# Standard Fender fingerboard radius?



## Hypno Toad (Aug 1, 2009)

I plan on buying one of these overpriced radius sanding beams I want to have the standard fender strat and/or tele fretboard radius, because most guitars I make are styled or similar to fender models. Does anybody know the radius of a fender fretboard?

If the radius's are different on different fender models, can anybody tell me what the average player likes, I don't really care what I like, because I'm not too picky about it. For $125 I want to make sure I buy the right one, preferably one that is fully or partly compatible with the majority of guitar bridges and nuts, so the string heights aren't too f*ed up.


----------



## gtrguy (Jul 6, 2006)

Vintage Fender style is 7 1/4"... modern Fenders are 9 1/2"... 9 1/2" is likely to please most players.


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I made my own sanding blocks my making a jig for router.


----------



## Lowtones (Mar 21, 2006)

gtrguy said:


> Vintage Fender style is 7 1/4"... modern Fenders are 9 1/2"... 9 1/2" is likely to please most players.


Absolutly correct. I have three of the sanding beams. I think that they are an excellent investment if you plan to make more than five fingerboards. Let me give you a little tip. After you have slotted your fingerboard and your fingerboard blank is still rectangular, double face tape it to a flat work surface. Place your sanding beam on it a center it up. Then take a flat piece of wood 1/2 to 3/4 thick and as long as the fingerboard, set it gently against one side of the sanding beam while it is centered on the fingerboard. Then screw that piece of wood to the work surface. it will act as a guide for the radius beam as you radius the fingerboard. I find that when I free hand it I tend to get low ends or corners. The guide gives me a much better finished product. Also the radius beam is perfect for leveling all of the frets at the same time to the proper radius. Just level them and then re-crown and polish them. A very usefull too tha I use on every guitar I make.


----------



## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

I was just looking at that Stew-mac page.......what kind of guitar would use a 20" radius???


----------



## YJMUJRSRV (Jul 17, 2007)

gone fishing


----------



## ajcoholic (Feb 5, 2006)

There are some builders who use an almost flat (to me thats anything 16" and flatter) board.

I personally prefer playing a 12" radius for comfort. But what the average player prefers? Dont know.

AJC


----------



## Raven (Nov 8, 2007)

I've posted links to this site before as it has a lot of good info on finishing or building guitars.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-hom...e-necks-pg-13-may-contain-mild-profanity.html

This guys amazing at making jigs for everything. If you go down near the end of the page there is a neck radius jig that is so simple I don't know why I didn't think of it.

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/175495-make-up-i-go-along-build-thread-2.html

more on his jigs including how to build a sanding block with the correct radius if I recall correctly. If not search... :smile:

http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-home-depot/145847-some-my-jigs-templates.html


----------



## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

Raven said:


> I've posted links to this site before as it has a lot of good info on finishing or building guitars.
> 
> http://www.tdpri.com/forum/tele-hom...e-necks-pg-13-may-contain-mild-profanity.html
> 
> ...



kqoct Of course, reading the link name endings, what I see in a vertical read is:
...profanity
...thread
...templates

I need a coffee and tdpri can be a fun read!!


----------



## Overt1 (Aug 31, 2009)

i don't think there is a radius for an average player since everyone is different. if i had a choice, i'd play with absolute flat radius but i would feel like im playing on a concave fretboard when i do barre chords. i've heard some players don't even notice a difference between 7.5" and 15" though


----------

