Concave Fretboard?

John Davis · #1 03-15-2002, 05:06 PM

I was just lounging around today, and got to thinking. Would a concave fretboard work? I know the nut and bridge would have to compensate for this, but would there be any structural problems with it? I'm not talking about a heavy concave(like a U) but a slight one.

This was just kinda bugging me.

VoodooChile · #2 03-15-2002, 05:10 PM

why? are there some advantages that i'm not aware of?

John Davis · #3 03-15-2002, 05:15 PM

Probably not.....it's just curiousity.

Angus · #4 03-16-2002, 02:00 AM

Convex radius' are used because the inner strings are "harder" to reach or fret with a flatter radius (to some, anyway). This would be even harder with a concave fretboard, because your fingers would be reaching WAY in to get the inner strings, and it would probably cause quite a few problems. Not to mention, with a concave radius, they're removing less wood to get to a desired thickness than with a flat radius. Concave have to remove MORE, and it would more expensive, both because the fretboard would have to be initially thicker, and it would take longer to sand, finish, AND to fret (and THAT would be hell, because fretwire is wound with tang on the inside so it'll bend for convex shapes easier. The worst would be the playability and subsequent hand problems, though.

Interesting, but it really wouldn't every be practical.

Hambone · #5 03-16-2002, 05:41 AM

I can't imagine what the neck profile would be like since you'd have to still maintain enough material to bury the trussrod(s). And while yer at it...what in the world would the bridge have to look like??

JMX · #6 03-16-2002, 06:15 AM

Imagine playing a barre-type chord on such a fretboard...not playable for sure.

steamboat · #7 03-16-2002, 10:05 AM

A friend of mine has a Martin Backpacker guitar with a concave fretboard. Its not very comfortable at all.

**rickbass** · #8 03-16-2002, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by VoodooChile
why? are there some advantages that i'm not aware of?

Voodoo - Some acoustic guitars have concave/scalloped fretboards. The depth of the scallop increases as the diameter of the strings decreases.

This kind of fretboard allows more room to press the strings down and minimizes having them bottom out against the fretboard.

For bass, it's not an issue because typical string diameters don't bottom out against the board, (unless your fingers are on steroids)

Scalloped boards are good for guitarists who do a lot of bends, fret with lots of pressure, use slinky strings, or have extremely low-profile fretwire.

Some say that concave/scalloped fretboards don't allow the tonal characteristics of the fretboard wood to come through in the tone.

JMX · #9 03-16-2002, 02:16 PM

I'm not sure we're all talking about the same thing.
John meant a fretboard with a "negative" radius, if I'm not mistaken, not a scalloped fretboard.

But I think we agree that both things are not very practicable on a bass.

Angus · #10 03-16-2002, 03:18 PM

Scalloping is a negative radius that goes against the direction of the neck, like the frets, and repeats in between each one. A fretboard radius is a constant radius that goes in the direction of the neck.

I think Steamboat meant the scalloped frets that rickbass was talking about. Scalloped frets are great on guitar (and useful in bass, like on the Yamaha BS attitude), whereas a negative (concave) radius would make both chording and fretting painful or impossible.

Scalloping works, concave radii do not, I can't imagine.

John Davis · #11 03-16-2002, 03:34 PM

I hate it when my random ideas turn out to be rather useless.

neptoon · #12 03-16-2002, 04:01 PM

i'm sure that concave fretboards have been used in the construction of some classical guitars...well, pretty sure...

pc · #13 03-16-2002, 07:45 PM

I've heard concave necks are easier to play. Does anyone had tried one of these?

Hambone · #14 03-16-2002, 08:48 PM

Dammit PC!! We just begin to understand what the original question was asking and you show up with a total 'nuther take on the semantics!

I don't know what to think of your pic

Angus · #15 03-16-2002, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by neptoon

i'm sure that concave fretboards have been used in the construction of some classical guitars...well, pretty sure...

How would one play barre chords?

pc · #16 03-17-2002, 10:20 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hambone
Dammit PC!! We just begin to understand what the original question was asking and you show up with a total 'nuther take on the semantics!

Quote:

I don't know what to think of your pic

Neither me... take a look at the Basslab site... There's a lot of interesting suff there!

kirbywrx · #17 03-18-2002, 11:20 PM

What would be one of the advantages of a concave fretboard?

I'd imagine it would hurt your thumb after a while..

EDIT: I have found JT's competition

Angus · #18 03-20-2002, 04:35 PM

I can't imagine a concave fretboard would hurt your thumb.

old_skool · #19 03-20-2002, 05:02 PM

http://warmoth.com/common/frames/necks.htm

Do you mean the back of the neck or the front of the fretboard like the pic?

Brendan · #20 03-20-2002, 08:31 PM

Now I'm getting a hankerin' for a Basslabs bass...hope this passes....