What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

[JohnnyGuitar]

Just want to know what fretboard specs for you guys here- length, fret size, radius, etc... the neck and fretboard are what it all comes down to, IMO... if you don't feel good when you lay your hands on the guitar then nothing's right.
I've always liked fat frets - medium jumbo (6130 if I remmeber it right) or jumbo-jumbo (6150). Guitars with vintage frets or tall but thin frets never feel right under my fingers.
As for fretboard radius, I feel good between 9.5 to somwher around 12. Flatter fretboard shapes are also weird, but I can't really explain why...

Is it just me stuck with specs like that? I hate the small radius-vintage frets fretboards. Too many Teles are build that way...

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

Well
i feel good on any Fretboard material ,but Ebony and Maple are the better materials for my playing style.
I prefer 6100 SS ,since it hast the Scalloped feel without being actually!I tried the 6000 lately ,and it wa stoo thick on >18.
I feel good on 24 ,75" 0r 25,5" ,but 25.5" with 27 frets are what i am looking for
the fretboard radius.14!Typical Jackson!

 

[tubeman87]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

9-12" Fret board radius and medium jumbo frets. Thats were its at for me.

 

[Pierre]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

I'd say a 9.5 to 12 compound, or straight 9.5 or 12.
Wide frets, but tall too. Not TOO tall though. But I like very big frets.
Maple or ebony, though it depends mostly on what looks I'd like of course.
Bolt on mostly.

 

[El Dunco]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

I seriously don't know what mine are and they feel different on each guitar. When I play a guitar for a while it sort of "wears in" and I get used to it and can play it comfortably.

 

[Pierre]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

I seriously don't know what mine are and they feel different on each guitar. When I play a guitar for a while it sort of "wears in" and I get used to it and can play it comfortably.

You're lucky. I'm only 5.8 and I have small fingers, my pinky can't reach on the low E for scales when standing up. So I NEED to have a narrow-ish nut width along with a not too thin profile or else I cramp up a lot. Likewise, too flat radii just hurt quite a lot.

 

[Lake Placid Blues]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

I think the old San Dimas Charvel neck's are the ultimate. There were not as thin as the Ibanez neck's, but they had a relatively flat 12-16" compound radius. The width at the nut is between 1 11/16 min and 1 3/4 max. The old Charvel back profile has been copied by EBMM. They were well suited to players with large hands, but other players might find them a bit unweildly?

I can live with a 10" radius, but if it's straight radius, I'd prefer 12". A compound radius is prefered above all.

I like a tall fret though. I like the tall thin 6105, or the wider but tall 6150's. I can't stand dinky frets, especially short frets.

I like a relatively thin back profile, but not too thin. I can get by with just about any back shape, from C shaped, to a V, to asymetrical okay, because I anchor my thumblike a classical player much of the time, and don't play exclusively with the neck cupped in the palm of my hand I guess.

 

[WhoFan]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

2 neck shapes i love are medium to thicker C shapes... and Clapton V shapes...

fretboard radius i prefer is around a 10.... but 12 will work.... Warmoths compound is ok too

scale i prefer is 25 1/2

Frets i prefer 6105 and larger..... 6100 is best

i like both rosewood and maple fingerboards,
and Mahogany, Maple or Rosewood neck woods

ps- i prefer the rounded board edges.... the broken in feel... i've been playing my Warmoth for 12 years with sharp edges and it has not worn away at all... still sharp

 

[JeffB]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

Sometimes I prefer the warmth and fullness of rosewood, other times I prefer the tightness and precision sound of ebony. I prefer ebony for feel regardless.

Maple or Mahogany for neck materials. Depends on what I'm looking for. If I want a bit more snap, maple is great, a little better for "metal". Mahogany for a more full, vintage warmth. Lately I've been gravitating towards maple.

As for neck size...it depends just on feel. I like small-ish necks like the one on my Dean, and I also love baseball bats like I had on my R8. The fatter necks are better for bending, and the smaller ones for faster position shifting. The Dean V neck and the neck on the Destroyer were my two faves. I also really like the McCarty neck, ESP necks on the LTD models, and 50s production and 59 production profile from Gibson. The thing I need is leverage, and flat backed necks like on a Jackson or Wizard neck just don't give me any leverage.I need something in the V groove of my finger and thumb for that leverage.

