ovation22 Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 I got really confused reading this discussion. Can someone please clarify for the project I'm working on? Warmoth neck (had this for a while, just laying around) -compound radius -24 fret -24 3/4 scale -1 11/16 at the nut -probably graphite nut (instead of locking) -schaller mini locking tuners Body (plan on cutting/routing this weekend) -Floyd (of some kind, top mount, not floating) -HxH -1 vol -1 tone -3 way What do I need to be aware of in regards to the radius? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 The radius info that I was talking about was the fretboard / nut / bridge radius. Each one can have it's own radius. Ideally, the fretboard's ending radius (if compound) should match the bridge radius (or close to it). The nut radius should match the fretboards starting radius (if compound fretboard). If the fretboard is a cylindrical shape (constant radius) then the starting radius and ending radius are the same. Most comppound fretboards start with a 10" radius at the nut end and finish with something like a 16" radius at the highest fret. Things don't have to be exact - just try to get them as close as you can. For instance, an "Original Floyd Rose" bridge as sold by Warmoth will have a bridge radius of 10". If you have a 10" cylindrical fretboard and a 10" radius locking nut (which is the standard radius for locking nuts), then you are all set. If you have a Schaller Floyd Rose bridge (like the ones stewmac sells), the bridge radius will be 14". The locking nut will have a 10" radius not matter what width you buy. You can buy locking nuts with a flatter radius but you have to go out of your way to do it (order it separately). In this case, the bridge radius will be flatter than the fretboard (if you have a 10" or 12" cylindrical fretboard). You can either pick a different fretboard (like a compound that will have a flatter radius at the bride end) or shim the bridge to match the fretboard's radius. Shimming should not be considered a "bad" thing or cheesy in any way. It is pretty standard. So to sum it up - there are four radius measurements to look at: 1. Fretboards nut end radius. 2. Fretboards bridge end radius. 3. Bridge radius. 4. Nut radius. The locking nut (or normal nut) radius should match the fretboards nut side radius. The bridge radius should match the fretboard's bridge side radius. If you are within 2", that is considered workable. If you want the lowest possible action, then get the radius to match exactly. I hope that helps, let me know if it doesn't. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ovation22 Posted December 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Thanks Dave, that's a big help. Does anybody sell a 16" floyd, or should I just shim the E,A,B,e saddles on a 14"? Also, would a compound board (10"-16") need an even bigger radius for the bridge (18"-20")? If you follow the lines, wouldn't the radius increase? Just a thought... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 A compound radius of 10" at the nut and 16" at the 24th fret would mathematically come to around 17.9" at the bridge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ovation22 Posted December 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 Linear equations, eh saber? Math makes my head hurt... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted December 31, 2003 Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 You can shim the saddles but like I said - if you are within 2 inches then you are going to be fine. For a compound 10 to 16" board, a 16" radius bridge should be OK. If you want to be super accurate then shim it to the cone shape - I think someone posted the radius ~18". What are the specs on your fretboard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ovation22 Posted December 31, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 31, 2003 10"-16" compound radius. The rest is posted above. I see that Allparts and Brian both sell the shims. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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