Tuesday 28 September 2010

New Bass in Progress pt.8



To radius the fingerboard, I made a block from off-cut Ash which I cut very accurately so that I can attach coarse abrasive paper to the underside to create the required radius. I decided on this instrument to create a more rounded 7.5" radius as used on early Fender Basses. The amount of radius, or curve is a matter of personal preference, but like the feel of a rounded fingerboard. There are pros and cons with the fingerboard radius - the rounder it is, the more the notes can choke if you bend the strings past a certain point, but in general is more comfortable. Whereas a flatter profile lets you have a slightly lower action, but may not feel as natural in a fretting position. One is not necessarily better than the other - just personal taste and playing style.
An addition to the fretboard jig are the parallel rails either side of the block to ensure that the radius curve is always consistent along the entire length of the fingerboard, so that block cannot slip during profiling.

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