Do you have to match bridge/saddle radius to fretboard radius?

will20fitz

Hi there,

Another dumb question from me in relation to me guitar build!

I have just got a wraparound bridge with a saddle radius of 12 inch. 

I have a radius block to do the fretboard that is 14 inch.

Would this cause me any problems or would it be best to radius the fretboard with a 12 inch radius block?

Cheers,

Will

WezV

Generally its best that they match

 

You either want a 12" block or you can tweak the slots on the bridge to 14" during set-up - nut files are best for doing this, you would just need to deeper the middle strings slightly

 .....

 

as a side note:

Some companies have used slightly mis-matched raiduses and a small difference like this won't cause too many issues.  It can be worked into the set-up quite nicely, but usually if doing this you want the bridge radius slightly flatter than the fretboard .  This gives a faux compound radius to allow a lower action without fretting out.   Obviously, with this being the opposite of what you have you do run the risk of needing a higher action with more fretting out

octatonic

Another way to do it is to radius the frets slightly different to the fingerboard.

This takes either a lot of skill or a Plek machine.

For the sake of buying a £5 radius block, I would do that and save yourself a lot of bother.

will20fitz

Boom!

Thanks for the info..

Will 'invest' in a 12" block ;-)

Cheers

Will

ICBM

You actually want the saddle radius slightly flatter than the fingerboard radius, not the other way round or even exactly the same. You definitely never want it smaller.

It's a bit difficult to explain without drawing a cross-sectional diagram, but basically the action needs to increase slightly across the strings from from treble to bass, which makes it a larger radius at the bridge. Even if you don't want that, it needs to be larger than the fingerboard radius by the same as the action height.

will20fitz

Thanks ICBM,

I think i get you... So i if the bridge saddle is 12" i would need say an 11" radius on my fretboard?

Cheers

Will

ICBM

will20fitz said:

Thanks ICBM,

I think i get you... So i if the bridge saddle is 12" i would need say an 11" radius on my fretboard?

Cheers

Will

Yes - although I'd go for 10" just because it's a 'standard value' - PRS use it and they always feel good to me. But you can use anything around there really - it's actually hard to tell that much difference.