Radius...nothing lower than 12, unless its like a 10-16 compound. I cannot stand your typical strat type radius...whether its vintage 7.25 or modern 9.5.

Frets...I guess I prefer tall and wide...but the super jumbos on my Dean are a little much..its almost like its scalloped. Super easy for bends, but very fatiguing if you like high action, it tears up your fingers. Keep the action low and then they are awesome...play like butter. I think the fret size on my Destroyer was perfect. Kinda wide, a little taller than vintage, but not super tall like the Dean.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

my standard go to is 1pc maple neck, 12" radius with 6100 frets.

but i'm fine with frets that are medium jumbo OR bigger (nothing smaller). and i can work with a radius anywhere from 9.5"-16" without a problem. 1pc maple is my first choice then ebony board then brazilian rosewood.

-Mike

 

[fusion101]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

12' radius, jumbo frets, ebony fretboard. Neck size, as long as it's not a wizard then I'm usually fine.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

flat, and fairly thin. wide though. NO Vs.

small radius... 7.25? I hate chording on anything else and have no trouble with "fretting out" or bending so long as the guitar is set up properly.

Small frets (they don't get in the way like big bumps tend to)

I'm comfortable on anything from 22.5 to 27 scale and barely have a preference, but I prefer 24" (Jag scale) or 24.75 (Gibson scale). The fact that most Gibson scale guitars are Gibsons precludes me from playing them.

I like a fairly wide cut nut.

 

[big_black]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

There's nothing like the satisfying snap of a solid maple neck, but I think overall I like ebony on maple or mahogany the most. Ebony is smooth, pointed, but I feel like its a more musical wood than maple and has a certain sweetness to it. I can adjust to most any radii - i've got a 10.5", a 12", and a 15" and they are all fine by me. Frets I don't know much about, I like them pretty big. 24.75" scale for everything.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

flat, and fairly thin. wide though. NO Vs.

small radius... 7.25? I hate chording on anything else and have no trouble with "fretting out" or bending so long as the guitar is set up properly.

Small frets (they don't get in the way like big bumps tend to)

I'm comfortable on anything from 22.5 to 27 scale and barely have a preference, but I prefer 24" (Jag scale) or 24.75 (Gibson scale). The fact that most Gibson scale guitars are Gibsons precludes me from playing them.

I like a fairly wide cut nut.

Slade, I can sometimes guess your answers. :laugh2:

I don't have a problem getting the chords right on any radius but I also hardly use all 6 strings for chords. I don't care about small or big frets as long as they are not thin. The vintage frets are horrible... I always feel like the guitar could use a fret job with them...
BTW,
What about Firebirds? they look pretty funky and weird - in a style you might like. :6: I think that could be the Gibson for you.

 

[danglybanger]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

heh, when I first started looking at and admiring guitars (not actually playing them) I liked the Firebird and the Jaguar the most in terms of style... They're both a similar shape (hence the lawsuit), and Firebirds are available in cooler colors than most Gibsons.

...When I started to care about playing them, Jags were more comfortable to me... Firebirds are a bit ungainly and bulky. They also seem to feel stiff, and I just don't agree with mahogany... it isn't as subtle as say alder, and it seems to mud everything up to my ears, even though the minihums do brighten things up... they don't really twang. The Jag was perfect, and corrected everything I didn't like about strats

On top of that, Firebirds don't have the switches and tonal versatility of the Jag...

I like the minihums, and the neck through construction is pretty cool even though it's not really something I pine for in a guitar. Plus I always thought the tuners were cool...

I have no love for NRFs because they look uglier and got rid of most of the things that made them uniquely firebird. There wasn't any point in continuing making them after they changed them.

yeah. thread hijack. But didn't you ask for it? :laugh2:

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: What's the best fretboard construction specs for you?

Thick neck, pretty flat fretboard (12 - 14 inch radius), medium height/wide frets, 24.75 inch scale, and 22 frets. That's the most comfortable for me to play for extended periods.