Neck Radius and Expression

[lefty007]

I'm with KJung. And the proof that he has a point is this, found in the first post:

Like... yeah right.

OK, maybe my choice of words is not the best.

In my experience, the reaction of the strings is very different when slapping on a board with rounder radius, than on a flatter one.

Smith, Fodera, Sadowsky, Yamaha TRB. . . all these had radius 12" and flatter, and setup well, with low action, same string, the slap sound will always feel "choked" to me. And no, the truss rod was not too straight.

And then, my basses with radius 10" and rounder always seem to have a more open and "quicker" slap sound to me - again, I'm talking about physical reaction, acoustic reaction, not amplified sound.


I'm just writing my experiences, and waiting to hear from others - I'm not coming to conclusions. If your experience is totally the opposite, I want to hear it!

 

[Dragonlord]

Really, I don't have much experience on this subject but it just doesn't make sense. Physically speaking, a string when slapped comes to contact with the same thing, no matter if the rest of the fingerboard is flat or more curved. It's like a line. A small curve can't have an impact in sound, and even if there was one it would be so insignificant that this can't be what you're hearing. Can you find a more curved fretboard more comfortable - sure! Can you listen to the difference, if all other parts are the same - no way IMO. Maaaaybe when bending the string, if it rattles in other frets, but not when slapping. IMO and all that.
Edit: I mean, when you slap it the string can't "know" if it's curved or not... the contact area is TOO small to make a difference.

 

[RoboChrist]

It has to do with your hands. A slapped note on a flat board is more difficult to achieve because the strings are the same height. On a radiused board the string heights are different and can be isolated easier. Also, A flat board facilitates quicker fingering of notes but will penalize you on cross string playing, the opposite is true of radiused boards. Try playing a Jamerson groove on a flat board and you'll know what I mean.

 

[zombywoof5050]

I agree with everything RoboChrist said.
The vintage 7.25" radius feels best to me.

 

[warrplayer]

Could it be that part of the reason the smaller radius necks need higher action is that the nut is not curved enough? You can adjust the action at the bridge to follow the curve of the radius, but the nut is pretty much fixed . . .

Just asking. I play mostly fivers, so I'm used to a flatter radius, personally, and haven't played anything with a really small radius in a long time.

It is the depth of the notches in the nut that determine how far or close the string is from the fingerboard. A good luthier or tech cuts deeper notches for a rounder fingerboard.