckH [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 3:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
If I decided to radius the fretboard what would the radius be? 16"?

Guess I'd have to radius the bridge too. Starting to sound like too much trouble, think I'll just go the old timey way and keep it flat......

Hutch
Author:  Chris Oliver [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
ChuckH wrote:
If I decided to radius the fretboard what would the radius be? 16"?

Guess I'd have to radius the bridge too.


Now you're thinking... if you did radius the fretboard, a 12" is typical. And, yes, you would have to radius the bridge as well.

OFF Topic.. a little. As for the extended area of the fretboard. You may want to skip fretting it and scallop it instead. I find, as many others do, that I hit my pick on this part of the fretboard and by scalloping it I do not. Also.. less fret work that way. Just bind the board, fill the slots with black epoxy and sand on your OSS like you would the wings on a belly bridge. Here is a pic of how they turn out.

Attachment:
scooped-florida.jpg
Author:  WudWerkr [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Everything I build is flat , however I did Have one player in nashville this weekend say that he preferd radiused . So I guess both are done .
Author:  Chris Pile [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Quote:
If I decided to radius the fretboard what would the radius be? 16"?

Guess I'd have to radius the bridge too. Starting to sound like too much trouble, think I'll just go the old timey way and keep it flat......

Hutch


It will take you five minutes to do each of them.... and achieve kewlness.
Author:  peter.coombe [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
You can do radiused or flat, it is a matter of personal preference. I do all mine radiused unless otherwise requested.
Author:  ChuckH [ Tue Feb 07, 2012 6:14 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Ok, I will put a 12" radius on the fretboard and bridge.

Chris O, that is an awesome looking fb, nice job there and it makes a lot of since.

Hutch
Author:  cphanna [ Wed Feb 08, 2012 4:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Hi, Chuck. Sounds like you've decided, so that's great. I'll endorse your decision. When I made my first mandolin, I only had one existing instrument to study. That was my dad's late-30's-vintage "wide body" A-style Gibson. It's kind of unusual. In addition to the wider than normal body it also features a scale length of about 14.25". That fingerboard is original, and it is radiused. Ergo, it never even occurred to me to build mine with a flat board. In the middle of my project, a friend brought over his mando and asked me to help him change the tuning machines. You guessed it, his mando had a flat board. Seemed to play just fine, but I'm not enough of a mandolin player to judge. In any event, I built mine with a 12" radius in the board and never looked back. It turned out great, and I am making another now. I'll radius this board, too.
Patrick
Author:  ChuckH [ Wed Feb 08, 2012 5:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Patrick,
Thanks for sharing your experience's. I bought an A style mandolin from Fred's Fine Instruments and Pawn shop in Marion, IL. and gave $75 bucks for it. It also has a flat fretboard and I feels it's a little awkward to play, although I've never played one with the fb being radiused. I don't have any issues with sanding away on the fb but wow, that bridge I got from stew mac sure is purdy and I hate to mess that up. After sanding on the bridge I'll just micro-mesh it down and whip it into submission.

Hutch
Author:  cphanna [ Wed Feb 08, 2012 7:53 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Hey, Chuck, don't worry too much about that bridge. You can easily radius the top of it first, staying a little more "proud" on the bass side curve. This, of course, will widen the top edge of the saddle a bit to either end. Again, no problem. Glue up a little sanding stick the same width as those ..... what do you call them?.... those COMPENSATION facets in the saddle. With your sanding stick, just gently, patiently sand the faces of those facets down until the top edge of your saddle is uniform in width from one end to the other. BE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH IS THE BASS AND WHICH IS THE TREBLE SIDE FIRST. This is easy to figure out by looking at compensated mando bridges on the web. This process goes remarkably fast. Polish the facets with finer sandpaper on the other side of your stick.

Benedetto demonstrates making the radius of a guitar saddle by placing the straight-topped saddle blank just aft of his fingerboard extension, and then sighting down the fingerboard from the nut end at fret-top-height. He sands the saddle top to a curve that is a little higher on the bass side. This works for mandos, too. I used the same trick when I made my first mando bridge from scratch, and it went without a hitch. Now...you probably knew all that, but I am also writing for the benefit of the lurkers. I'll add that I am HARDLY an expert, but I built a successful adjustable bridge from scratch, and if I did it, anyone can!

Patrick
Author:  Steve Saville [ Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Good choice to add a radius. I like it a lot better.
Author:  Chris Oliver [ Thu Feb 09, 2012 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
cphanna wrote:
...and if I did it, anyone can!


Patrick... that is one of the best things about the forum. I feel the same way a lot of days.
Author:  Darryl Young [ Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
I had the upper frets pulled and the fretboard scalloped on my mandolin. I like it much better this way.
Author:  nyazzip [ Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
Quote:
Pawn shop in Marion, IL

...did you drop in to say hello to Mr. Gotti at the Federal Pen?
Author:  Shaw [ Fri Feb 10, 2012 12:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
I have played both but prefer the flat. I have played a flat one for years so I'm used to that. I guess if I started on the radius board I'd probably be used to that.
Author:  JShebel [ Mon Oct 07, 2013 9:54 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Is a mandolin's fretboard radiused or flat?
I compound radius mine from 7.25" to 20".
Page 1 of 1 All times are UTC - 5 hours
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
http://www.phpbb.com/