Tomorrow I plan to drive to Nordstrands' I'm Redlands to have my bass worked on. I have a wide necked Squire DJAV that I converted to a six stringer. It's got a 51mm neck at the nut, 15 mm string spacing at bridge.
I am not crazy about the standard 12" radius. I don't like the way the outer strings want to slide off the fretboard when played fast & aggressively. I think the radius seems to make an already wide neck seem even wider. I don't like the way that the fretboard (raised at the center) makes one have to arch ones wrist to gain access to the lower e and b strings. And my pinky (being so much shorter) is a little late on arrival on those low strings (when say, doing triplet arpeggio sweeps when doing walking bass lines). In short, the radius seems to slow down my technique.
I will certainly make the change radical, at least to a 20" radius, definitely not a 16" radius, & not a 20" compound radius--with the high strings elevated & the low strings further out of reach.
I am even considering a flat surface--like a classic guitar--no radius. It seems right, it seems I would get easiest access to all the notes. Segovia, Parkening, de Lucia, none of them had curved fretboards made. (My first instrument was classic guitar, nut I didn't practice at all.) Flat being ergonomically optimal seems logical.
I am inclined to think that a bass guitar's radius is almost a symbolic reference to a contrabass' curved neck-which is necessary for bowing purposes. If your play upright, you're probably used to the curve & crave it.
Recently a friend told me that his Telecaster's neck was rounder than his Stratocaster's & he wasn't happy with that.
Before making my decision to go 20" or flat, maybe I should seek advise. I don't have the luxury of trying both out first. I might regret either decision
I am not crazy about the standard 12" radius. I don't like the way the outer strings want to slide off the fretboard when played fast & aggressively. I think the radius seems to make an already wide neck seem even wider. I don't like the way that the fretboard (raised at the center) makes one have to arch ones wrist to gain access to the lower e and b strings. And my pinky (being so much shorter) is a little late on arrival on those low strings (when say, doing triplet arpeggio sweeps when doing walking bass lines). In short, the radius seems to slow down my technique.
I will certainly make the change radical, at least to a 20" radius, definitely not a 16" radius, & not a 20" compound radius--with the high strings elevated & the low strings further out of reach.
I am even considering a flat surface--like a classic guitar--no radius. It seems right, it seems I would get easiest access to all the notes. Segovia, Parkening, de Lucia, none of them had curved fretboards made. (My first instrument was classic guitar, nut I didn't practice at all.) Flat being ergonomically optimal seems logical.
I am inclined to think that a bass guitar's radius is almost a symbolic reference to a contrabass' curved neck-which is necessary for bowing purposes. If your play upright, you're probably used to the curve & crave it.
Recently a friend told me that his Telecaster's neck was rounder than his Stratocaster's & he wasn't happy with that.
Before making my decision to go 20" or flat, maybe I should seek advise. I don't have the luxury of trying both out first. I might regret either decision
