Need help deciding if radius FB will help me

[Lou Giordano]

I did a lot of searching and mostly found " whatever you like" type answers.

I have really big palms and normal to short fingers and a short pinky. So My question is would a radius fret board help me reach those long cords any better. I'm thinking about a 11/8 nut.

Thanks

[Timbofood]

From my limited knowledge of luthiery the seemingly flippant answer is not wrong but not necessarily helpful.
If you consider that the distance across the flat board is “x”, that distance from point to point will be greater going over a radius, the distance from side to side is the same but you kind of are “going over the hill to get there”.
So, to me at least, the radiused fingerboard does not make geometric sense, sorry. Try it and see, if it works great, if not you can always put the old one back on.
I know, that’s not much help but,it’s all I’ve got.

[CES]

I have large hands but not long or beefy fingers. I find a radius much more comfortable to play. I prefer 1 1/8 nut width as well, but do enjoy the space offered by my RM-1’s 1 and 1/4 inch board. At this point, though, I don’t have any problem switching from radius to flat or wider to narrower boards.

Timothy is correct in that, geometrically, a radius board should increase your reach on 4 finger chords, but it doesn’t really feel that way for some reason...

[fscotte]

I feel the right hand suffers a tad with the radiused bridge.

[Phil Goodson]

I feel the right hand suffers a tad with the radiused bridge.

Most reasonable answer for me is the compound radius which ends up with a near flat bridge, but feels better to my left hand.

[Mandoplumb]

I have large hands but not long or beefy fingers. I find a radius much more comfortable to play. I prefer 1 1/8 nut width as well, but do enjoy the space offered by my RM-1’s 1 and 1/4 inch board. At this point, though, I don’t have any problem switching from radius to flat or wider to narrower boards.Timothy is correct in that, geometrically, a radius board should increase your reach on 4 finger chords, but it doesn’t really feel that way for some reason...

To me it does feel that way, a radius board feels wider and thicker. I don't even like a radius in a guitar, I know a Martin has a slight radius but any more feels like trying to note a 4x4. My opinion probably comes from playing a flat board for so many years.

[CES]

Unfortunately, the only way to find out if it helps you will be to play some and see. May be easier said than done in NJ. Maybe a trip to Brooklyn to Retrofret is in order? Would check their inventory before you go, though, since they only do vintage/used mandolins.

[MikeZito]

2-cents of opinion form a 1-cent mandolin player -

I have found that radiused fret boards do feel 'chunkier', but they are easier to fret . . . I have average/medium hands and fingers.

[dang]

... So My question is would a radius fret board help me reach those long cords any better. ....

No.

I like one for comfort, I can play for longer times with a radius.
On a narrow flat board my left hand seems to cramp up. YMMV

[OneChordTrick]

The only way to find out is to go and play some and see how it feels for you. FWIW when I was searching for a new mandolin at the start of the year one with a radiused fretboard was easier to play but I preferred the sound of one with a flat fretboard.

[Roger Adams]

I prefer the flat fretboard. Seems easier to play for me. Play both and see what feels best to you.

[Timbofood]

So 11 posts in and the answer has not really changed!
I do love some of the irony in that. I had a nice smile over it

Have a delightful day!

[Mike Scott]

Hi Lou,

BTW, welcome back. I too have short fingers and have had mandolins with both flat and radius boards. As such I generally play three finger chords, so my experiences may not be too germane. Anyway, I prefer the feel of a radius neck, but have noted that I have more fluidity on a flat one. The neck on a mandolin is so narrow, I’m not sure the minute difference between the two really makes any real difference. But that’s just me. Good Luck! Although he probably doesn’t remember me from his mandolin playing days, say hey to Brent Hutto if you see him.

[BrianWilliam]

I go back and forth between a flat and radius fretboard and don't notice a difference in comfort or playability. The neck profile, thickness in particular, is a more relevant comparison for me.

[Lou Giordano]

Wow lots of answers. Thanks. I'm at work I'll check when get home. Thanks everyone.

[Willie Poole]

I have mandolins with both fretboards and go back nd forth with no problems..NOW...When I first got the radius one I found it different but did get use to it.....some one mentioned that even with a radius fretboard they had a flat bridge saddle, why not radius the saddle also? My KM-956 came with it radiused just like the fingerboard...

Willie

[Northwest Steve]

I have/had both flat and radius. So fretboards are just more comfortable to me? I like some that are flat and no some much others. Most radius fretboards are comfortable but don't know that I can reach any further?

I have medium or slightly smaller hands for a man. I have been working on trying to use the pinky more/better. I can reach ok for most 4 finger chords but playing cleanly and faster and having to depend on my pinky is another deal.
It takes a lot of work, here are a couple of suggestions that have helped me -

Mike Marshall finger busters book - do a couple exercises at the start of practice every day
D'Addario finger exerciser - http://www.daddario.com/pwProductDet...1-a54a5b47c8bc
Lastly I took some online lessons from Don Julian (great guy) and we discussed this and other than the finger busters we worked on hand position. If you have the neck buried between the V of thumb and fingers it is hard to reach with the pinky, if you can rotate that V forward a little and have your thumb on the back of the neck you can reach further. Hard to explain but it does help.

[mandroid]

I get a mandolin and if I love and play it enough, when it needs a refret, as my 94 year old A4 did,

at that time when the fingerboard is leveled you can ask it be radiused a bit ..

OP may just have to go where a lot of mandolins are , say a festival or big city shop,

and try a few different mandolin necks..



..

[Jim Parriott]

If you use barre chords a lot, I think the radiused boards have a slight edge. My hands and finger pads are on the small side, making the G chop tough and fretting the G & D with one finger pad kind of thuddy -- so I barre more than I like. On a radiused board, you don't have to flatten that barre finger - it's more of a curve. I find it's more comfortable, and leaves my left hand in a better position to move into other chords and breaks. Take this advice with a grain of salt -- I'm not even 1/10 the player of these other folks, and my primary mandolin has a flat FB.

[Lou Giordano]

Thanks Timothy. That actually make sense to me at almost 69. If I were you I would worry about that lol. No kidding it was the type of answer I was hoping for. Thanks

[Lou Giordano]

So 11 posts in and the answer has not really changed!
I do love some of the irony in that. I had a nice smile over it

Have a delightful day!

Hahaha Thanks !

[Lou Giordano]

Hi Mike Thanks for the welcome. Good answer . I moved back to New Jersey over 4 years ago. I lost contact with Brent as well as my other friends from Bills Picking Parlor. I had some problem with tremors so I gave up my playing. For some reason my tremors have slowed enough for me to give it another try. I also have a Cochlear implant that helps my hearing . So I'm trying to decide what to try this time around.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Since you have big palms, a wider fretboard might help more. A radiused board is great for barre chords on a guitar because your hands have to cover so much distance fast, and that's not such an issue on mando. And "long chords" are just as long whether the board is radiused or not.

I need radiused boards on guitars, but I've never missed the radius when I pick up a mandolin, even though I do a lot of chording.

The real answer might be: try playing a radiused board and a wide board and see how you like them. That seems like the only sensible way to find out.

[LadysSolo]

I agree with Charlie Bernstein - the radiused fretboard makes a bigger difference on guitar than mandolin, I have VERY short fingers for a woman (about one joint shorter than the average woman.) I find the radiused fretboard much more comfortable on guitar, I really don't know if my mandolins are radiused or flat.

[yankees1]

I find no difference in play ability, feeling, etc ! For ME no difference !